Key Rule: Past tense verbs are built from the root + a suffix that indicates the person. The base form (3rd person masculine singular - 'he') has no suffix and is the simplest form.
| # | Person | Hebrew | Transliteration | Suffix |
|---|
| 1 | I | כָּתַבְתִּי | ka-TAV-ti | -תִּי |
| 2 | you (m.) | כָּתַבְתָּ | ka-TAV-ta | -תָּ |
| 3 | you (f.) | כָּתַבְתְּ | ka-TAVT | -תְּ |
| 4 | he | כָּתַב | ka-TAV | - |
| 5 | she | כָּתְבָה | kat-VA | -ָה |
| 6 | we | כָּתַבְנוּ | ka-TAV-nu | -נוּ |
| 7 | you (m. pl.) | כְּתַבְתֶּם | ktav-TEM | -תֶּם |
| 8 | they | כָּתְבוּ | kat-VU | -וּ |
Circle the correct answer for each question.
1.What suffix marks 'I' in past tense?
-נוּ | -תָּ | -תִּי | -ָה
2.כָּתְבָה means:
I wrote | he wrote | she wrote | they wrote
3.The base/dictionary form of a Hebrew verb is:
1st person (I) | 3rd person masculine (he) | Infinitive only | Feminine singular
4.How do you say 'we learned'?
לָמַדְתִּי | לָמַדְנוּ | לָמְדָה | לָמְדוּ
Answers
1. -תִּי
2. she wrote
3. 3rd person masculine (he)
4. לָמַדְנוּ