The infinitive form in Binyan Pi’el (פִּעֵל) is used to express the basic idea of an action – like “to speak,” “to bless,” or “to teach” – without specifying tense or subject. In Pi’el, the infinitive is typically formed with the prefix לְ (le-) followed by a verb pattern that includes a doubled middle root letter (marked by a dagesh).
Structure of Pi’el Infinitive
- Prefix: לְ (le-) meaning “to”
- Form: The verb usually follows the pattern לְפַעֵל, where the middle root letter is doubled
Examples
- לְדַבֵּר – “to speak” (from ד־ב־ר)
- לְבָרֵךְ – “to bless” (from ב־ר־ך)
- לְשַׁבֵּר – “to smash” (from ש־ב־ר)
- לְקַדֵּשׁ – “to sanctify” (from ק־ד־ש)
These infinitives reflect the intensive or deliberate nature of Pi’el verbs.