Pa’al is the most basic and common binyan in Hebrew. In the future tense, it expresses direct, active actions that the subject will perform. These verbs are essential for everyday speech and describe simple, intentional actions like “he will guard,” “she will keep,” or “they will protect.”
Structure of Pa’al in Future Tense
- Prefixes: א / ת / י / נ (depending on person)
- Vowel Pattern: e–o or a–o depending on the form (as in אֶשְׁמֹר – “I will guard”)
- Base Form: יִשְׁמֹר – masculine singular, 3rd person
The base form is: יִשְׁמֹר – using the root ש.מ.ר
Conjugation Table (Using ש.מ.ר – “to guard / to keep”)
| Person & Gender | Hebrew Form | Transliteration | English Meaning |
| I | אֶשְׁמֹר | eshmor | I will guard |
| You (m) | תִּשְׁמֹר | tishmor | You will guard |
| You (f) | תִּשְׁמְרִי | tishmeri | You will guard |
| He (base form) | יִשְׁמֹר | yishmor | He will guard |
| She | תִּשְׁמֹר | tishmor | She will guard |
| We | נִשְׁמֹר | nishmor | We will guard |
| You (pl) | תִּשְׁמְרוּ | tishmeru | You will guard |
| They | יִשְׁמְרוּ | yishmeru | They will guard |
Common Pa’al Verbs in Future Tense
| Base Form | Transliteration | Meaning |
| יִשְׁמֹר | yishmor | will guard |
| יִכְתּוֹב | yikhtov | will write |
| יִלְמַד | yilmad | will study |
| יַעֲבֹד | ya’avod | will work |
| יִקְרָא | yikra | will read / call |
Tip for Learners
Pa’al verbs in the future tense are consistent and essential. Look for the prefixes and the simple root structure. The masculine singular form (יִשְׁמֹר) is the base form used in dictionaries.
