The infinitive in Pa’al expresses the basic, active meaning of a verb – like “to write,” “to eat,” or “to go.” It’s the form you’ll find in dictionaries and use in phrases like “I want to ___” or “He began to ___.”
General Structure
- Prefix: לְ (le–) meaning “to”
- Form: Typically follows the pattern לִפְעֹל or לִקטֹל, depending on the root vowels
- No doubling of root letters (unlike Pi’el or Hitpa’el)
- Vowel patterns vary based on the root’s phonetic structure
Categories of Infinitive Forms
1. Regular Roots
These follow predictable patterns like לִשְׁמוֹר (“to guard”) or לִכְתוֹב (“to write”).
Examples:
- לִשְׁמוֹר – to guard (ש־מ־ר)
- לִפְתוֹחַ – to open (פ־ת־ח)
- לִלְמוֹד – to learn (ל־מ־ד)
2. Roots Beginning with Alef (א)
Roots that begin with א often shift the vowel pattern to לֶאֱטֹל due to the guttural nature of Alef.
Examples:
- לֶאֱכוֹל – to eat (א־כ־ל)
- לֶאֱהוֹב – to love (א־ה־ב)
- לֶאֱסֹף – to gather (אָסַף)
3. Roots with Guttural Letters (ע, ח, ה)
Guttural letters (especially ע and ח) affect the vowel structure, often requiring mobile sheva or composite vowels.
Examples:
- לַעֲבוֹד – to work (ע־ב־ד)
- לַחֲשׁוֹב – to think (ח־ש־ב)
- לַהֲרוֹג – to kill (ה־ר־ג)
4. ❗ Irregular Infinitives
Some verbs have historically irregular infinitive forms that don’t follow standard patterns and must be memorized.
| Root | Meaning | Infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| י־ד־ע | to know | לָדַעַת |
| ל־ק־ח | to take | לָקַחַת |
| י־ש־ב | to sit | לָשֶׁבֶת |
| ה־ל־ך | to go | לָלֶכֶת |
| נ־ת־ן | to give | לָתֵת |
| א־מ־ר | to say | לֵאמֹר (Biblical), לוֹמַר (Modern Hebrew) |
Note: The infinitive לוֹמַר is preferred in Modern Hebrew, while לֵאמֹר appears in Biblical texts.