Free grammar · Unit 23 of 30
Hif’il in the past: הִסְבִּיר, הִזְמִין, הִתְחִיל
In the present hif’il starts with מַ: מַסְבִּיר «explains», מַזְמִין «invites», מַתְחִיל «begins». In the past that מַ is replaced by הִ and the rest stays: הִסְבִּיר «he explained», הִזְמִין «he invited», הִתְחִיל «he began». The long i in the middle is the mark of hif’il, in both tenses.
The i stays for he, she and they: הִסְבִּיר, הִסְבִּירָה, הִסְבִּירוּ. Before the endings with ת or נ it becomes a: הִסְבַּרְתִּי «I explained», הִסְבַּרְנוּ «we explained». Two bends: a root starting with ח gives הֶ, הֶחְלִיט «he decided»; a two-letter root gives הֵ, הֵבִין «he understood», הֵבַנְתִּי «I understood».
The page has the explanation, the table of הִזְמִין and the first two exercises: «he decided to stay» and «she turned on the light». The other four, including typing the verb yourself and building a sentence, open with a free account.
Step 23 of 30 · Explanation
Hif'il in the past: הִסְבִּיר, הִזְמִין, הִתְחִיל
In the present hif'il starts with : , , .
In the past that is replaced by , and the rest stays: «he explained», «he invited», «he began».
The long i in the middle is the mark of hif'il, in both tenses.
4 more exercises in this unit
This page has the explanation and the first two exercises. The rest are in your free account, with every unit and the reading course, and the practice remembers your mistakes.
Continue with a free accountQuestions
- How do you say «I invited» in Hebrew?
- הִזְמַנְתִּי (hizmanti). The מַ of the present becomes הִ, and before ־תִּי the i becomes a.
- How do you say «I understood» in Hebrew?
- הֵבַנְתִּי (hevanti). הֵבִין has a two-letter root, so it starts with הֵ instead of הִ.
- Why is «he decided» הֶחְלִיט and not הִחְלִיט?
- Because the root starts with ח, which bends הִ into הֶ. The rest works as usual: הֶחְלִיטָה «she decided», הֶחְלִיטוּ «they decided».
And then?
In a free trial lesson we talk on Google Meet and I set your goals. With a free account the steps you finish follow you to every device.
The units
- Unit 1 of 30The pronouns: אֲנִי, אַתָּה, אַתְּ, הוּא, הִיא
- Unit 2 of 30Nouns: masculine or feminine, one or many
- Unit 3 of 30Strong verbs: לוֹמֵד, לוֹמֶדֶת, לוֹמְדִים, לוֹמְדוֹת
- Unit 4 of 30The adjective follows the noun and copies it
- Unit 5 of 30«And» is a letter: וְ
- Unit 6 of 30ב for where you are, ל for where you go
- Unit 7 of 30Strong verbs: לִלְמֹד, לִכְתֹּב, לִסְגֹּר
- Unit 8 of 30Strong verbs: כָּתַבְתִּי, לָמַדְתִּי, סָגַרְתִּי
- Unit 9 of 30Pi’el: מְדַבֵּר, מְדַבֶּרֶת, מְדַבְּרִים, מְדַבְּרוֹת
- Unit 10 of 30Time words: הַיּוֹם, מָחָר, אֶתְמוֹל, בַּבֹּקֶר
- Unit 11 of 30Two-letter verbs: גָּר, גָּרָה, גָּרִים, גָּרוֹת
- Unit 12 of 30Verbs ending in ה: רוֹצֶה, רוֹצָה, רוֹצִים, רוֹצוֹת
- Unit 13 of 30Two-letter verbs: גַּרְתִּי, קַמְתִּי, בָּאתִי
- Unit 14 of 30I had: הָיָה לִי, הָיְתָה לִי, הָיוּ לִי
- Unit 15 of 30Verbs ending in ה: לִרְצוֹת, לִשְׁתּוֹת, לִקְנוֹת
- Unit 16 of 30Verbs ending in ה: קָנִיתִי, רָצִיתִי, הָיִיתִי
- Unit 17 of 30Two-letter verbs: לָגוּר, לָקוּם, לָרוּץ
- Unit 18 of 30Throat letters at the end: שׁוֹמֵעַ, יוֹדֵעַ, קוֹרֵא
- Unit 19 of 30Pi'el in the past: דִּבֵּר, סִפֵּר, שִׁלֵּם
- Unit 20 of 30«That» after I think, I say, I know: שֶׁ
- Unit 21 of 30Verbs starting with י: לָשֶׁבֶת, לָרֶדֶת, לָלֶכֶת
- Unit 22 of 30Adverbs: the word after the verb never changes
- Unit 23 of 30Hif'il in the past: הִסְבִּיר, הִזְמִין, הִתְחִיל
- Unit 24 of 30Hitpa'el in the past: הִתְלַבֵּשׁ, הִתְחַתֵּן, הִסְתַּכֵּל
- Unit 25 of 30לָכֵן: the result after the reason
- Unit 26 of 30One word for the past: רַצְתִּי, not הָיִיתִי לָרוּץ
- Unit 27 of 30עַל with endings: עָלַי, עָלֶיךָ, עָלָיו
- Unit 28 of 30אֵצֶל with endings: אֶצְלִי, אֶצְלְךָ, אֶצְלוֹ
- Unit 29 of 30The dual: יוֹמַיִם, שְׁבוּעַיִם, פַּעֲמַיִם
- Unit 30 of 30I will have: יִהְיֶה לִי, תִּהְיֶה לִי, יִהְיוּ לִי