How do you conjugate a Hebrew verb?
Find the root and the binyan, then pick the tense: the present has four forms for gender and number, the past adds endings (‑ti, ‑ta, ‑nu…) and the future adds prefixes (e‑, ti‑, yi‑, ni‑). See the four rules, then open a verb in the tables above.
What is a binyan?
A binyan (plural binyanim) is one of the seven verb patterns of Hebrew. Every verb is a three-letter root set into one of them: the root gives the core meaning, the binyan gives the shape and often the voice, such as active, passive or reflexive. Read the beginner guide to the binyanim.
How do I know which binyan a verb is in?
Look at the past tense “he” form, the one dictionaries list: כָּתַב is Pa'al, דִּבֵּר is Pi'el, הִתְחִיל is Hif'il, הִתְקַשֵּׁר is Hitpa'el and נִכְנַס is Nif'al. Or search for the verb above: every result shows its binyan.
Why do Pu'al and Huf'al have no infinitive or imperative?
They are passive patterns, and you rarely tell someone to “be spoken”. Modern Hebrew uses their present and past forms, often as adjectives: מוּבָן means “understood” or “clear”.
Do people really use the feminine plural future (תִּכְתֹּבְנָה)?
Mostly in formal and written Hebrew. In everyday speech the masculine plural form is used for women too: אַתֶּן תִּכְתְּבוּ, הֵן יִכְתְּבוּ. The tables show both so you can recognize them.
How do I read the transliteration?
kh is the throaty sound at the end of Scottish “loch”, sh is as in “shoe”, ts as in “cats”, and an apostrophe separates two vowels, as in hit'amen.
Why are only 30 verbs open here?
This page is a free reference for the core patterns. The HebrewEdu app holds the full dictionary of 334 verbs, searchable and offline, with short quizzes to practise them.
