Language/Hebrew/Grammar/Review-of-Verbs

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Hebrew → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Review of Verbs

Welcome to our lesson on Hebrew verbs! Understanding verbs is essential for effective communication in any language, and Hebrew is no exception. In this lesson, we will dive deep into the world of Hebrew verbs, exploring their conjugation in the present, past, and future tenses, as well as the use of auxiliary verbs.

Verbs are the action words in a sentence that convey what the subject is doing. In Hebrew, verbs are particularly interesting because they are inflected for tense, gender, and number, making them a bit more complex than in English. This complexity can be daunting at first, but with practice, you’ll find that you can master Hebrew verbs and use them to express yourself clearly and confidently.

Here’s what we’ll cover in this lesson:

• The importance of verbs in Hebrew

• Overview of verb conjugation in different tenses

• Examples of verbs in action

• Exercises to test your understanding

By the end of this lesson, you'll have a solid understanding of Hebrew verbs, which will serve as a strong foundation for your continued learning.

The Importance of Verbs in Hebrew

Verbs in Hebrew are critical for forming sentences that convey meaning. They allow us to express actions, states of being, and changes. Without verbs, communication would be limited to nouns and adjectives, which would make it difficult to describe what we do or what happens in the world around us.

In Hebrew, verbs can also indicate tense, gender, and number. This means that a single verb can change form depending on who is performing the action and when it is happening. For example, the verb "to eat" (לאכול) can change based on whether the subject is male or female and whether the action is happening in the past, present, or future.

Overview of Verb Conjugation

Let's break down the conjugation of Hebrew verbs into the three main tenses: present, past, and future.

Present Tense

In Hebrew, the present tense is typically formed by adding specific prefixes and suffixes to the root of the verb. The structure can vary depending on the subject's gender and number.

For example, the verb "to write" (לכתוב) is conjugated as follows:

Hebrew	Pronunciation	English
אני כותב	ani kotev	I (male) write
אני כותבת	ani kotevet	I (female) write
אתה כותב	ata kotev	You (male) write
את כותבת	at kotevet	You (female) write
הוא כותב	hu kotev	He writes
היא כותבת	hi kotevet	She writes
אנחנו כותבים	anachnu kotvim	We write
אתם כותבים	atem kotvim	You (plural, male) write
אתן כותבות	aten kotvot	You (plural, female) write
הם כותבים	hem kotvim	They (male) write
הן כותבות	hen kotvot	They (female) write

Past Tense

The past tense in Hebrew is formed by using specific suffixes that correspond to the gender and number of the subject. The root of the verb remains the same, while the endings change.

For example, the verb "to write" (לכתוב) in the past tense looks like this:

Hebrew	Pronunciation	English
אני כתבתי	ani katavti	I (male) wrote
אני כתבתי	ani katavti	I (female) wrote
אתה כתבת	ata katavta	You (male) wrote
את כתבת	at katavt	You (female) wrote
הוא כתב	hu katav	He wrote
היא כתבה	hi katva	She wrote
אנחנו כתבנו	anachnu katavnu	We wrote
אתם כתבתם	atem katavtem	You (plural, male) wrote
אתן כתבתן	aten katavten	You (plural, female) wrote
הם כתבו	hem katvu	They (male) wrote
הן כתבו	hen katvu	They (female) wrote

Future Tense

In the future tense, Hebrew verbs also change to indicate who will perform the action. The structure often involves prefixes and specific endings.

For the verb "to write" (לכתוב) in the future tense, we see:

Hebrew	Pronunciation	English
אני אכתוב	ani ekhtov	I (male) will write
אני אכתוב	ani ekhtov	I (female) will write
אתה תכתוב	ata takhtov	You (male) will write
את תכתבי	at takhtvi	You (female) will write
הוא יכתוב	hu yikhtov	He will write
היא תכתוב	hi tikhtov	She will write
אנחנו נכתוב	anachnu nikhtov	We will write
אתם תכתבו	atem tikhtvu	You (plural, male) will write
אתן תכתבו	aten tikhtvu	You (plural, female) will write
הם יכתבו	hem yikhtvu	They (male) will write
הן יכתבו	hen yikhtvu	They (female) will write

Auxiliary Verbs

In Hebrew, auxiliary verbs are used to help form different tenses or to add emphasis to the main verb. The most common auxiliary verb in Hebrew is "to be" (להיות), which is often omitted in the present tense but is crucial in the past and future tenses.

For example, in the sentence "I am happy" (אני שמח), the verb "to be" is implied and not explicitly stated. However, in the past tense, it would be used: "I was happy" (אני הייתי שמח).

Here's how the auxiliary verb "to be" conjugates in the past and future tense:

Hebrew	Pronunciation	English
אני הייתי	ani hayiti	I was
אתה היית	ata hayita	You (male) were
את היית	at hayit	You (female) were
הוא היה	hu haya	He was
היא הייתה	hi hayeta	She was
אנחנו היינו	anachnu hayinu	We were
אתם הייתם	atem hayitem	You (plural, male) were
אתן הייתן	aten hayiten	You (plural, female) were
הם היו	hem hayu	They (male) were
הן היו	hen hayu	They (female) were

In the future tense, "to be" is expressed as follows:

Hebrew	Pronunciation	English
אני אהיה	ani ehye	I will be
אתה תהיה	ata tihye	You (male) will be
את תהיה	at tihyi	You (female) will be
הוא יהיה	hu yihye	He will be
היא תהיה	hi tihye	She will be
אנחנו נהיה	anachnu nahye	We will be
אתם תהיו	atem tihyu	You (plural, male) will be
אתן תהיו	aten tihyu	You (plural, female) will be
הם יהיו	hem yihyu	They (male) will be
הן יהיו	hen yihyu	They (female) will be

Practical Exercises

To help solidify your understanding of Hebrew verbs, let's engage in some exercises!

