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Intermediate

Present Tense Verbs (Pa'al)

The participle

Present = four agreement forms

The present participle agrees in gender and number only.

📊 Present of כתב (to write)
Form Hebrew Translit
m.sg כותב kotev
f.sg כותבת kotevet
m.pl כותבים kotvim
f.pl כותבות kotvot
💬 Examples
כותב / כותבת
kotev / kotevet
writing (m / f)
📝 No person distinction
כותבים / כותבות
kotvim / kotvot
writing (m.pl / f.pl)
📝 Plural forms
Pa'al is the simplest binyan

Most basic verbs are in binyan Pa'al (קל).

💬 Examples
אני אוכל
ani ochel
I eat
📝 A Pa'al verb
הם הולכים
hem holchim
they go / are going
📝 Present, masculine plural
One present covers English present and continuous

'I write' and 'I am writing' are the same.

💬 Examples
אני קורא
ani kore
I read / I am reading
📝 Both senses
מה אתה עושה?
ma ata ose?
What are you doing?
📝 Present for an ongoing action