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Lichtov Conjugation

לכתוב (lichtov) means "to write" in Hebrew. Present (participle): אני (ani) כותב (kotev), אני (ani) כותבת (kotevet), אתה (ata) כותב (kotev), את (at) כותבת (kotevet), הוא (hu) כותב (kotev), היא (hi) כותבת (kotevet). Below: all 27 tenses we teach, with examples.

Present (participle) הווה (hove)

The present is the participle (benoni): it agrees in gender and number only, never in person, so the pronoun carries the person. It covers 'I write' and 'I am writing'. For pu'al and huf'al it is the only present-like form (the participle IS the passive present).

Past עבר (avar)

Stem + person endings (-ti, -ta, -t, none, -a, -nu, -tem, -ten, -u); 'I' and 'we' have one form for both genders. It also does the work of the present perfect and the pluperfect ('wrote / has written / had written'); adverbs such as כבר (kvar, 'already') and עדיין לא (adayin lo, 'not yet') make the sense clear.

Past habitual / past continuous (used to, would, was doing) צורת הרגל בעבר (tsurat hergel ba'avar)

The past of 'be' (היה) + the present participle: a repeated or ongoing action in the past ('used to', 'would', 'was writing'). The same form is the result clause of unreal conditions.

Near future (about to, going to)

The participle of עמד (omed, 'standing') + the infinitive: something about to happen or already planned. Pu'al and huf'al have no infinitive of their own; for them say עומד להיות מוזמן with the participle in agreement (not shown).

Future עתיד (atid)

Person prefix (א, ת, י, נ) + stem, with the endings -i (you f.) and -u (plural). Spoken Hebrew uses the masculine plural for the feminine plural as well, and 'she' has the same form as 'you (m.)'. The future also expresses polite requests and, in speech, commands.

Future, literary feminine plural (-נה) עתיד בנקבה רבות (atid benekeva rabot)

Literary and biblical: the feminine plural of the future ('you pl. f.', 'they f.') ends in -נה and differs from the masculine plural. It is met in poetry, the Bible and formal writing; in speech and in most newspapers the masculine plural is used. The vowels of the hif'il, nif'al, pu'al and huf'al forms are unverified.

Present negative, literary (אין + pronoun ending)

In formal writing and speeches the negative of the present is אין + a pronoun ending (אינני, אינך, אינו, אינה, איננו, אינכם, אינם, אינן) + the participle. Everyday Hebrew just puts לא before the participle (אני לא כותב).

Unreal condition, present or future (if only / if I had) תנאי בטל (tnai batel)

לו or אילו ('if', for impossible or unlikely things) + the past of 'be' + the present participle; the result clause has the same היה + participle form. In speech plain אם + היה is also heard.

Unreal condition about the past (אילו + past) תנאי בטל בעבר (tnai batel ba'avar)

אילו or לו + the PAST of the verb for something that did not happen; the result clause uses היה + participle ('would have'). Together with the row above it is the full 'if' system for unreal conditions.

Wish, request, requirement (ש + future)

ש attached to the future form, used after verbs and expressions of wanting, asking, advising, necessity, purpose and doubt (רוצה ש, מבקש ש, חשוב ש, כדי ש, אולי). It plays the role of the subjunctive and stands in for the infinitive when the subjects differ.

Wish with הלוואי (I hope, if only), future

הלוואי ש + future: a hope or an unlikely wish about the future ('I hope he will', 'if only he would'). Spoken and written, mildly emotional.

Wish with הלוואי (I wish I had), past

הלוואי ש + the past tense: regret about something that did or did not happen ('I wish I had / hadn't').

Affirmative imperative ציווי (tsivui)

The standard imperative exists only for 'you' (m. sg. / f. sg. / pl.). The 'we' cell is the cohortative 'let's' (בואו נ + future). In everyday speech the future form often replaces it (see the last row); the imperative of some verbs sounds stiff or rare. Pu'al, huf'al and the nif'al passive have no imperative.

Imperative, literary feminine plural (-נה)

Literary and biblical: the feminine plural imperative ends in -נה (כתובנה, דברנה). Everyone says kitvu instead. The vowels of the non-pa'al forms are unverified.

Negative imperative ציווי שלילי (tsivui shlili)

אל (al, 'don't') + the future form, never the imperative and never לא. There is no negative 'let's' form in this table; say אל + 'we' future in speech if needed.

Spoken imperative (the future form)

In everyday speech, especially for politeness, instructions and requests with בבקשה, the future replaces the imperative: תכתוב, תכתבי, תכתבו. It sounds softer than the imperative. The 'we' cells (נכתוב) are 'let's' without בואו.

Obligation (חייב + infinitive)

חייב agrees in gender and number (chayav / chayevet / chayavim / chayavot) + the infinitive: 'must, have to'. Stronger than צריך, often a real duty or logical certainty. Pu'al and huf'al have no infinitive here.

Need (צריך + infinitive)

צריך agrees in gender and number (tsarich / tsricha / tsrichim / tsrichot) + the infinitive: 'need to, should'. The everyday way to say 'should'.

Ability, permission (יכול + infinitive)

יכול agrees in gender and number (yachol / yechola / yecholim / yecholot) + the infinitive: 'can, may, be able to'. Impersonal 'one can' uses אפשר, 'one may not' אסור, 'one may' מותר (e.g. אסור לכתוב).

Desire (רוצה + infinitive)

רוצה agrees in gender and number (rotse / rotsa / rotsim / rotsot) + the infinitive: 'want to' when the subject is the same; with a different subject use רוצה ש + future.

Past necessity (היה + צריך + infinitive)

The past of 'be' + צריך (in agreement) + the infinitive: 'had to, should have'. The same היה + participle frame turns the other modals into the past (הייתי חייב, הייתי יכול).

Infinitive שם הפועל (shem hapo'al)

ל + the stem; the form you look verbs up under. The pu'al and huf'al models are cited with להיות + the participle ('to be invited'), because they have no infinitive of their own.

Negative infinitive (and the sign form)

לא + the infinitive. On signs and in rules it replaces the command: לא לעשן 'No smoking', לא להיכנס 'Do not enter'.

Polite written command (נא + infinitive)

נא + the infinitive is the formal 'please' of notices, forms and e-mails; it addresses everyone and has no gender or number.

Infinitive absolute (literary) מקור מוחלט (makor muchlat)

A fixed form used in the Bible and in careful writing for emphasis, usually before the finite form of the same verb ('write I did'), or as a command or narrative form. Rare and literary; the vowels given here are unverified.

Verbal noun שם פעולה (shem pe'ula)

The noun of the action, one per binyan pattern (ktiva, dibur, hazmana, hitlabshut, knisa). It often replaces a 'that' clause in formal style: בכתיבת המכתב 'when writing the letter'. Passive models have no verbal noun of their own.

Passive participle (m. sg. / f. sg. / m. pl. / f. pl.) בינוני פעול (beinoni pa'ul)

The adjective 'written, spoken of, invited', formed on the pa'ul pattern (pa'al) or the pu'al / huf'al participle (pi'el, hif'il). Reflexive and nif'al verbs have none, and for the passive models the present tense IS the participle, so no extra form is shown.

Examples

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