Hebrew Verbs

Many times learning verbs is one of the hardest parts of studying language. Along with accents and pronunciation rules trying to remember the difference between regular and irregular verbs or past and present tense can be confusing. The good thing about learning Hebrew verbs is that by the time you are ready to memorize them, you will already have a basic understanding of the Hebrew alphabet, words, and common phrases which will make it easier to work on verbs.

One of the first things you’ll learn about Hebrew verbs is that they change according to person (first, second, or third), number (singular or plural), and gender (female or masculine). As you can see there are a number of different combinations that can be made to come up with the correct verb to use.

From there you can begin to use past, present, and future verb tenses as well as infinitives. Rather than just active or passive voice Hebrew uses binyanim, of which there are seven, to indicate voice. The seven binyanim are: simple active (pa’al); simple passive (nif’al); intensive active (pi’el); intensive passive (pu’al); causal active (hif’il); causal passive (huf’al); and reflexive action (hitpa’elo)

Once you begin learning Hebrew verbs you will see that in all actuality verbs are not as difficult as they seem. Particularly in the Hebrew language where many of the rules are spelled out and are easy to follow, verbs can be learned by following a few basic properties.

If you are ready to learn Hebrew verbs but are unsure of where to start try listening to a Hebrew verb podcast. In addition to teaching you about verbs in a simple and easy to understand manner, a podcast can also give you the ability to listen to subtle differences between tense and voice so that you can begin to understand how to apply each of these to other verbs.

Another great tool for learning different verbs is to try using flashcards. Although flashcards are generally used to learn basic vocabulary words, they can also work well for verbs. Much of learning verbs comes down to memorization so flashcards are the perfect tool to give your memory a workout and commit different verbs to memory.

If you’ve decided to learn the Hebrew language remember when you get to your verb lesson that while it may be difficult at first once you get the hang of it you will be able to put your newfound skills to use speaking with friends, family, and maybe even your neighborhood rabbi.