Suffixes in Hebrew
There are several suffixes in Hebrew which 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. The letters which form these suffixes (excluding plurals) are called "formative letters" (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 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 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 קְדוּשָׁה Sifre k'dushah (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 Chaf with Kamatz) |
Second person, singular, masculine possessive. Your |
- סוּסְךָ suscha (your horse)
- תּוֹרָתְךָ toratcha (your law)
|
| ֵ ךְ (Tzere and Final Chaf with Shva) |
Second person, singular, feminine possessive. Your |
- סוּסֵךְ susech (your horse)
- תּוֹרָתֵךְ toratech (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, Chaf with Segol and Final Mem) |
Second person, plural, masculine possessive. Your |
- סוּסְכֶם suschem (your horse)
- תּוֹרַתְכֶם toratchem (your law)
|
| ְ כֶן (Shva, Chaf with Segol and Final Nun) |
Second person, plural, feminine possessive. Your |
- סוּסְכֶן suschen (your horse)
- תּוֹרַתְכֶן toratchen (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 Chaf with Kamatz) |
Second person, singular, masculine possessive. Your |
- סוּסֶיךָ susecha (your horses)
- תּוֹרוֹתֶיךָ torotecha (your laws)
|
| ַ יִךְ (Patach, Yud with Chirik and Final Chaf with Shva) |
Second person, singular, feminine possessive. Your |
- סוּסַיִךְ susayich (your horses)
- תּוֹרוֹתַיִךְ torotayich (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, Chaf with Segol and Final Mem) |
Second person, plural, masculine possessive. Your |
- סוּסֵיכֶם suseichem (your horses)
- תּוֹרוֹתֵיכֶם toroteichem (your laws)
|
| ֵ יכֶן (Tzere, Yud, Chaf with Segol and Final Nun) |
Second person, plural, feminine possessive. Your |
- סוּסֵיכֶן suseichen (your horses)
- תּוֹרוֹתְכֶן torateichen (your laws)
|
| ֵ יהֶם (Tzere, Yud, He with Segol) and Final Mem) |
Third person, plural, masculine possessive. Their |
- סוּסֵיהֶם suseihem (their horses)
- תּוֹרוֹתֵיהֶם torateihem (their laws)
|
| ֵ יהֶן (Kamatz 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 |
| ָ ה (Kamatz and He) |
Third person, feminine singular. She did |
שָׁמְרָה shamra (she kept) |
| תָּ (Tav with Kamatz) |
Second person, masculine singular. You did |
שָׁמַרְתָּ shamarta (you kept) |
| תְּ (Tav with Sh'va) |
Second person, feminine singular. You did |
שָׁמַרְתְּ shamart (you kept) |
| תִּי (Tav with Hiriq male) |
First person singular. I did |
שָׁמַרְתִּי shamarti (I kept) |
| וּ (Shuruk) |
Third person plural. They did |
שָׁמְרוּ shamru (they kept) |
| תֶּם (Tav with Segol and Final Mem) |
Second person, masculine plural. You did |
שָׁמַרְתֶּם shamartem (you kept) |
| תֶּן (Tav with Segol and Final Nun) |
Second person, feminine plural. You did |
שָׁמַרְתֶּן shamarten (you kept) |
| נוּ (Nun with Shuruk) |
First person plural. We did |
שָׁמַרְנוּ shamarnu (we kept) |
|
Imperfect
| Suffix |
Meaning |
Examples |
| ִי (Chirik male) |
Second person, feminine singular. You will do |
- תִּשְׁמְרִי tishm'ri (you will keep)
|
| וּ (Cholam male) |
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 (Cholam male) |
