Modern Hebrew Verb Conjugation - Present Tense

Present Tense

A verb in the present tense (הוֹוֶה, hove) agrees with its subject in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural), such that each verb has four present-tense forms:

Form Root Singular Plural Translation
M F M F
pa'al שׁמר שׁוֹמֵר שׁוֹמֶ֫רֶת שׁוֹמְרִים שׁוֹמְרוֹת Guards
sh-m-r ʃoˈmeʁ ʃoˈmeʁet ʃomˈʁim ʃomˈʁot
pi'el גדל מְגַדֵּל מְגַדֶּלֶת מְגַדְּלִים מְגַדְּלוֹת Raises, grows (something)
g-d-l meɡaˈdel meɡaˈdelet meɡadˈlim meɡadˈlot
hif'il קטנ מַקְטִין מַקְטִינָה מַקְטִינִים מַקְטִינוֹת Shrinks (something)
q-t-n makˈtin maktiˈna maktiˈnim maktiˈnot
hitpa'el בטל מִתְבַּטֵּל מִתְבַּטֶּלֶת מִתְבַּטְּלִים מִתְבַּטְּלוֹת Belittles oneself, loafs
b-t-l mitbaˈtel mitbaˈtelet mitbatˈlim mitbatˈlot
huf'al קטנ מֻקְטָן מֻקְטֶנֶת מֻקְטָנִים מֻקְטָנוֹת Is shrunken by
q-t-n mukˈtan mukˈtenet muktaˈnim muktaˈnot
pu'al גדל מְגֻדָּל מְגֻדֶּלֶת מְגֻדָּלִים מְגֻדָּלוֹת Is raised
g-d-l meɡuˈdal meɡuˈdelet meɡudaˈlim meɡudaˈlot
nif'al שׁמר נִשְׁמָר נִשְׁמֶרֶת נִשְׁמָרִים נִשְמָרוֹת Is guarded
sh-m-r niʃˈmaʁ niʃˈmeʁet niʃmaˈʁim niʃmaˈʁot
Example conjugations in the present tense.

The present tense doesn't inflect by first, second, or third person because its use as a present tense is a relatively recent trend, as this form was originally used as the participle. The ancient language didn't have strictly defined past, present, or future tenses, but merely perfective and imperfective aspects, with past, present, or future connotation depending on context. Later the perfective and imperfective aspects were explicitly refashioned as the past and future tenses respectively, with the participle standing in as the present tense. (This also happened to the Aramaic language around the same time.) The modern present tense verb is still used as the present participle; see further down.

Read more about this topic:  Modern Hebrew Verb Conjugation

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