Download Root Infinitive Absolute

The Passive Participle
and
the Infinitive Absolute
The Passive Participle
The passive participle is a verb that acts as an adjective.
Passive participles describe action received by the subject. The subject does not
perform the action.
For example, “the abandoned house” and “the house that was abandoned” both
have the verb to abandon acting as a passive participle to describe the house.
As with active participles, passive participles inflect for number and gender. The meaning is
generally one of completed action.
The Passive Participle
Root
ms
‫ּכתב‬
‫ידע‬
‫אכל‬
‫סבב‬
‫ּבנה‬
‫ׁשלח‬
‫ּכָּתּוב‬
‫יָּדּוע‬
‫ָאכּול‬
‫סָּ בּוב‬
‫ּבָּ נּוי‬
ִ‫ׁשָּ לּוח‬
Passive Participle
mp
‫ּכְּ תּובִים‬
‫יְּדּועים‬
‫אֲכּולים‬
‫סְּ בּובים‬
‫ּבְּ נּויים‬
‫ְּׁשלּוחים‬
fs
fp
‫ּכְּ תּובִָּה‬
‫יְּדּועָּ ה‬
‫אֲכּולָּה‬
‫סְּ בּובָּ ה‬
‫ּבְּ נּויָּה‬
‫ְּׁשלּוחִָּה‬
‫ּכְּ תּובוֹת‬
‫יְּדּועוֹת‬
‫אֲכּולוֹת‬
‫סְּ בּובוֹת‬
‫ּבְּ נּויוֹת‬
‫ְּׁשלּוחוֹת‬
written
known
eaten
surrounded
built
sent
The vowel pattern for the passive participle is usually qametz-shureq (e.g., ‫)ּכָּתּוב‬. The vowel
pattern is rarely a defective qametz-qibbuts (e.g., ‫ ָּּכתֻב‬instead of ‫)ּכָּתּוב‬.
For the verb ‫ּבָּ נָּה‬, the III-‫ ה‬changes to a yod.
For the verb ‫ׁשָּ לח‬, the III-guttural takes a furtive patakh. The furtive patakh does not disrupt the
qametz-shureq vowel pattern.
The Passive Participle
Hollow verbs rarely appear in the passive participle form. The passive participle form of ‫( קָּ ם‬to arise)
and ‫(שָּ ם‬to place) are attested in the masculine singular but not in the masculine plural, feminine
singular, or feminine plural.
Passive Participle
Root
ms
mp
fs
fp
‫קם‬
‫שם‬
‫קּום‬
‫שָּ ם‬
---
---
---
risen
---
---
---
placed
The Passive Participle
Attributive meaning:
Predicative meaning:
Substantive meaning:
ִ ‫הׁשֵׁ םִּכָּתּוב ּבִפֵּסֵׁ ר‬
‫ּכְּ תּובים הדִָּבָּ ים‬
ִ‫הּבָּ ח ים יׁשְִּלְּ חּו‬
The name written in the book
Written are the words (or) The words are written
The chosen will send (or)
The chosen ones will send (or)
The ones who are chosen will send
Attributive passive participles agree with the noun they modify in number, gender, and
definiteness. The attributive follows the noun that it modifies.
Predicative passive participles agree with the noun they modify in number and gender. The predicative
participle does not match in definiteness. The predicative either precedes or follows the noun that it
modifies.
Substantive passive participles take on noun attributes. Notice the options available for translating the
substantive form into idiomatic English in the examples above.
The passive participle is most easily confused with the infinitive absolute, which we will study next.
The Passive Participle
Before we tackle the Infinitive Absolute, let’s practice…..
The Infinitive Absolute
The infinitive absolute has only one form since it is not inflected for person, number, or gender.
Consider the following infinitive absolutes.
Root
Infinitive
Absolute
‫קטל‬
‫ּגאל‬
‫אכל‬
‫ידע‬
‫נטע‬
‫קָּ טוֹל‬
‫ּגָּאוֹל‬
‫ָאכוֹל‬
ִ‫יָּדוֹע‬
ִ‫נָּטוֹע‬
to kill
to redeem
to eat
to know
to plant
The infinitive absolute vowel pattern is qamets-full holem.
A furtive patakh appears in III-guttural verbs such as ‫ֹע‬
ִ ‫ יָּדו‬and ִ‫נָּטוֹע‬. Identification of the infinitive
absolute verb form can still be made since there is no change to the qamets-full holem vowel
pattern.
In some cases, the full holem may be written defectively. For example,
‫קָּ טוֹל‬may be written as ‫קָּ טֹל‬.
The Infinitive Absolute
The infinitive absolute has four primary uses:
Emphasis: The infinitive absolute is placed next to the finite verb it modifies, either before (most
common) or after, to emphasize the verbal concept. Note that both the infinitive absolute and the
verb it modifies have the same root letters. When translating the infinitive absolute to emphasize a
verbal concept, use the words such as indeed, surely, or certainly. This form is the most common use
of the infinitive absolute. For example:
‫יָּדוֹעִ יָּדעִאת־הּת ֹו ָּ ה‬
‫סָּ בוֹב יָּסֹ ּבּוִאת־הִּבית‬
He did indeed know the law.
They will surely surround the house.
Simultaneous: Two infinitive absolutes placed next to a finite verb have the meaning of
simultaneous action. The action can be antithetical or complimentary. For example:
‫הָּ לְּ כּוִהָּ לוְֹך וְִּדִָּב ֹו‬
‫הָּ לְּ כּו יָּצוֹא וִָּשוֹב‬
They walked, walking and talking.
They walked back and forth.
The Infinitive Absolute
Substitute: An infinitive absolute can substitute for a finite verb, describing action. In this case, the
infinitive absolute stands alone as a substitute for a finite verb. For example:
‫נָּתוֹן אֹ תָּ ּהִּבְּ תוְֹךִהחֵׁ יכָּל‬
ִ‫כָּתוֹב על־הּלּוח‬
He set her in the midst of the palace.
He will write on the tablet.
Imperative: Similar to the above example, an infinitive absolute can stand alone, replacing a finite
imperative verb. For example:
‫זָּכ ֹו את־מצְּ וֹתִי‬
ִ‫הָּ לוְֹך עּמ ֹו‬
Remember my commandments.
Go with him.