Seven Stems to Rule them All
There are seven basic verb stems (conjugations) or "Binyan" (Hebrew for "building") in Biblical Hebrew. While the Qal occurs most frequently, the six other stems must be known to facilitate reading Biblical Hebrew.

In the first part of this article we will explore the meaning or each stem and how to remember their function. In part 2, we will learn their identifying  marks and how to remember their distinct markings.

First, let's list all seven stems and then look at them individually (Kelly, 108):

• Qal (Simple Active)
• Nif'al (Simple Passive or Reflexive)
• Pi'el (Intensive Active or Causative)
• Pu'al (Intensive Passive)
• Hitpa'el (Reflexive)
• Hif'il (Causative Active)
• Hof'al (Causative Pasive)

Remember the Basic Meaning of the Seven Hebrew Verbal Stems — Aural Mnemonics

A challenge for nearly every Hebrew student is keeping the meaning of the verbal stems separate and distinct.  In order to assist your memory in recalling the meaning of the stems use aural mnemonics and your imagination.


I will lead you through a few examples:

• Qal - sounds like "call." The basic active stem, generally translated in the past tense. If you need a memory device, picture yourself checking your answering machine (or voice mail these days) and hearing that you missed thousands of calls (sound-alike; past tense).
  
• Nif'al - sounds like "sniffle." Picture a sniffling nose hitting you with a baseball bat (you are passively being hit). Use any action association that reminds you of a sniffling nose where you are passive.
• Pi'el - sounds (and spelled) like "pie" and "L." Picture a giant "L" falling into a pie and making grow (intensification / causative).
• Keep going, making up aural mnemonics for the remaining verbal stems. A complete listing of mnemonics for each stem may be found in Biblical Hebrew Made Easy! The Triad System and also in Biblical Hebrew Made Easy! The Complete System. In addition, helpful hints are given to create your own stem mnemonics!

More Biblical Hebrew Memory Helps!

I hope this article on Hebrew Verb Stems (Binyan) has helped you! For more powerful memory helps in learning Biblical Hebrew grammar, vocabulary and Hebrew paradigms be sure to visit Biblical Hebrew Made Easy! Or visit my author homepage, Boost Your Memory! While you're there, be sure to sign up for our newsletter that has exclusive discounters for our members!

More Biblical Hebrew Memory Helps!

I hope this article on Hebrew Qal suffixes has helped you! For more powerful memory helps in learning Biblical Hebrew grammar, vocabulary and Hebrew paradigms be sure to visit Biblical Hebrew Made Easy! Or visit my author homepage, Boost Your Memory! While you're there, be sure to sign up for our newsletter that has exclusive discounters for our members!

Hebrew Pronominal Suffixes
"Pronominal suffixes are shortened forms of the personal pronouns." You can brush up on your personal pronouns here on Biblical Hebrew Made Easy! 


Continuing on Kelley states, "They may be attached directly to the end of prepositions, particles, nouns, and verbs." 
(Biblical Hebrew: An Introductory Grammar, 68)

If you don't know your Hebrew prepositions, you'll want to brush up with our blog on the inseparable preposition.

There are three important things to keep in mind about Hebrew pronominal suffixes:

1. When attached to prepositions they act as objects of the preposition
2. When attached to nouns, they act as possessive pronouns
3. When attached to verbs they generally act as direct objects of the verb

(Biblical Hebrew: An Introductory Grammar, 68)

The Good News About Hebrew Pronominal Suffixes
Considering that pronominal suffixes are attached to prepositions, nouns and verbs you'd think you'd have to memorize three sets of paradigms or more. Wrong! You only need to learn one paradigm in Hebrew. There are only very minor changes in the paradigms for the different parts of speech.

Compare these charts to see the minor variations (and rejoice you don't need to learn more than one paradigm!):

Possessive Nouns in English
Similar to English, when a noun is possessive (or taking the "genitival" case) the noun or pronoun is "inflected" — that is, it undergoes a change in spelling. 

For example: Jack's dog. The "dog" belongs to Jack. We understand that possession of the dog belongs to Jack by the addition of the "-'s" to Jack.