Masculine plural. do! |
שִׁמְרוּ shimru (keep!) |
| נָה (Nun with Kamatz and He) |
Feminine plural. do! |
שְׁמֹרְנָה shmorna (keep!) |
|
Diminutive
| Suffix |
Meaning |
Examples |
| וֹן (Cholam male and Nun) |
Diminutive, sometimes masculine |
- סֵפֶר sefer (book) → סִפְרוֹן sifron (booklet)
- מַחְשֵׁב mahshev (computer) → מַחְשֵׁבוֹן mahshevon (calculator)
- מִטְבָּח mitbach (kitchen) → מִטְבָּחוֹן mitbachon (kitchenette)
|
| ִ ית (Chirik male and Tav) |
Diminutive, sometimes feminine |
- שַׂק saq (sack) → שַׂקִית saqit (bag)
- כַּף kaf (spoon) → כַּפִּית kapit (teaspoon)
|
|
Loanwords
These sufixes (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) geography
- קָלִיגְרַפְיָה caligrafya calligraphy
|
| -ic/-ical |
Biblical Hebrew/ English |
ִי- i |
of or pertaining to |
- נוֹסְטַלְגִּי nostalgi nostalgic
- פּוֹלִיטִי politi political
- מִיתִי miti mythic(al)
|
| -ian/-an/-ish |
Biblical Hebrew/ English |
ִי- i |
belonging to |
- רוּסִי rusi Russian
- אוּטוֹפִּי utopi utopian
- גֶּרְמָנִי germani (hard g) German
- בְּרִיטִי briti British
- פּוֹלִיטִיקַאי politikai politician
- קוֹמִיקַאי komikai comedian
|
| -ar |
English |
ָרִי- ari |
pertaining to |
- מוֹלֶקוּלָרִי molekulari molecular
- לִינֵאָרִי lineari linear
- קַוִּי qavi (means: line-pertaining to) linear
|
| -ism |
English |
יזְם- -izm |
movement; discriminatory belief |
- לִיבֶּרָלִיזְם liberalizm liberalism
- סֶקְסִיזְם seksizm sexism
|
| -kinesis |
Greek |
קִינֶזִיס- -kinezis |
movement, motion |
- טֶלֶקִינֶזִיס telekinezis telekinesis
- פְּסִיכוֹקִינֶזִיס psikhokinezis psychokinesis
|
| -logy (and -ology) |
Ladino |
לוֹגְיָה- -logya |
branch of learning |
- בִּיוֹלוֹגְיָה biyologya (hard g) biology
- טְרִילוֹגְיָה trilogya trilogy
|
| -mania |
Greek |
מַנְיָה- -manya |
obsession |
- פִּירוֹמַנְיָה piromanya (means: pyro-mania) pyromania
- קְלֶפְּטוֹמַנְיָה kleptomanya (means: klepto-mania) kleptomania
|
| -maniac |
English |
מָן- -man |
person with obsession |
- פִּירוֹמָן piroman (means: pyro-maniac) pyromaniac
- קְלֶפְּטוֹמָן kleptoman (means: klepto-maniac) kleptomaniac
|
| -oid |
English |
וֹאִיד- -oid |
similar, but not the same |
- אַנְדְּרוֹאִיד android android
- הוּמָנוֹאִיד humanoid humanoid
|
| -onym |
English |
וֹנִים- -onim |
name |
- אֶפּוֹנִים eponim eponym
- הֶטְרוֹנִים hetronim heteronym
|
| -scope |
English |
סְקוֹפּ- -skop |
instrument for viewing |
- טֶלֶסְקוֹפּ teleskop telescope
- מיקרוסקופ mikroskop microscope
|
| -esque |
French |
ֶסְקָה- -eska |
resembling |
- בּוּרְלֶסְקָה burleska burlesque
- הוּמוֹרֶסְקָה humoreska humoresque
- גְּרוֹטֶסְקִי groteski grotesque
|
| -y |
Ladino |
יָה- -ya |
having the quality of |
- קוֹמֶדְיָה komedya comedy
- הִיסְטוֹרְיָה historya history
- פִילוֹסוֹפְיָה filosofya philosophy
|
| -meter |
English |
מֶטֶר- -meter |
measuring device;
units of measure |
- בָּרוֹמֶטֶר barometer barometer
- קִילוֹמֶטֶר kilometer kilometer
|
| -nik |
Yiddish/Russian |
נִיק- nik |
one connected with |
- מוֹשַׁבְנִיק moshavnik moshav member/resident
- נוּדְנִיק nudnik bothersome person
|
See also
References
External links
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