Suffixes in Hebrew explained
There are several suffixes in Hebrew that are appended to regular words to introduce a new meaning. Suffixes are used in the Hebrew language to form plurals of nouns and adjectives, in verb conjugation of grammatical tense, and to indicate possession and direct objects. They are also used for the construct noun form.[1] The letters which form these suffixes (excluding plurals) are called "formative letters" (Hebrew:, Otiyot HaShimush).
Gender and number
Due to noun-adjective agreement rules, these apply to nouns and to adjectival modifiers. In some cases, a masculine plural noun will have a feminine plural suffix and vice versa, but the adjectival modifiers are always the same.
Suffix | Meaning | Examples |
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(Kamatz and He) | feminine singular | - susa (mare)
- susa tova (good mare)
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(Chirik, Yud and Final Mem) | masculine plural | - susim (horses)
- susim tovim (good horses)
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(Cholam and Tav) | feminine plural | - susot (mares)
- susot tovot (good mares)
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(Patach, Yud with Chirik and Final Mem) | masculine and feminine noun dual form |
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Construct state
Suffix | Meaning | Examples |
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(Patach and Tav) | Changes a singular feminine noun to the construct form. of | Torat Moshe (Torah of Moses) |
(Tzere and Yud) | Changes a plural masculine noun to the construct form. of | Sifre q'dusha (Books of holiness) |
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Pronominal suffixes
Singular nouns
Suffix | Meaning | Examples |
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(Chirik and Yud) | First person, singular possessive. My | - susi (my horse)
- torati (my law)
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(Shva and Final Khaf with Kamatz) | Second person, singular, masculine possessive. Your | - suskha (your horse)
- toratkha (your law)
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(Tzere and Final Khaf with Shva) | Second person, singular, feminine possessive. Your | - susekh (your horse)
- toratekh (your law)
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(Cholam male) | Third person, singular, masculine possessive. His | - suso (his horse)
- torato (his law)
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(Kamatz and He with Mappiq) | Third person, singular, feminine possessive. Her | - susah (her horse)
- toratah (her law)
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(Tzere and Nun with Shuruk) | First person, plural possessive. Our | - susenu (our horse)
- toratenu (our law)
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(Shva, Khaf with Segol and Final Mem) | Second person, plural, masculine possessive. Your | - suskhem (your horse)
- toratkhem (your law)
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(Shva, Khaf with Segol and Final Nun) | Second person, plural, feminine possessive. Your | - suskhen (your horse)
- toratkhen (your law)
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(Kamatz and Final Mem) | Third person, plural, masculine possessive. Their | - susam (their horse)
- toratam (their law)
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(Kamatz and Final Nun) | Third person, plural, feminine possessive. Their | - susan (their horse)
- toratan (their law)
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Plural nouns
Suffix | Meaning | Examples |
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(Patach and Yud) | First person, singular possessive. My | - susai (my horses)
- torotai (my laws)
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(Segol, Yud and Final Khaf with Kamatz) | Second person, singular, masculine possessive. Your | - susekha (your horses)
- torotekha (your laws)
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(Patach, Yud with Chirik and Final Khaf with Shva) | Second person, singular, feminine possessive. Your | - susayikh (your horses)
- torotayikh (your laws)
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(Kamatz, Yud and Vav) | Third person, singular, masculine possessive. His | - susav (his horses)
- torotav (his laws)
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(Segol, Yud and He with Kamatz) | Third person, singular, feminine possessive. Her | - suseha (her horses)
- toroteha (her laws)
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(Tzere, Yud and Nun with Shuruk) | First person, plural possessive. Our | - suseinu (our horses)
- toroteinu (our laws)
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(Tzere, Yud, Khaf with Segol and Final Mem) | Second person, plural, masculine possessive. Your | - suseikhem (your horses)
- toroteikhem (your laws)
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(Tzere, Yud, Khaf with Segol and Final Nun) | Second person, plural, feminine possessive. Your | - suseikhen (your horses)
- torateikhen (your laws)
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(Tzere, Yud, He with Segol) and Final Mem) | Third person, plural, masculine possessive. Their | - suseihem (their horses)
- torateihem (their laws)
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(Tzere, Yud, He with Segol) and Final Nun) | Third person, plural, feminine possessive. Their | - suseihen (their horses)
- torateihen (their laws)
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Conjugation of verbs
Qal Perfect
Suffix | Meaning | Examples |
