Suffixes in Hebrew
There are several suffixes in Hebrew that are appended to regular words to introduce a new meaning. Suffixes are used in the Hebrew language to form plurals of nouns and adjectives, in verb conjugation of grammatical tense , and to indicate possession and direct objects . They are also used for the construct noun form.[ 1] Hebrew : אוֹתִיּוֹת הַשִּׁמּוּשׁ , Otiyot HaShimush ).
Gender and number
Due to noun-adjective agreement rules, these apply to nouns and to adjectival modifiers. In some cases, a masculine plural noun will have a feminine plural suffix and vice versa, but the adjectival modifiers are always the same.
Suffix
Meaning
Examples
ָ ה (Kamatz and he )
feminine singular
סוּסָה susa (mare)סוּסָה טוֹבָה susa tova (good mare)
ִ ים (Chirik , yud and final mem )
masculine plural
סוּסִים susim (horses )סוּסִים טוֹבִים susim tovim (good horses )
וֹת Cholam and tav )
feminine plural
סוּסוֹת susot (mares )סוּסוֹת טוֹבוֹת susot tovot (good mares )
ַ יִם (Patach , yud with chirik and final mem )
masculine and feminine noun dual form
יָדַיִם yadayim (two hands )
Construct state
Suffix
Meaning
Examples
ַ ת (Patach and tav )
Changes a singular feminine noun to the construct form. of
תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה Torat Moshe (Torah of Moses)
ֵ י (Tzere and yud )
Changes a plural masculine noun to the construct form. of
סִפְרֵי קְדֻשָּׁה Sifre q'dusha (Books of holiness)
Pronominal suffixes
Singular nouns
Suffix
Meaning
Examples
ִ י (Chirik and yud )
First person, singular possessive. My
סוּסִי susi (my horse)תּוֹרָתִי torati (my law)
ְ ךָ (Shva and final khaf with kamatz )
Second person, singular, masculine possessive. Your
סוּסְךָ suskha (your horse)תּוֹרָתְךָ toratkha (your law)
ֵ ךְ (Tzere and final khaf with shva )
Second person, singular, feminine possessive. Your
סוּסֵךְ susekh (your horse)תּוֹרָתֵךְ toratekh (your law)
וֹ Cholam male )
Third person, singular, masculine possessive. His
סוּסוֹ suso (his horse)תּוֹרָתוֹ torato (his law)
ָ הּ (Kamatz and he with mappiq )
Third person, singular, feminine possessive. Her
סוּסָהּ susah (her horse)תּוֹרָתָהּ toratah (her law)
ֵ נוּ (Tzere and nun with shuruk )
First person, plural possessive. Our
סוּסֵנוּ susenu (our horse)תּוֹרָתֵנוּ toratenu (our law)
ְ כֶם (Shva , khaf with segol , and final mem )
Second person, plural, masculine possessive. Your
סוּסְכֶם suskhem (your horse)תּוֹרַתְכֶם toratkhem (your law)
ְ כֶן (Shva , khaf with segol and final nun )
Second person, plural, feminine possessive. Your
סוּסְכֶן suskhen (your horse)תּוֹרַתְכֶן toratkhen (your law)
ָ ם (Kamatz and final mem )
Third person, plural, masculine possessive. Their
סוּסָם susam (their horse)תּוֹרָתָם toratam (their law)
ָ ן (Kamatz and final nun )
Third person, plural, feminine possessive. Their
סוּסָן susan (their horse)תּוֹרָתָן toratan (their law)
Plural nouns
Suffix
Meaning
Examples
ַ י (Patach and yud )
First person, singular possessive. My
