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Learn Hebrew: Verb Stem Pa’al, Root כ.ת.ב – Lesson 1
In this lesson, you will learn about Hebrew verbs conjugation and verb stems. This video is the first video in a 2-part video playlist. Click HERE to see both videos.

Featuring: Hebrew With Ben [YouTube Channel]

Featuring: Jeremy F. Hultin [YouTube Channel]

Learn the Top 25 Must-Know Hebrew Verbs
In this lesson, you’ll learn Top 25 Hebrew Verbs that are used every day in Israel.

Featuring: Hebrew Pod 101 [YouTube Channel]
Website: HebrewPod101.com

Featuring: Hebrew4Learners [YouTube Channel]

Hebrew Verb Structures

In regards to Hebrew verbs, the term “binyan” ( בִּניָן ) or “binyanim” (plural, מבנים ) means “building” (plural, “buildings”), and it refers to the structures of Hebrew verb conjugation structures.

There are seven main binyanim in Hebrew:
“pa’al”, “nif’al”, “piel”, “pual”, “hitpa’el”, “hof’al”, and “hif’il”

The most common binyan is “pa’al” which is used for regular, transitive verbs and forms the simple past, present, and future tenses. For example, the verb “to work” is “לַעֲבוֹד” (la’avod) in the infinitive form and conjugates as “עָבַדְתִּי” (avadti) (I worked) in the past, “עֹבֵד” (oved) (I work) in the present, and “אֲעַבֶּד” (a’avod) (I will work) in the future.

The “nif’al” binyan is used for intransitive verbs and forms the passive voice. For example, the verb “to be born” is “לִהְיוֹת נֶפֶד” (lih’yot nefah) in the infinitive form and conjugates as “נִפְדַּתִּי” (nifdat) (I was born) in the past, “נוֹפֵד” (nofed) (I am born) in the present, and “אֶנִּפְדָה” (enifda) (I will be born) in the future.

The “piel” binyan is used for intensive or causative verbs and forms the intensive past, present and future tenses. For example, the verb “to double” is “לְכַפֵּר” (lekhaper) in the infinitive form and conjugates as “כַּפֵּרַתִּי” (khaparat) (I doubled) in the past, “כַּפֵּר” (khaper) (I double) in the present, and “אֶכַּפֵּר” (ekhaper) (I will double) in the future.

Each binyan has its own conjugation pattern and usage, and it’s important to understand and practice them to improve your Hebrew language skills.

Featuring: Tim McNinch [YouTube Channel]

Conjugation of Hebrew Verbs:
Person, Gender, and Number

Hebrew verbs are conjugated based on their person, gender, and number.

There are three persons in Hebrew:

1. first person (the speaker),
2. second person (the person spoken to), and
3. third person (the person or thing spoken about).

There are two genders in Hebrew:
masculine and feminine

And, in regards to verb conjugation, there are two numbers in Hebrew:
singular and plural.

The conjugation of a Hebrew verb is determined by its infinitive form, which is the base form of the verb. The infinitive form is usually indicated by the prefix “ל” (lamed) in Hebrew, such as “לְהִתְפַּלֵּל” (l’hitpallel) which means “to speak” in English.

Conjugation Groups:
Weak, Regular, and Strong

Hebrew verbs are divided into three conjugation groups: weak, regular, and strong.

“Weak” Hebrew Verbs
Weak verbs have a predictable conjugation pattern and are the easiest to conjugate.

For example, the weak verb “לְהִתְכַּשֵּׁר” (l’hitkasher) which means “to confirm” conjugates as “הִתְכַּשֵּׁרַּתִּי” (hitkasherti) (confirmed) in the past tense, “כַּשֵּׁר” (kasher) (confirms) in the present tense, and “יֵכַשֵּׁר” (ye’kasher) (will confirm) in the future tense.

Regular Hebrew Verbs
Regular verbs have a slightly more complex conjugation pattern, but are still relatively easy to conjugate.

An example of a regular verb is “לְהִתְפַּלֵּל” (l’hitpalel) which means “to pray”, conjugates as “הִתְפַּלֵּלְתָּ” (hitpalelta) (prayed) in the past, “פַּלֵּל” (palel) (prays) in the present, and “יֵפַלֵּל” (ye’palel) (will pray) in the future.

“Strong” Hebrew Verbs
Strong verbs have a highly irregular conjugation pattern and are the most difficult to conjugate.