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb "to eat" (לאכול) in the present tense.

1. אני _______ (לאכול) תפוח.

2. אתה _______ (לאכול) לחם.

3. היא _______ (לאכול) עוגה.

4. אנחנו _______ (לאכול) ארוחת ערב.

5. הם _______ (לאכול) סלט.

Answers:

1. אני אוכלת (ani okhelet) - I (female) eat

2. אתה אוכל (ata ochel) - You (male) eat

3. היא אוכלת (hi okhelet) - She eats

4. אנחנו אוכלים (anachnu okhlim) - We eat

5. הם אוכלים (hem okhlim) - They (male) eat

Exercise 2: Conjugate the Verb

Conjugate the verb "to read" (לקרוא) in the past tense for all subjects.

Answers:

| Hebrew | Pronunciation | English |

|------------------|-------------------|------------------|

| אני קראתי | ani karati | I (female) read |

| אני קראתי | ani karati | I (male) read |

| אתה קראת | ata karata | You (male) read |

| את קראת | at karat | You (female) read |

| הוא קרא | hu kara | He read |

| היא קראה | hi kara'a | She read |

| אנחנו קראנו | anachnu karanu | We read |

| אתם קראתם | atem karatem | You (plural, male) read |

| אתן קראתן | aten karaten | You (plural, female) read |

| הם קראו | hem karu | They (male) read |

| הן קראו | hen karu | They (female) read|

Exercise 3: Translate the Sentences

Translate the following sentences into Hebrew using the correct verb forms.

1. I will write a letter.

2. You (female) were happy.

3. They (female) will eat pizza.

Answers:

1. אני אכתוב מכתב (ani ekhtov mikhtav).

2. את היית שמחה (at hayit smecha).

3. הן יאכלו פיצה (hen yokhlu pitzah).

Exercise 4: Verb Matching

Match the Hebrew verbs with their English meanings.

1. לִכתוֹב

2. לִקרוֹא

3. לֶאֱכוֹל

4. לִשְׂחוֹת

| Hebrew | English |

|------------------|------------------|

| א. לִכתוֹב | 1. to swim |

| ב. לִקרוֹא | 2. to read |

| ג. לֶאֱכוֹל | 3. to write |

| ד. לִשְׂחוֹת | 4. to eat |

Answers:

• א → 3

• ב → 2

• ג → 4

• ד → 1

Exercise 5: Identify the Tense

Identify the tense of the following verbs and provide the subject.

1. היא כתבתי

2. אני אכתוב

3. הם אכלו

Answers:

1. Past tense, subject: היא (hi - she)

2. Future tense, subject: אני (ani - I)

3. Past tense, subject: הם (hem - they)

Conclusion

Now that you have a solid understanding of Hebrew verbs, including their conjugation in present, past, and future tenses, as well as the use of auxiliary verbs, you're well on your way to forming more complex sentences in Hebrew. Remember, practice makes perfect, so don't hesitate to revisit these concepts often.

Keep practicing, and soon you'll find that using Hebrew verbs becomes second nature. Happy learning!

Table of Contents - Hebrew Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Hebrew Alphabet

• Consonants
• Vowels
• Nikkud
• Reading Practice

  ---

Everyday Hebrew Vocabulary

• Greetings
• Numbers
• Family Members
• Colors, Shapes, and Sizes
• Food and Drink
• Clothing
• Transportation and Travel
• Weather
• Time and Calendar

  ---

Hebrew Grammar

• Nouns
• Pronouns
• Adjectives
• Verbs
• Prepositions
• Conjunctions

  ---

Israeli Culture

• Jewish Holidays
• Israeli Society
• Famous Israelis
• Israeli Cuisine

  ---

Hebrew Expressions

• Common Phrases
• Slang
• Idioms

  ---

Hebrew Numbers

• Ordinal Numbers
• Fractions and Decimals

  ---

Hebrew Geography and Landmarks

• Cities and Regions
• Landmarks

  ---

Hebrew Literature and Language

• Hebrew Poetry
• Hebrew Proverbs

  ---

Grammar Review

• Review of Nouns and Pronouns
• Review of Adjectives
• Review of Verbs

Sources

• Biblical Hebrew Grammar Review: Verb St… - by Xenolinguiphile ...
• Book Review: A Modern Grammar for Biblical Hebrew & Workbook ...
• Level 8 - Hiphil - Biblical Hebrew Grammar Review: Verb Stems ...

Other Lessons

• Ordinal Numbers
• Nouns
• Verb to Have
• Conditional Mood
• Consonants
• 0 to A1 Course
• Future Tense
• Review of Nouns and Pronouns
• Questions
• Personal pronouns

◀️ Review of Adjectives — Previous Lesson