סוּסַי susai (my horses)תּוֹרוֹתַי torotai (my laws)
ֶ יךָ (Segol , yud and final khaf with kamatz )
Second person, singular, masculine possessive. Your
סוּסֶיךָ susekha (your horses)תּוֹרוֹתֶיךָ torotekha (your laws)
ַ יִךְ (Patach , yud with chirik , and final khaf with shva )
Second person, singular, feminine possessive. Your
סוּסַיִךְ susayikh (your horses)תּוֹרוֹתַיִךְ torotayikh (your laws)
ָ יו (Kamatz , yud , and vav )
Third person, singular, masculine possessive. His
סוּסָיו susav (his horses)תּוֹרוֹתָיו torotav (his laws)
ֶ יהָ (Segol , yud , and he with kamatz )
Third person, singular, feminine possessive. Her
סוּסֶיהָ suseha (her horses)תּוֹרוֹתֶיהָ toroteha (her laws)
ֵ ינוּ (Tzere , yud , and nun with shuruk )
First person, plural possessive. Our
סוּסֵינוּ suseinu (our horses)תּוֹרוֹתֵינוּ toroteinu (our laws)
ֵ יכֶם (Tzere , yud , khaf with segol , and final mem )
Second person, plural, masculine possessive. Your
סוּסֵיכֶם suseikhem (your horses)תּוֹרוֹתֵיכֶם toroteikhem (your laws)
ֵ יכֶן (Tzere , yud , khaf with segol , and final nun )
Second person, plural, feminine possessive. Your
סוּסֵיכֶן suseikhen (your horses)תּוֹרוֹתֵיכֶן torateikhen (your laws)
ֵ יהֶם (Tzere , yud , he with segol and final mem )
Third person, plural, masculine possessive. Their
סוּסֵיהֶם suseihem (sussyboi horses)תּוֹרוֹתֵיהֶם torateihem (their laws)
ֵ יהֶן (Tzere , yud , he with segol , and final nun )
Third person, plural, feminine possessive. Their
סוּסֵיהֶן suseihen (their horses)תּוֹרוֹתֵיהֶן torateihen (their laws)
Conjugation of verbs
Qal Perfect
Suffix
Meaning
Examples
תִּי Tav with hiriq male)
1st person sg. I did
שָׁמַרְתִּי shamarti (I kept)
תָּ Tav with kamatz )
2nd person, masc. sg. You did
שָׁמַרְתָּ shamarta (you kept)
תְּ Tav with shva )
2nd person, fem. sg. You did
שָׁמַרְתְּ shamart (you kept)
- Qal perfect Did He did
שָׁמַר shamar (kept/he kept)
ָ ה (Kamatz and he )
3rd person, fem. sg. She did
שָׁמְרָה shamra (she kept)
נוּ Nun with shuruk )
1st person pl. We did
שָׁמַרְנוּ shamarnu (we kept)
תֶּם Tav with segol and final mem )
2nd person, masc. pl. You did
שְׁמַרְתֶּם shmartem (you kept)
תֶּן Tav with segol and final nun )
2nd person, fem. pl. You did
שְׁמַרְתֶּן shmarten (you kept)
וּ Shuruk )
3rd person pl. They did
שָׁמְרוּ shamru (they kept)
Imperfect
Suffix
Meaning
Examples
ִי (Chirik male )
Second person, feminine singular. You will do
תִּשְׁמְרִי tishm'ri (you will keep)
וּ Shuruk )
Third and Second person, masculine plural. They will do , You will do
יִשְׁמְרוּ yishm'ru (they will keep)תִּשְׁמְרוּ tishm'ru (you will keep)
נָה Nun with kamatz and he )
Third and Second person, feminine plural. They will do , You will do
תִּשְׁמֹרְנָה tishmorna (they will keep)תִּשְׁמֹרְנָה tishmorna (you will keep)
Imperative
Suffix
Meaning
Examples
ִ י (Chirik male )
Feminine singular. do!
שִׁמְרִי shimri (keep!)
וּ Shuruk )
Masculine plural. do!
שִׁמְרוּ shimru (keep!)
נָה Nun with Kamatz and He )
Feminine plural. do!
שְׁמֹרְנָה shmorna (keep!)
