7: Sentences with Verbs

Question 1

What are some ways in which the subject may be identified?

Answer 1

1. By the form of the verb alone
   
   • שָׁלַחְתִּי (“I sent”, suffix תִּי is the subject “I”)
2. By the addition of a personal pronoun
   
   • אֲנִי שָׁלַחְתִּי (“I [not anybody else] sent”)
3. By a noun, when the verb is in 3rd person
   
   • אָב שָׁלַח (“the father sent”)

• The subject must agree in person, gender and number with the verb.

Question 2

How many kinds of direct objects are there in Hebrew?

Answer 2

1. Indefinite Direct Object
2. Definite Direct Object

Question 3

What is the difference between the Indefinite and Definite direct objects?

Answer 3

• In the definites, the word אֵת is placed before the object.
  
  • This word is not translated but indicates the presence of a definite direct object.
  • It can appear as אֵת or as אֶת־
• The indefinite does not have that marker

Indefinite: שָׁלַח סוּס “he sent a horse”

Definite: שָׁלַח אֵת הַסּוּס / שָׁלַח אֶת־הַסּוּס “he sent the horse”

Question 4

What is the typical word order in Hebrew?

Answer 4

1. Verb
2. Subject
3. Direct Object

שָׁלַח הָאָב אֶת־הַסּוּס

“The father sent the horse.”

• But this order may vary for emphasis’ sake.

Question 5

What does it mean when the typical word order is changed?

Answer 5

Emphasis is placed on that first word (whether subject or direct object)

הָאַב שָׁלַח אֶת־הַסּוּס

“The father (not anybody else) sent the horse.”

Question 6

How can one negate any part of a sentence?

Answer 6

• Placing the word לֹא immediately before the desired negated element (not necessarily at the beginning)

לֹא שָׁלַח הָאָב אֶת־הַסּוּס

(The father did not send the horse [he kept it])

לֹא הָאָב שָׁלַח אֶת־הַסּוּס

([not] the father sent the horse [somebody else did])

etc.

Question 7

What is a furtive patach?

Answer 7

• pronounced before the final chet (ח) or ayin (ע) of a word,
• is not accented, and
• is printed slightly to the right to distinguish it from patach.

Question 8

זֶבַח

Answer 8

sacrifice

Question 9

לֵב / לֵבָב

Answer 9

heart, mind

Plurals: לִבּוֹת / לְבָבוֹת (respectively)

Question 10

מִזְבֵּחַ

Answer 10

altar

Plural: מִזְבְּחוֹת

Question 11

מִשְׁפָּט

Answer 11

judgement, decision

Question 12

עַם

Answer 12

people

Question 13

שֵׁם

Answer 13

name, reputation

Question 14

דָּרַשׁ

Answer 14

he sought, inquired

Question 15

זָבַח

Answer 15

he sacrificed, slaughtered

Question 16

יָדַע

Answer 16

he knew, cared about

Question 17

יָשַׁב

Answer 17

he sat, dwelt, inhabited