Modern Hebrew Verb Conjugation - Past Tense

Past Tense

A verb in the past tense (עָבַר 'avar) agrees with its subject in person (first, second, or third) and number, and in the second-person singular and plural and third-person singular, gender.

Note that the past/perfect and the present/participle inflections of the third-person singular nif'al were historically pronounced with different vowels in the final syllable—the past/perfect with a paˈtaħ ( ַ = /ɐː/), and the present/participle with a kaˈmat͡s ɡaˈdol ( ָ = /ɔː/). In Modern Hebrew, both of these vowels have merged to /a/, and the two verb forms now are pronounced the same. For example, the past tense נִשְׁמַר niʃˈmaʁ means "he was guarded" (or in old-fashioned perfective "he is/was guarded"), whereas the present tense נִשְׁמָר niʃˈmaʁ means "he is being guarded".

Form Root Singular Plural
He She Thou (or You in Modern English) I They Ye (or You in Modern English) We
M F M F
pa'al שׁמר שָׁמַר שָֽמְרָה שָׁמַרְתָּ שָׁמַרְתְּ שָׁמַרְתִּי שָֽמְרוּ שְׁמַרְתֶּם שְׁמַרְתֶּן שָׁמַרְנוּ
sh-m-r ʃaˈmaʁ ʃamˈʁa ʃaˈmaʁta ʃaˈmaʁt ʃaˈmaʁti ʃamˈʁu ʃmaʁˈtem ʃmaʁˈten ʃaˈmaʁnu
pi'el גדל גִּדֵּל גִּדְּלָה גִּדַּלְתָּ גִּדַּלְתְּ גִּדַּלְתִּי גִּדְּלוּ גִּדַּלְתֶּם גִּדַּלְתֶּן גִּדַּלְנוּ
g-d-l ɡiˈdel ɡidˈla ɡiˈdalta ɡiˈdalt ɡiˈdalti ɡidˈlu ɡidalˈtem ɡidalˈten ɡiˈdalnu
hif'il קטנ הִקְטִין הִקְטִינָה הִקְטַנְתָּ הִקְטַנְתְּ הִקְטַנְתִּי הִקְטִינוּ הִקְטַנְתֶּם הִקְטַנְתֶּן הִקְטַנּוּ
q-t-n hikˈtin hiktiˈna hikˈtanta hikˈtant hikˈtanti hikˈtinu hiktanˈtem hiktanˈten hikˈtanu
hitpa'el בטל הִתְבַּטֵּל הִתְבַּטְּלָה הִתְבַּטַּלְתָּ הִתְבַּטַּלְתְּ הִתְבַּטַּלְתִּי הִתְבַּטְּלוּ הִתְבַּטַּלְתֶּם הִתְבַּטַּלְתֶּן הִתְבַּטַּלְנוּ
b-t-l hitbaˈtel hitbatˈla hitbaˈtalta hitbaˈtalt hitbaˈtalti hitbatˈlu hitbatalˈtem hitbatalˈten hitbaˈtalnu
huf'al קטנ הֻקְטַן הֻקְטְנָה הֻקְטַנְתָּ הֻקְטַנְתְּ הֻקְטַנְתִּי הֻקְטְנוּ הֻקְטַנְתֶּם הֻקְטַנְתֶּן הֻקְטַנּוּ
q-t-n hukˈtan hukteˈna hukˈtanta hukˈtant hukˈtanti hukteˈnu huktanˈtem huktanˈten hukˈtanu
pu'al גדל גֻּדַּל גֻּדְּלָה גֻּדַּלְתָּ גֻּדַּלְתְּ גֻּדַּלְתִּי גֻּדְּלוּ גֻּדַּלְתֶּם גֻּדַּלְתֶּן גֻּדַּלְנוּ
g-d-l ɡuˈdal ɡudˈla ɡuˈdalta ɡuˈdalt ɡuˈdalti ɡudˈlu ɡudalˈtem ɡudalˈten ɡuˈdalnu
nif'al שׁמר נִשְׁמַר נִשְׁמְרָה נִשְׁמַרְתָּ נִשְׁמַרְתְּ נִשְׁמַרְתִּי נִשְׁמְרוּ נִשְׁמַרְתֶּם נִשְׁמַרְתֶּן נִשְׁמַרְנוּ
sh-m-r niʃˈmaʁ niʃmeˈʁa niʃˈmaʁta niʃˈmaʁt niʃˈmaʁti niʃmeˈʁu niʃmaʁˈtem niʃmaʁˈten niʃˈmaʁnu
Example conjugations in the past tense.

Read more about this topic:  Modern Hebrew Verb Conjugation

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