Derivative
Diminutive
Suffix
Meaning
Examples
וֹן Cholam male and final nun )
Diminutive, sometimes masculine
סֵפֶר sefer (book) → סִפְרוֹן sifron (booklet)מַחְשֵׁב machshev (computer) → מַחְשְׁבוֹן machshevon (calculator)מִטְבָּח mitbach (kitchen) → מִטְבָּחוֹן mitbachon (kitchenette)
ֹנֶת Cholam chaser , nun with segol , and tav )
Diminutive, a feminine version of ־וֹן
יֶלֶד yeled (child, boy) → יַלְדוֹן yaldon (boy (diminutive)) → יַלְדֹּנֶת yaldonet (girl (diminutive))טִפָּה tippa (drop) → טִפֹּנֶת tipponet (drop (diminutive))חָמוּד chamud (cute) → חֲמוּדוֹן chamudon (cutie (male)) → חֲמוּדֹנֶת chamudonet (cutie (feminine))
ִ ית (Chirik male and tav )
Diminutive, sometimes feminine
שַׂק saq (sack) → שַׂקִּית saqqit (bag)כַּף kaf (spoon) → כַּפִּית kappit (teaspoon)
Abstract nouns
Suffix
Meaning
Examples
וּת Qubbutz and tav )
Abstractive, feminine
נַגָּר nagar (carpenter) → נַגָּרוּת nagarut (carpentry)חָבֵר chaver (friend) → חֲבֵרוּת chaverut (friendship)
Collective nouns
Suffix
Meaning
Examples
וֹן Cholam male and final nun )
Collective, masculine
זְכוּת zchut (right) → זְכוּתוֹן zchuton (a collection of rights)מִלָּה mila (word) → מִלּוֹן milon (dictionary (a collection of words))
Loanwords
These suffixes (Hebrew : סוֹפִית sofit ) often come from loanwords from English (Latin , Greek , etc...) which are especially prevalent with technical and academic terms.
Suffix
Origin
Hebrew
Meaning
Examples
-graphy
Ladino
גְרַפְיָה - -grafya
field of study; writing
גֵּאוֹגְרַפְיָה geografya (hard g) geographyקָלִיגְרַפְיָה qaligrafya calligraphy
-ic/-ical
Biblical Hebrew/ English
ִי - i
of or pertaining to
נוֹסְטַלְגִּי nostalgi nostalgicפּוֹלִיטִי politi politicalמִיתִי miti mythic(al)מוֹלֶקוּלָרִי molequlari molecularקַוִּי qavi (means: line-pertaining to) linear
-ian/-an/-ish
Biblical Hebrew/ English
ִי - i
belonging to
רוּסִי rusi Russianאוּטוֹפִּי utopi utopianגֶּרְמָנִי germani (hard g) Germanבְּרִיטִי briti Britishפּוֹלִיטִיקַאי politiqai politicianקוֹמִיקַאי qomiqai comedian
-ism
English
יזְם - -izm
movement; discriminatory belief
לִיבֶּרָלִיזְם liberalizm liberalismסֶקְסִיזְם seqsizm sexism
-kinesis
Greek
קִינֶזִיס - -qinezis
movement, motion
טֶלֶקִינֶזִיס teleqinezis telekinesisפְּסִיכוֹקִינֶזִיס psikhoqinezis psychokinesis
-logy (and -ology)
Ladino
לוֹגְיָה - -logya
branch of learning
בִּיוֹלוֹגְיָה biyologya (hard g) biologyטְרִילוֹגְיָה trilogya trilogy
-mania
Greek
מַנְיָה - -manya
obsession
פִּירוֹמַנְיָה piromanya (means: pyro-mania) pyromaniaקְלֶפְּטוֹמַנְיָה qleptomanya (means: klepto-mania) kleptomania
-maniac
English
מָן - -man
person with obsession
פִּירוֹמָן piroman (means: pyro-maniac) pyromaniacקְלֶפְּטוֹמָן qleptoman (means: klepto-maniac) kleptomaniac
-oid
English
וֹאִיד - -oid
similar, but not the same
אַנְדְּרוֹאִיד android androidהוּמָנוֹאִיד humanoid humanoid
-onym
English
וֹנִים - -onim
name
אֶפּוֹנִים eponim eponymהֶטְרוֹנִים hetronim heteronym
-scope
English
סְקוֹפּ - -sqop
instrument for viewing
טֶלֶסְקוֹפּ telesqop telescopeמיקרוסקופ miqrosqop microscope
-esque
French
ֶסְקָה - -esqa
resembling
בּוּרְלֶסְקָה burlesqa burlesqueהוּמוֹרֶסְקָה humoresqa humoresqueגְּרוֹטֶסְקִי grotesqi grotesque
-y
Ladino
יָה - -ya
having the quality of
קוֹמֶדְיָה qomedya comedyהִיסְטוֹרְיָה historya historyפִילוֹסוֹפְיָה filosofya philosophy
-meter
English
מֶטֶר - -meter
measuring device;
בָּרוֹמֶטֶר barometer barometerקִילוֹמֶטֶר qilometer kilometer
-nik
Yiddish/Russian
נִיק - nik
one connected with
מוֹשַׁבְנִיק moshavniq moshav member/residentנוּדְנִיק nudniq bothersome person
See also
References
External links
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