Verbs · 28/60
The seven binyanim: overview
Verb patterns: what each one means and looks like
Almost every Hebrew verb is a three-letter root placed in one of seven patterns (binyanim). The binyan sets the vowels and prefixes in every tense and usually hints at the meaning: simple action, intensive, causative, reflexive or passive. A binyan is named after its 3rd person past form (“he …”), while dictionaries list verbs by the infinitive.
| Binyan | Function | He… (past) | Infinitive | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| פָּעַלpa'al | simple action; the largest binyan | כָּתַבkatav | לִכְתֹּבlichtov | to write |
| נִפְעַלnif'al | passive or reflexive of פָּעַל; also many plain verbs | נִכְנַסnichnas | לְהִכָּנֵסlehikanes | to enter |
| פִּעֵלpi'el | intensive or repeated action; many loan verbs | דִּבֵּרdiber | לְדַבֵּרledaber | to speak |
| פֻּעַלpu'al | passive of פִּעֵל; mostly participles | דֻּבַּרdubar | —no infinitive | to be spoken of (מְדֻבָּר — mentioned) |
| הִפְעִילhif'il | causative: to make something happen | הִרְגִּישׁhirgish | לְהַרְגִּישׁlehargish | to feel |
| הֻפְעַלhuf'al | passive of הִפְעִיל; mostly participles | הֻרְגַּשׁhurgash | —no infinitive | to be felt (מֻרְגָּשׁ — noticeable) |
| הִתְפַּעֵלhitpa'el | reflexive, reciprocal or gradual action | הִתְלַבֵּשׁhitlabesh | לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁlehitlabesh | to get dressed |
| Binyan | כ־ת־בk-t-v | ל־מ־דl-m-d | ג־ד־לg-d-l |
|---|---|---|---|
| פָּעַלpa'al | כָּתַבkatavwrote | לָמַדlamadlearned | גָּדַלgadalgrew |
| נִפְעַלnif'al | נִכְתַּבnichtavwas written | ||
| פִּעֵלpi'el | לִמֵּדlimedtaught | גִּדֵּלgidelraised, grew (crops) | |
| הִפְעִילhif'il | הִכְתִּיבhichtivdictated | הִגְדִּילhigdilenlarged | |
| הִתְפַּעֵלhitpa'el | הִתְכַּתֵּבhitkatevcorresponded |
Practise it in the app. Shoresh has conjugation, tense and binyan trainers, and the dictionary shows the forms of any word.
