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Verbs & the Binyan System

Root system, present tense, the seven binyanim and basic conjugation
שורש — the three-letter root
root — the three-letter root
shoresh (k-t-v)
Most Hebrew words built from 3-consonant roots: כתב = writing
בניין — verb patterns
binyan — verb patterns
binyan
Seven verb patterns (binyanim) shape root meaning
הווה: אני כותב / כותבת
present: I write (m/f)
ani kotev / kotevet
Present tense agrees with gender, not person
כותב, כותבת, כותבים, כותבות
writing (m sg, f sg, m pl, f pl)
kotev, kotevet, kotvim, kotvot
Four present-tense forms by gender and number
פעל — basic active binyan
Pa'al — basic active binyan
pa'al
Most common binyan: simple active verbs (כתב, אכל, הלך)
אוכל / אוכלת — to eat
eating (m / f)
ochel / ochelet
Root א-כ-ל in present tense Pa'al
הולך / הולכת — to go
going (m / f)
holech / holechet
Root ה-ל-כ in present tense
רוצה — to want
wanting
rotse / rotsa
ani rotse/rotsa = I want (m/f)
יכול / יכולה — can
can / able (m / f)
yachol / yechola
ani yachol/yechola = I can
אוהב / אוהבת — to love/like
love/like (m / f)
ohev / ohevet
ani ohev/ohevet = I love/like