Verbs · 29/60
Verb endings and prefixes by person
Past: suffixes. Future: prefixes. Present: four forms
These endings and prefixes are the same in every binyan; only the stem changes. In the past tense the person is shown by a suffix, in the future by a prefix (sometimes plus a suffix), and the present tense changes only for gender and number, like an adjective.
| Person | Past: ending | כָּתַבkatav | Future: prefix + ending | יִכְתֹּבyichtov |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | ־תִּי-ti | כָּתַבְתִּיkatavti | אֶ־e- | אֶכְתֹּבechtov |
| you (m) | ־תָּ-ta | כָּתַבְתָּkatavta | תִּ־ti- | תִּכְתֹּבtichtov |
| you (f) | ־תְּ-t | כָּתַבְתְּkatavt | תִּ־ ־ִיti- -i | תִּכְתְּבִיtichtevi |
| he | —|— | כָּתַבkatav | יִ־yi- | יִכְתֹּבyichtov |
| she | ־ָה-a | כָּתְבָהkatva | תִּ־ti- | תִּכְתֹּבtichtov |
| we | ־נוּ-nu | כָּתַבְנוּkatavnu | נִ־ni- | נִכְתֹּבnichtov |
| you (m pl) | ־תֶּם-tem | כְּתַבְתֶּםktavtem | תִּ־ ־וּti- -u | תִּכְתְּבוּtichtevu |
| you (f pl) | ־תֶּן-ten | כְּתַבְתֶּןktavten | תִּ־ ־וּti- -u | תִּכְתְּבוּtichtevu |
| they (m) | ־וּ-u | כָּתְבוּkatvu | יִ־ ־וּyi- -u | יִכְתְּבוּyichtevu |
| they (f) | ־וּ-u | כָּתְבוּkatvu | יִ־ ־וּyi- -u | יִכְתְּבוּyichtevu |
In speech the 2nd person plural past keeps the stress of the other forms: כָּתַבְתֶּם (katAvtem); כְּתַבְתֶּם is the literary form. The literary feminine future forms (תִּכְתֹּבְנָה) are not used in everyday speech.
| Form | Ending | כּוֹתֵבkotevwrites | מְדַבֵּרmedaberspeaks | קוֹנֶהkonebuys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| m. sg. | —|— | כּוֹתֵבkotev | מְדַבֵּרmedaber | קוֹנֶהkone |
| f. sg. | ־ֶת / ־ָה-et / -a | כּוֹתֶבֶתkotevet | מְדַבֶּרֶתmedaberet | קוֹנָהkona |
| m. pl. | ־ִים-im | כּוֹתְבִיםkotvim | מְדַבְּרִיםmedabrim | קוֹנִיםkonim |
| f. pl. | ־וֹת-ot | כּוֹתְבוֹתkotvot | מְדַבְּרוֹתmedabrot | קוֹנוֹתkonot |
The present tense does not mark person: אֲנִי / אַתָּה / הוּא כּוֹתֵב. The pronoun is required.