Description: This is a concise summary of many Hebrew grammar and dikduk rules including long and short vowels, sh’va na and nach, dageishim, meseg, vav hahipuch, hei as a prefix, mapik hei, and patach genuva. This work is meant to familiarize the reader with the basics of these dikduk concepts and is by no means exhaustive. The information is written almost entirely in English and can be printed on one double-sided sheet of paper.
What to download: Download the print-ready PDF file (includes lesson plan/instructions).
Goals/Objectives: Students will become familiar with basic Hebrew grammar and Dikduk rules by reading through this sheet.
Instructions: 1. How to use this sheet depends on the level of your class. 2. Read through the sheet carefully. 3. Determine how this sheet would best be utilized to benefit your students. 4. Photocopy and distribute the sheet. There are ten vowels in the Hebrew language, five long and five short. Each long vowel (tenua gedola) has a corresponding short vowel (tenua ketana). The kamatz gadol ( ָ◌), tzeire ( ֵ◌), chireek malei ()◌ִ י, long short cholam () ◌ֹ()וֹ, and melafum ( )וּare the long vowels corresponding to the patach ( ַ◌), segol ( ֶ◌), chireek chaseir ( ִ◌), kamatz katan ( ָ◌)1, and kubootz ( ֻ◌). A shoorook can refer to a melafum or a ָ◌ ַ◌ kubootz. ֵ◌ ֶ◌ Shvas ( ְ◌) are not considered vowels and therefore don't count as syllables. There are three kinds of shvas: shva nach is silent, shva nah is pronounced, and shva meracheif is in between the two. ◌ִ י ִ◌ Some texts place a horizontal line above a letter with a shva nah or use thicker dots ( ְבּvs. )בּ. ְ ֹ◌ וֹ ָ A chataf patach ( ֲ◌), chataf kamatz ( ֳ◌) and chataf segol ( ֱ◌) have the status of a shva nah and are וּ ֻ◌ governed by all of the same rules. Keep this in mind as we discuss shvas further. A chataf kamatz is always a kamatz katan. A shva at the beginning of a word is almost always or always2 a shva nah. Examples: Genesis:12:1 �ְל, Deuteronomy: 6:4 שׁ ַמע ְ A shva at the end of a word is always a shva nach. Example: Exodus:18:9 ְַויִּחַדּ When there are two shvas in a row in the middle of a word, the first shva is nach and the second is nah. Examples: Genesis:12:18 � ְ ִאשׁתּ, 17:10 ( תִּ שׁמְרוּthe letters with no vowels have a shva nach) When two shvas appear consecutively at the end of a word, both are shva nachs. Example: Genesis:25:34 ְשׁתּ ְ ֵ ַוי Most authorities hold when a letter which should have a shva nach is followed by the same letter, the shva nach changes into a shva nah or chataf patach to make it easier to pronounce. Examples: ַהלְלוּor ַהלֲלוּ, ַרנְנוּor ַרנֲנוּ The long vowels are complete syllables and don't need to be "closed" off while the short vowels do. Shva nachs are generally used to close off syllables. Therefore, a shva following a long vowel is usually3 a shva nah (pronounced) while a shva following a short vowel is usually3 a shva nach (silent). Examples of a shva nah: אָמְרוּ, ָלמְדוּ, שׁמְרוּ ָ Examples of a shva nach: י ִ ְל ַמד, י ִ ְבחַר, ִעבְדוּ Example which shows importance: ( ַויּ ְִיראוּthey feared) vs. ( ַויּ ְִראוּthey saw) Two shvas can never appear consecutively at the beginning of a word. When this happens, the first shva changes into a vowel. For example, the word שׁכֶם ְ should become בְּשְׁ כֶםwhen saying “in שׁכֶם ְ .” However, since this would cause the word to begin with two letters with two consecutive shvas, the ְבּbecomes ִבּ, making the word pronounced שׁכֶם ְ ִבּ. Similarly, we don’t say בְּתְ שׁוּבָה, rather בִּתְ שׁוּבָה. When the letter is a וwhich should be ְו, it will change to וּ, usually considered a tenua gedola. Examples: (Deuteronomy 5) ְובְכ ֹלbecomes וּבְכ ֹל, � ְ ְו ְב ֶלכְתּbecomes � ְוּ ְב ֶלכְתּ, ְו ְקשׁ ְַרתָּ םbecomes וּ ְקשׁ ְַרתָּ ם In these cases, the shva is called a shva meracheif and it is a dispute whether it should be pronounced or not. According to the גר”א, it is nach3 while according to R’ Zalman Henna (and R’Wolf Heidenheim), it is nah.