While the "genitive" case is normally used in English to express possession, it also has a few other usages, similar to Hebrew.
Hebrew Nouns: Absolute & Construct
In Biblical Hebrew nouns have both an absolute and construct form.  The absolute state is the form listed in Hebrew lexicons.  The construct state, generally used for possession, is formed by shortening the absolute noun. 

The Hebrew Construct Chain
From Kelley's "Biblical Hebrew: An Introductory Grammar":

A construct relationship may be defined as the joining together of two (occasionally three, but rarely four) nouns within a sentence.  The joining may be either by simple juxtaposition or by the use of a maqqef.  The final noun in such a series must remain in the absolute state, while the noun (or nouns) that precedes it must take the form of the construct state.

Notes on the Construct Chain:

• A noun in construct never takes the definite article. Its "definiteness" is determined by the absolute noun.
• A noun is "definite" when it has the definite article or is a proper name.
• Nothing is allowed between nouns in a construct chain. If any noun is modified by an adjective it will be placed last so as not to interfere with the construct chain.

Signals of the Hebrew Construct Noun

1. The various changes, if any, that occur with singular nouns, masculine or feminine are varied. The only certain way to know a singular noun is in the construct state is to check a Hebrew lexicon.
2. That being said, one helpful signal for feminine singular constructs is that the qames-he ending (suffix) changes to patah-tav in the construct state.
3. When a masculine plural noun is in a "construct chain" its ending (suffix) is changed from the normal hiriq-yod-mem to sere-yod.

Usage of the Hebrew Construct Chain

• Most often used to denote possession or ownership.
• Indicates location or origin.
• Used as a describe a person or thing.

Mnemonics for the Construct State
The only predictable patterns you need to know for the construct state are:

• Masculine Plural = sere-yod
• Feminine Singular = patah-tav

To remember that the hireq-yod-mem changes to sere-yod, look at the sere-yod below:

Simply note how the yod looks like an English apostrophe; then note that sere begins with the same phonetic value as the English "s" sound.

If you would like to recall the morphological change in the feminine singular with words that end in qames-he:

This mnemonic requires some imagination: the he is similar in form to the tav. Picture the he morphing into a tav. This requires closing off any spaces within the he. This "closing" process reminds you of the possessive nature of the construct state.

More Biblical Hebrew Memory Helps!

I hope this article on Hebrew nouns and their absolute and construct states has helped you! For more powerful memory helps in learning Biblical Hebrew grammar, vocabulary and Hebrew paradigms be sure to visit Biblical Hebrew Made Easy! Or visit my author homepage, Boost Your Memory! While you're there, be sure to sign up for our newsletter that has exclusive discounters for our members!

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Function of the Hebrew Demonstrative Pronoun

The Hebrew demonstrative pronoun functions much like a pointing finger — it singles something (or someone) out. It draws attention to the object. In English we have, in the singular, "this" and "these" for objects that are near us. For objects farther away, we say, "that" and "those."  Hebrew functions in the same manner, but unlike English, Hebrew has forms for both the masculine and feminine forms.

Demonstrative Pronoun Paradigm

Below you will find the paradigm for the demonstrative pronoun in Hebrew:

Building Off the Hebrew Independent Personal Pronouns

If you have already learned the independent personal pronouns (IPPs), you will see the similarity between the two paradigms.  In fact the 3rd person singular and plural forms of the IPPs match the the demonstrative pronouns for "that" and "those," leaving you to only have to learn the Hebrew forms for "this" and "these" for the masculine and feminine forms. 

Finding and Memorizing a Logical Pattern

As you may have noticed, the singular forms of "this" begin with the zayin for both the masculine and feminine forms. In the plural, "these," both begin with the Hebrew letter alef.

If you associate a word in English with the same phonetic vaule as the Hebrew letter — such as "Zebra" for the Hebrew zayin, you can create simple rhymes that function as mnemonics to help you recall Hebrew grammar and paradigms. 