An example of a strong verb is “לְהִיבַּטֵּל” (l’hivatel) which means “to fall”, conjugates as “הִיבַּטֵּלְתִּי” (hivatalti) (I fell), “הִיבַּטֵּלְתָּ” (hivatalta) (you fell), “הִיבַּטֵּל” (hivatalt) (he/she/it fell), “הִיבַּטְּלֻנוּ” (hivatelu) (we fell), “הִיבַּטְּלֻנֶם” (hivatelitem) (you all fell), “הִיבַּטְּלוּ” (hivatlu) (they fell)

in the past tense, “הִתְבַּטֵּל” (hitbatel) (I am falling), “הִתְבַּטְּלָה” (hitbatlata) (you are falling), “הִתְבַּטֵּל” (hitbatalt) (he/she/it is falling), “הִתְבַּטְּלֻנוּ” (hitbatelu) (we are falling), “הִתְבַּטְּלֻנֶם” (hitbatlitem) (you all are falling), “הִתְבַּטְּלוּ” (hitbatlu) (they are falling)

in the present tense, and “יִיבַּטֵּל” (yivatel) (I will fall), “יִיבַּטְּלָה” (yivatalta) (you will fall), “יִיבַּטֵּל” (yivatalt) (he/she/it will fall), “יִיבַּטְּלֻנוּ” (yivatelu) (we will fall), “יִיבַּטְּלֻנֶם” (yivatelitem) (you all will fall), “יִיבַּטְּלוּ” (yivatlu) (they will fall) in the future tense.

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Moods

In addition to the tenses, Hebrew verbs can also be conjugated to reflect mood, such as the imperative or the subjunctive.

Imperative Verbs in Hebrew – Overview
This video presents a brief introduction to the Hebrew imperative verb form. There are four forms, but since the feminine plural is rarely used, this video focuses on the three main forms.

Featuring: T’helah Ben-Dan [YouTube Channel] | Website: TheKefar.com/Hebrew

Imperative

The imperative form is used to give commands. In Hebrew, the imperative form is formed by using the verb’s infinitive form without the prefix “ל-” (le-).

Here are a few examples of imperative verbs:

כָתַבְ (katav!) “write!”
דַבֵר (daber!) “speak!”
שִיר (shir!) “sing!”

How to say “I would” or “I could” in Hebrew. Subjunctive mood. Hebrew for beginners.
This video analyzes how the subjunctive mood grammatical structure functions in Hebrew. In this video, you will learn how to say “I would”, “I could”, “I couldn’t”, “I wouldn’t”, etc.

The subjunctive mood reveals a crucial grammar structure of Hebrew that is often used in speech in everyday life in Israel. This video about the subjunctive mode of Hebrew verb conjugation is the first of several on the topic. You can see each of them in the video playlist entitled Hebrew Lessons on YouTube.

Subjunctive Videos in the Hebrew Lessons playlist:
START HERE: VIDEO 13 | VIDEO 14 | VIDEO 15 | VIDEO 16

Featuring: Hebrew with David [YouTube Channel] | Website: iTalki.com/DavidTeacherProfile

Subjunctive

The subjunctive form is used to express doubt or possibility. In Hebrew, the subjunctive form is formed by using the verb’s infinitive form with the prefix “ל-” (le-) before it.

Here are a few examples of subjunctive verbs:

לִכְתֹב (lik-tov) “to write” – כָתַב (katav) (infinitive) – לֶכְתַב (le-katav) (subjunctive)
לְדַבֵּר (ledab-er) “to speak” – דַבֵּר (daber) (infinitive) – לֶדַבֵּר (le-daber) (subjunctive)
לְשִׁיר (leshir) “to sing” – שִׁיר (shir) (infinitive) – לֶשִׁיר (le-shir) (subjunctive)

Video Playlist: Hebrew Writing Practice | Featuring: Hebrew Study Group [YouTube Channel]

Featuring: Tim McNinch [YouTube Channel]

The Perfect Verb Tense

The perfect tense, also known as the “complete” or “concluded” tense, is used to describe a completed action in the past, present, or future. The perfect tense is formed by adding a prefix to the verb in its infinitive form, and adding a suffix to indicate the subject of the sentence.

The prefix that is added to the infinitive form of the verb is “haya” (הָיָה) for the past, “hi” (הִיא) for the present and “yehi” (יהִיא) for the future.

The suffix that is added to indicate the subject of the sentence is as follows:

• “-ti” for the first person singular (I)
• “-ta” for the second person singular (you)
• “-” for the third person singular (he/she/it)
• “-nu” for the first person plural (we)
• “-tem” for the second person plural (you all)
• “-u” for the third person plural (they)

It’s important to note that in Hebrew, the perfect tense is often used to indicate an action that was completed in the past, present or future. It’s also used in dependent clauses that indicate a reason, purpose, or result, and it is also used to express the idea of possession.

Featuring: Tim McNinch [YouTube Channel]

The Imperfect Verb Tense

In Hebrew, the imperfect verb tense is also known as the “consecutive” or “incomplete” tense. It is used to describe an ongoing or habitual action in the past, present, or future. The imperfect tense is formed by adding the prefix “vav” (also transliterated as “waw”) to the verb in its infinitive form.

For example, the infinitive form of the verb “to walk” is “l’halech” (לָלֶכֶת) and in the imperfect tense, it becomes “vayelech” (וַיֵּלֵךְ) to indicate an ongoing or habitual action in the past. In the present tense, “v’halech” (וְהָלֵךְ) and in the future tense, “yavo’u” (יָבֹאוּ)

It’s important to note that in Hebrew, the consecutive/imperfect tense is often used when describing an action that is in progress, or is being repeated in the past, present or future. It’s also used in dependent clauses that indicate a reason, purpose, or result.