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(Tav with Hiriq male) | 1st person sg. I did | shamarti (I kept) |
(Tav with Kamatz) | 2nd person, masc. sg. You did | shamarta (you kept) |
(Tav with Sh'va) | 2nd person, fem. sg. You did | shamart (you kept) |
(None, Base form) | Qal perfect Did 3rd person, masc. sg. He did | shamar (kept/he kept) |
(Kamatz and He) | 3rd person, fem. sg. She did | shamra (she kept) |
(Nun with Shuruk) | 1st person pl. We did | shamarnu (we kept) |
(Tav with Segol and Final Mem) | 2nd person, masc. pl. You did | shmartem (you kept) |
(Tav with Segol and Final Nun) | 2nd person, fem. pl. You did | shmarten (you kept) |
(Shuruk) | 3rd person pl. They did | shamru (they kept) |
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Imperfect
Suffix | Meaning | Examples |
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(Chirik male) | Second person, feminine singular. You will do |
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(Shuruk) | Third and Second person, masculine plural. They will do, You will do | - yishm'ru (they will keep)
- tishm'ru (you will keep)
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(Nun with Kamatz and He) | Third and Second person, feminine plural. They will do, You will do | - tishmorna (they will keep)
- tishmorna (you will keep)
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Imperative
Suffix | Meaning | Examples |
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(Chirik male) | Feminine singular. do! | shimri (keep!) |
(Shuruk) | Masculine plural. do! | shimru (keep!) |
(Nun with Kamatz and He) | Feminine plural. do! | shmorna (keep!) |
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Derivative
Diminutive
Suffix | Meaning | Examples |
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(Cholam male and Final Nun) | Diminutive, sometimes masculine | - sefer (book) → sifron (booklet)
- machshev (computer) → machshevon (calculator)
- mitbach (kitchen) → mitbachon (kitchenette)
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(Cholam chaser and Nun and Tav) | Diminutive, a feminine version of וֹן | - yeled (child, boy) → yaldon (boy (diminutive)) → yaldonet (girl (diminutive))
- tippa (drop) → tipponet (drop (diminutive))
- chamud (cute) → chamudon (cutie (male)) → chamudonet (cutie (feminine))
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(Chirik male and Tav) | Diminutive, sometimes feminine | - saq (sack) → saqqit (bag)
- kaf (spoon) → kappit (teaspoon)
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Collective nouns
Loanwords
These suffixes (Hebrew: sofit) often come from loanwords from English (Latin, Greek, etc...) which are especially prevalent with technical and academic terms.
Suffix | Origin | Hebrew | Meaning | Examples< | ----- | - | -archy | | | |
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-graphy | Ladino | - -grafya | field of study; writing | - geografya (hard g) geography
- qaligrafya calligraphy
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-ic/-ical | Biblical Hebrew/ English | ִ- i | of or pertaining to | - nostalgi nostalgic
- politi political
- miti mythic(al)
- molequlari molecular
- qavi (means: line-pertaining to) linear
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-ian/-an/-ish | Biblical Hebrew/ English | ִ- i | belonging to | - rusi Russian
- utopi utopian
- germani (hard g) German
- briti British
- politiqai politician
- qomiqai comedian
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-ism | English | - -izm | movement; discriminatory belief | - liberalizm liberalism
- seqsizm sexism
| - | -itis | Greek | | |
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-kinesis | Greek | - -qinezis | movement, motion | - teleqinezis telekinesis
- psikhoqinezis psychokinesis
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-logy (and -ology) | Ladino | - -logya | branch of learning | - biyologya (hard g) biology
- trilogya trilogy
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-mania | Greek | - -manya | obsession | - piromanya (means: pyro-mania) pyromania
- qleptomanya (means: klepto-mania) kleptomania
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-maniac | English | - -man | person with obsession | - piroman (means: pyro-maniac) pyromaniac
- qleptoman (means: klepto-maniac) kleptomaniac
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-oid | English | - -oid | similar, but not the same | - android android
- humanoid humanoid
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-onym | English | - -onim | name | - eponim eponym
- hetronim heteronym
| - | -phobia | | | |
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-scope | English | - -sqop | instrument for viewing | - telesqop telescope
- miqrosqop microscope
| - | -icide | | | | |
-ine | | | |
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-esque | French | - -esqa | resembling | - burlesqa burlesque
- humoresqa humoresque
- grotesqi grotesque
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-y | Ladino | - -ya | having the quality of | - qomedya comedy
- historya history
- filosofya philosophy
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-meter | English | - -meter | measuring device; units of measure | - barometer barometer
- qilometer kilometer
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-nik | Yiddish/Russian | - nik | one connected with | - moshavniq moshav member/resident
- nudniq bothersome person
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See also
External links
Notes and References
- Sharpe, Samuel. A Short Hebrew Grammar Without Points. Samuel Bagster & Sons, 1877. 7.