A simple mnemonic to remember the pattern for singular Hebrew demonstrative pronouns: "A Zebras sits on this when leafs fall from these trees." 

The "zebra" functions as a mnemonic value for the zayin and the "leafs" functions as a mnemonic value for alef ("leafs," plural for "a leaf" sounds similar to alef).  Try creating your own values and rhyme to remember!

More Biblical Hebrew Memory Helps!
I hope this article on learning the demonstrative pronouns in Hebrew has helped you! For more powerful memory helps in learning Biblical Hebrew grammar, vocabulary and Hebrew paradigms be sure to visit Biblical Hebrew Made Easy! Or visit my author homepage, Boost Your Memory! While you're there, be sure to sign up for our newsletter that has exclusive discounters for our members!

Biblical Hebrew Independent Personal Pronouns
Similar to English, Hebrew independent personal pronouns (IPP) are written as separate forms when used as the subject.  When the Hebrew personal pronoun functions as the object, it appears as a suffix attached to the noun, verb or preposition. 

This article will deal with the independent personal pronoun as the subject.

Predictable Patterns for the Hebrew Independent Personal Pronoun
Anything that has logical and predictable patterns is easier for the memory to recall. Looking at the chart for the Hebrew IPP, lets see what predictable patterns we find:

• ALL first and second forms, singular and plural, begin with the א
• ALL third person forms, singular and plural, begin with ה

Mnemonics to Remember Independent Personal Pronouns
Continuing to look for consistent patterns, we find the following memory helps:

• The plural masculine form always takes the mem (מ,ם). This is easy to remember — just recall that "male" starts with the phonetic Hebrew equivalent of mem !
• The plural feminine form always takes the nun (נ,ן). How to remember? Just recall that the Hebrew nun sounds like the English word, "nun." As you know "nuns" are always feminine!
• To recall that ALL first and second forms, singular and plural, begin with the א, simply remember that the first letter in English is "a" just as א is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
• To recall that ALL third person forms, singular and plural, begin with ה, simply think of "3-H"!

Advanced Memory Helps to Recall the Hebrew Independent Personal Pronouns
Outlined in my book, Biblical Hebrew Made Easy! The Triad System (and included in The Complete System), is a complete mnemonic method for imprinting the IPPs onto your memory. By creating "icons" for the IPPs and placing them on  "locations" you can easily recall all the IPPs by use of  The Triad System. To learn more about the Triad System click here.

More Biblical Hebrew Memory Helps!
I hope this article on learning the gender and number of nouns in Hebrew has helped you! For more powerful memory helps in learning Biblical Hebrew grammar, vocabulary and Hebrew paradigms be sure to visit Biblical Hebrew Made Easy! Or visit my author homepage, Boost Your Memory! While you're there, be sure to sign up for our newsletter that has exclusive discounters for our members!

A Rose By Any Other Name...
"It all sounds the same! " shouted the frustrated seminarians sitting in Hebrew 101.

One pastor-hopeful raised his hand and said, "Professor, I've used the same mnemonic for this Hebrew word,like, five times!"

While another student grumbled, "I'll never get this — I just can't remember these words. They all sound the same!"

All to which the Hebrew professor replied in a sweeping statement, "Go over them again until you know them. It's the only way. Hebrew vocab quiz tomorrow — know these words."

There is a Better Way to Learn Hebrew Vocabulary!

In this one-of-a-kind vocabulary guide, I will show you how to overcome Hebrew words that sound-alike, called "homophones."  Drilling them into your short-term memory via rote memorization is a poor way to learn — it takes longer and simply isn't effective in the long-run.

Watch and Share this Video on Hebrew Homophones!

This 3-part video will help explain how to memorize "sound-alike" Hebrew words. Share this video on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and with your fellow seminarians and Hebrew professors!

More Biblical Hebrew Memory Helps!
For more powerful memory helps in learning Biblical Hebrew grammar, vocabulary and Hebrew paradigms be sure to visit Biblical Hebrew Made Easy! Or visit my author homepage, Boost Your Memory! While you're there, be sure to sign up for our newsletter that has exclusive discounts for our members!