The Stems of the Verb

In addition to the simple verb (QAL) form already studied, we have six other stems, each representing a different aspect of the primary meaning of the verb. Finding a suitable name for these sets of forms is difficult. They can hardly be called conjugations, moods, or voices; therefore, it will be best to speak of them as stems. These stems are formed from the QAL stem (or root) by prefixes, vowel changes, and doubling of certain letters.
The root idea or meaning of the verb is presented in three conditions or degrees: (1) the simple, “to love,” (2) the intensive, “to love passionately,” (3) the causative, extending the action over a second agent, “to make to love, to cause to love.” Each stem has an active and passive form. The intensive also has a reflexive form. The name from these stems, except QAL, which means “light”, and thus “simple”, are formed by the transliteration of the perfect third-person masculine singular of פָּעַל, in the various stems. The other stems are Niph’al, Pi’el, Pu’al, Hithpa’el, Hiph’il, and Hoph’al.
Simple Intensive Causative
Active Active Active
(Qal) קַל (Pi’el) פִּעֵל (Hiph’il) הִפְעִיל
PassivePassive Passive
(Niph’al) נִפְעַל (Pu’al) פֻּעַל (Hoph’al) הָפְעַל
Reflexive
(Hithpa’el) הִתְפַּעֵל

Using קָטַל as the paradigm word, the stems are as follows:

The Simple Active QAL קָטַל he killed
The Simple Passive NIPH’AL נִקְטַל he was killed
The Intensive Active PI’EL קִטֵּל he brutally killed
The Intensive Passive PU’AL קֻטַּל he was brutally killed
The Intensive Reflexive HITHEPA’EL הִתְקַטֵּל he brutally killed himself
The Causative Active HIPH’IL הִקְטִיל he caused to kill
The Causative Passive HOPH’AL הָקְטַל he was caused to kill

Characteristics of These Stems

QAL (קַל) קָטַל

QAL (קַל) קָטַל is the simple verb stem as found in the lexicon. The absence of distinguishing markers is characteristic of the Qal stem.

NIPH’AL (נִפְעַל) נִקְטַל

NIPH’AL (נִפְעַל) נִקְטַל, the passive of the Qal, has a prefixed נ, which is a shortened form of הִנְ. It may be reflexive in some words. Whenever נ is supported only by the syllable divider, the נ is assimilated to the following consonant. The characteristic of the Niph’al stem will be a prefixed נ or a daghesh forte in the first radical.

PI’EL (פִּעֵל) קִטֵּל

PI’EL (פִּעֵל) קִטֵּל, always active and basically intensive, has a middle radical that always doubles by means of daghesh forte in the strong verb. It may be iterative or emphatic. The Pi’el may be distinguished by the presence of (ִ) or (ַ) beneath the first radical and the doubling of the second.

PU’AL (פֻּעַל) קֻטַּל

PU’AL (פֻּעַל) קֻטַּל, always passive, has middle radical always doubled in the strong verb. The characteristic of the Pual is the “o” class vowel (usually ֻ) beneath the first radical and a doubling of the second radical.

HITHPA’EL (הִתְפַּעֵל) הִתְקַטֵּל

HITHPA’EL (הִתְפַּעֵל) הִתְקַטֵּל, reflexive (middle voice), has the middle radical doubled and a prefix ת.

HIPH’IL (הִפְעִיל) הִקְטִיל

HIPH’IL (הִפְעִיל) הִקְטִיל, active, always has a prefixed (usually ה), which is supported by (ִ) or (ַ). The (ִ) or (ַ) beneath the single consonant performative is characteristic of the Hiph’il.

HOPH’AL (הָפְעַל) הָקְטַל

HOPH’AL (הָפְעַל) הָקְטַל passive, always has a prefixed ה, which is supported by a short “o” class vowel (usually ָ). The “o” class vowel beneath the single consonant performative is a characteristic of the Hoph’al.

Notes

Strong and Weak Verbs

The difference between a strong verb and a weak verb is the weak verb contains a weak letter, such as a guttural, and a strong verb contains only strong consonants. We use קָטַל as a paradigm word rather than פָּעַל because it contains a guttural, the presence of which causes some irregularities.

Strong and Weak Verbs

The complete paradigm of the seven stems is given, although only six verbs out of the fourteen hundred made use of all the stems.

Strong and Weak Verbs

The names of the stems indicate the vowels to be used in the perfects. Learn to pronounce each name correctly, getting the proper vowel sound. If the student will substitute the consonants of any verb for the קטל of the names and include the daghesh forte where characteristic, he will have the correct stem forms.
נִקְטַל נִמְשַׁל Niph’al
קִטֵּל מִשֵּׁל Pi’el
קֻטַּל מֻשַּׁל Pu’al
הִתְקַטֵּל הִתְמַשֵּׁל Hitpha’el
הִקְטִיל הִמְשִׁיל Hiph’il
הָקְטַל הָמְשַׁל Hoph’al

Doubling of Second Radical

Remember the doubling of the second radical of the three intensive stems.

The causative stems

The causative stems are increased from without. Remember the prefixed ה. הִמְשִׁיל הָמְשַׁל.

Syllable of Niph’al, Hiph’il, and Hoph’al

The first syllable of Niph’al, Hiph’il, and Hoph’al stems is closed, the second radical of the verb takes daghesh lene if it is a בְּגַדכְּפַת (begadkapht) letter. נִשְׁבַּר, הִזְכִּיר, הָרְדַּף.

The Niph’al stem

The Niph’al stem was originally reflexive and is so used in some verbs. Some verbs in the Niph’al are both reflexive and passive. The Niph’al eventually acquired the meaning of the passive Qal after the passive of the Qal disappeared, except for the passive participle.