Lesson 11
1. The 4th binyan: the reflexive conjugation hitpa’el
Hitpa’el is the reflexive conjugation (eg lehitnahel to conduct oneself). The word hitpa’el means: he admired.
Certainly you have heard the word lehitra’ot – to see each other. It is used as see you, bye bye
Other hitpa’el-verbs – as the word mistader – to cope don’t suggest a reflexive signification in their English counterpart. From it derives the noun histadrut, which is the denotation of the labor union.
Hitpa’el-verbs in present tense:
2. Past tense of Hebrew pa’al – forms
Hebrew knows only one past tense (unlike English: I ate, I have eaten, I had eaten).
Past tense in Hebrew is avar (English: it passed):
Pa’al means: he acted and denotes at the same time the binyan pa’al. The forms of past tense can be used with or without personal pronouns. Thus I pursued can be translated as ani radafti or radafti.
Past tense of the pa’al-verb lirdof – to pursue, present: rodef – pursues:
If the third consonant of the shoresh is a he, as in ro’eh, the he of the 3rd person female singular will change into a tav. In the 1st and 2nd person the he will become a yud.
Past tense of the pa’al-verb lir’ot – to see (from present ro’eh)
The past tense of kal-verbs are:
Of kam – rises; lakum – to rise
Note:
Hu kam can mean he rises or he rose.
She rises is hi kama and she rose is hi kamah. The forms differ only in emphasis. This goes also for all other kal-verbs.
Past tense of to be:
3. Past tense of the binyan pi’el
Past tense of pi’el is formed as follows:
Of mefater – dismisses; lefater – to dismiss
If the last consonant of the shoresh is a he, as in mefaneh, clears, the he becomes a taw in the 3rd person female singular. In the 1st and 2nd person the he becomes a yud:
Example: mefaneh – clears, lefanot – to clear
4. Past tense of the binyan hif’il
Hif’il means he activated and denotes at the same time the binyan hif’il.
Past tense of hif’il is formed as follows:
Of mazmin – invites: lehazmin – to invite
5. Past tense of the binyan hitpa’el
Of mitgaber – overcomes: lehitgaber– to overcome