For example, in the sentence “I am reading because I want to improve my Hebrew,” the action “reading” is in progress and is being done with a purpose, in Hebrew it would be “Ani kotav k’she ani rotse lehagia li eev’reet” (אני קוֹראֶת כִּי אֲנִי רוֹצֶה לְהַגִּיעַ לִּי עִבְרִית) where “Ani kotav” (אני קורא) is the imperfect form of the verb “to read” indicating the action of reading is in progress, and “k’she ani rotse lehagia li eev’reet” (כִּי אֲנִי רוֹצֶה לְהַגִּיעַ לִּי עִבְרִית) is the reason why the action is being performed.

Word Order in Hebrew Sentences

In Hebrew, the verb often comes before the subject in the sentence, as opposed to English where the subject usually comes before the verb. The difference is VSO (verb-subject-object) word order versus SVO (subject-verb-object). Biblical Hebrew uses VSO extensively. On the other hand, basic Modern Hebrew will often use the SVO model just like English does. It is good to make the distinction. If you are studying the Hebrew Bible, the order will repeatedly be VSO. If you are studying Modern Hebrew for conversational purposes, then you will often use SVO.

Examples:
Basic Hebrew Word Order  | Biblical Hebrew Word Order

Suffixes Indicate the Subject

It’s also important to note that⸻rather than being limited to separate pronoun words like “I”, “you”, “he” and so on⸻Hebrew uses suffixes to indicate the subject of a sentence.

For example, the suffix “-ti” added to the verb indicates the first person singular subject, “אֲנִי” (Ani) which means “I”, and the suffix “-ta” added to the verb indicates the second person singular subject, “אַתָּה” (Ata) which means “you”.

The Two Voices of Hebrew Verbs

Hebrew verbs also have two voices⸻active and passive.

Active Voice

In the active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action of the verb. For example, in the sentence “I am writing a letter” the subject “I” performs the action of writing. The majority of Hebrew verbs are in the active voice.

Passive Voice

In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence is acted upon by the verb.

For example, in the sentence “The letter is being written by me” the subject “letter” is being acted upon by the verb “to write”. The passive voice in Hebrew is formed by using the verb “נִפְעַל” (nif’al) before the verb.

לִכְתֹב (lik-tov) “to write” – כָתַב (katav) (active voice) – נִכְתַב (nikatav) (passive voice)
לְדַבֵּר (ledab-er) “to speak” – דַבֵּר (daber) (active voice) – נִדַבֵּר (nidaber) (passive voice)
לְשִׁיר (leshir) “to sing” – שִׁיר (shir) (active voice) – נִשִׁיר (nishir) (passive voice)

Irregular Verbs

There are many irregular verbs in Hebrew, that can be difficult to learn, but with practice, it is possible to master them. Some irregular verbs have different conjugation in different tenses, moods, or voices. It’s important to memorize these irregular verbs and practice them regularly.

Practice and Study

Understanding the basics of Hebrew verbs is essential for any learner of the Hebrew language. As you practice and study, you’ll begin to understand the conjugation patterns of different verbs and gain a better understanding of the different tenses.

One effective way to practice is by reading Hebrew texts, paying attention to the verbs used, and trying to conjugate them on your own. And it’s also important to practice listening to Hebrew speakers and try to understand the verbs they use in context.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Hebrew verbs are an essential part of the Hebrew language and are used to express actions, states, and occurrences. They are conjugated based on their person, gender, and number, and are divided into three conjugation groups. Understanding the basics of Hebrew verbs, including the different tenses and word order, will greatly improve your Hebrew language skills. With practice and study, you’ll be able to master Hebrew verbs and take your Hebrew language skills to the next level.

Book Recommendations:

Here is a list of related books that pertain to the content covered in the article:

“501 Hebrew Verbs (Barron’s 501 Verbs) 3rd Edition” by Shmuel Bolozky:
The author presents the most commonly used Hebrew verbs in all forms, and includes example sentences and common idioms to demonstrate verb usage and how verbs function within the sentence.
More details…

“A Practical Grammar for Classical Hebrew” by J. Weingreen:
This book is a practical guide to learning Hebrew grammar, including verb conjugation, for those interested in reading classical Hebrew texts. It provides clear explanations and examples, as well as exercises and drills for practice.
More details…

“Modern Hebrew: An Essential Grammar” by Lewis Glinert
– This book provides a clear and concise guide to the most important aspects of modern Hebrew grammar, including personal, reflexive, and possessive pronouns.
More details…

“A Reference Grammar of Modern Hebrew” by Edna Amir Coffin, Shmuel Bolozky
This book is a comprehensive reference grammar of modern Hebrew that covers all aspects of Hebrew grammar, including personal, reflexive, and possessive pronouns.
More details…

With regular practice and by utilizing these resources, you will be well on your way to achieving fluency in Hebrew verbs.