The letters ת, פ, כ, ד, ג, בcollectively known as ֶבּגֶד ֶכּפֶת, can take a dagesh kal. This causes the “( בv” sound) to become a “( בּb” sound) and so on, depending on your tradition. If a בגד כפתletter appears at the beginning of a syllable, it will get a dagesh kal. If a בגד כפתletter comes following a shva nah, it will usually lose its dagesh while if it comes after a shva nach, it will get a dagesh kal. A בגד כפתletter which is at the beginning of a word will lose its dagesh kal if the previous word ends with a vowel sound (like a, e) AND is connected to that word. Examples: Genesis:1:2 ת ֹהוּ ָהי ְתָ ה, תְ הוֹם ְפּנֵי. Compare with 2:6 ( ֶאת־כָּל־ ְפּנֵיconsonant ending), 1:27 ( בּ ָָרא וּנְקֵ בָהnot connected)
All letters can receive a dagesh chazak with the exception of 4(5) – (א )ר, ה, ח, ע.3 A dagesh chazak is a dot in the middle of a letter which indicates that the letter should be pronounced doubled, as in the letter ”n” in the word unnecessary. In other words, it’s like placing the same letter with a shva nach before it.4 As mentioned, a short vowel needs to be closed off. Although not its main function, a dagesh chazak accomplishes this as well. Examples: ַאתָּ הpronounced as ַאתְּ תָּ ה, reading the double תּvery quickly; י ִ ַקּחpronounced as י ִ ְק ַקח, reading the double קvery quickly Examples which show importance: ( הַטּוֹבthe good one!) vs. ( הֲטוֹבthe good one?), ( נִידָ הwanderer) vs. ( נִדָּ הmenstruant) If a letter with a dagesh has a shva under it, that shva is a shva nah except if it is at the end of the word. Examples: Exodus:18:9 ְ ַויִּחַדּ, ְשׁתּ ְ ֵ ַוי A ( מתגmeseg; a vertical line under a letter - ) ֽבis an accent indicator. In Biblical texts, the מתגis placed by a minor accent because the cantialltion5 serves the additional function of identifying the main accent. It also comes with a kamatz gadol to indicate that it is a kamatz gadol and the shva following it is a shva nah. In most other texts, the מתגindicates the main accent. A מתגusually indicates that the shva following it is a shva nah.
Generally, words in Hebrew are accented at the end of the word6. A וat the beginning of a verb can be used to change the tense from past to future or future to past. This ( וvav hahipuch) will have a patach/kamatz under it when changing a word from future to past. Examples: Genesis:1:3 ( יְהִיshall be) and 1:5 ( ַויְהִיwas), Exodus 19:19 ( י ְדַ בֵּרhe shall speak) and 20:1 ( ַוי ְדַ בֵּרhe spoke)
In past tense verbs with at least 3 syllables, the accent usually appears at the penultimate syllable. However, when a וchanges the meaning from past to future, the accent moves from the penultimate syllable to the end. Examples: ְָאָהֽבְתּ ַ ( וyou loved) and ְתּ ֽ ָ ( וְאָ ַהבyou shall love), ָ( ְול ַ ָֽקחְתּyou took) and ְתּ ֽ ָ ( ְו ָל ַקחyou shall take)
If the word has one or two syllables, it is impossible to tell if the וis changing the tense from past to future except from context. Examples: וְאָכַל, –וְאָמַרThese words are always accented at the penultimate syllable. (Remember, a shva isn’t a syllable.)
