epstein@epsteinag.ch

Index

a) the subjunctive: to be in past tense + verb in present
b) sequence of tenses and reported speech
c) the derivation of nouns from pa’al-, pi’el- and hif’il-verbs
d) the imperative – eg go!

In spoken Hebrew 2nd person of future tense is generally used as imperative. go! thus becomes you will go, come in becomes you will come in.
There is, however, a formally pure imperative, which is formed as follows:

pa’alkalnif’alpi’elhif’ilhitpa’el
סוגרקםנכנסמדברממתיןמתכבד
sogerkamnichnasmedabermamtinmitkabed
to closeto riseto enterto speakto waitto help onself
of these verbs the imperative is formed as follows:
singularclose!rise!enter!speak!wait!help yourself!
maleסגורקוםהכנסדברהמתןהתכבד
sgorkumhikanesdaberhamtenhitkabed
female סגריקומיהכנסידבריהמתיניהתכבדי
sigrikumihikansidabrihamtinihitkabdi
pluralclose!rise!enter!speak!wait!help yourself!
m and fסגרוקומוהכנסודברוהמתינוהתכבדו
sigrukumuhikansudabruhamtinuhitkabdu

In some verbs the pure imperative is also used in colloquial language next to the future:

m singular fplural derived from:
go!לךלכילכוהולךto go
lechlechilechuholech
come!בואבואיבואובאto come
boboibo’uba
give!תןתניתנונותןto give
tentnitnunoten
take!קחקחיקחולוקחto take
kachkchikchuloke'ach
look out!שים לבשימי לבשימו לבשם לבto look out
sim levsimi levsimu levsam lev
go! drive!סעסעיסעונוסעto drive, go
sase’ise’unose'a
sit down!שבשבישבויושבto sit
shevshvishvuyoshev
stop!עצורעצריעצרועוצרto stop
atzoratzriatzruotzer
move!זוזזוזיזוזוזזto move
zuzzuzizuzuzaz

Note: in the negated form – eg don’t – not is translated with al followed by future tense.

Examples:

don't touch me!!אל תגע ביdon't ask! f!אל תשאלי
al tigah bial tishali