A הwhich comes at the beginning of a word, before the root, either means "the" ( )ה’הידיעהor is asking a question ( )ה’השאלה. Generally, ַהand ָהmean "the" while ֲהsignifies a question. Usually there will be a shva nah following a hei hayedia (“the”) with either a מתגunder the הor a dagesh chazak in the letter following the ה. Remember that ֲהis considered vowelized with a shva so it will change to ַהif the letter following it has a shva. Examples of ה’הידיעה: Genesis:1:1 שּׁ ַמי ִם ָ ַה, ָאָרץ ֶ ה, 1:2 ַה ָמּיִם Examples of ה’השאלה: Genesis4:9 הֲשׁוֹ ֵמר, 18:26 הֲשׁוֹפֵט, 34:31 ( ַהכְזוֹנָהnote the change to avoid two shvas at the beginning of a word)
A הּat the end of a word is called a mapik הand is pronounced with an “uh” sound. It often means “her(s)”. Examples: ( ִאשָּׁהwoman) vs. ( ִאישָׁהּher husband), שׁלָּהּ ֶ (hers), Genesis:24:16 ( ִלק ְָראתָ הּto call her), 24:18 ( י ָדָ הּher hand)
The letters א, ה, ח, and עare guttural letters. If one of these letters appears at the end of a word with a ַ◌ under it, the ַ◌ is called a patach genuva and is pronounced before the letter. This means that ַחat the end of a word sounds like ach, not cha. In other words, it’s like placing אin front so it would become אַח. Examples: No’ach ( )נ ֹאַחinstead of Nocha and Elo’ah ( )אֱ�אַהּinstead of Eloha. (These words are actually spelled נ ֹ ַחand אֱלוֹ ַהּ.)
1. In order to avoid confusion, some modern texts have the kamatz katan longer and narrower than a kamatz gadol ( ָ אvs. ָ)א. Examples of kamatz katan: Genesis:2:15 שׁמְרהּ ָ ְל ָעבְדהּ וּ ְל, Exodus:4:8 וַי ָקם, Exodus:12:2 ְלחָדְ שֵׁי 2. The words שׁתֵּ יְ and שׁתַּ י ִם ְ may be exceptions. It is beyond the scope of this work to explain further. 3. There are exceptions but it is beyond the scope of this work to discuss them. 4. The letter is not read as if it’s there twice literally; it’s read with more emphasis. This has nothing to do with the accent. 5. At the end of a פּסוּק, there appears a siluk which looks like a meseg. Today, we also use a colon to indicate a סוֹף פּסוּק. 6. There are instances where changing the accent will affect the meaning of the word, so make sure to accent all words properly.
GENERAL RULES (there are exceptions)
Shva beginning of syllable (beg. of word or after long vowel); has dagesh Shva nah (pronounced shva) End of word (even with dagesh) or after short vowel (without dagesh) Shva nach (silent shva) Two shvas in a row, middle of a word 1st – shva nach; 2nd – shva nah Two shvas in a row, end of word Both shva nachs שׂ, שׁ, ק, צ, ס, נ, מ, ל, י, ט, ז, וwith dagesh Dagesh chazak בגד כפתwith a dagesh at beginning of word OR following shva nach Dagesh kal בגד כפתwith a dagesh following short vowel Dagesh chazak (letter doubled) Past tense verb (3+ syllables) with accent shifted to the end וchanges to future tense Future tense verb ַוor ָוchanges to past ַע, ַח, ַהּ, אַat end of word Pronounced as if אַע, אַח, אַהּ,אַא Please note that this work is meant to familiarize the reader with the basics and is by no means exhaustive. Comments or questions: chaimmilrad@gmail.com
