The 7 Binyanim at a Glance
The verb “houses” of Hebrew: what each binyan does to meaning, and how to recognize them.
Hebrew verbs live in "houses" called בִּנְיָנִים (binyanim, "constructions"). Each binyan changes the basic meaning of a root in a predictable way. There are seven common binyanim in Modern Hebrew. Recognizing them lets you guess a verb's meaning even when you have never seen that exact word before.
The root system
Every Hebrew verb comes from a root of usually 3 consonants. The root כּ.ת.ב (k-t-b) means "write." Different binyanim build different meanings from the same root:
| Binyan | Example from כּ.ת.ב | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| פָּעַל | כָּתַב (katav) | he wrote |
| נִפְעַל | נִכְתַּב (nikhtav) | it was written |
| פִּעֵל | כִּתֵּב (kitev) | he spelled / typed out |
| פֻּעַל / פֻּעָּל | כֻּתַּב (kutav) | it was spelled / typed out |
| הִפְעִיל | הִכְתִּיב (hikhtiv) | he dictated / caused to write |
| הֻפְעַל | הֻכְתַּב (hukhtav) | it was dictated |
| הִתְפַּעֵל | הִתְכַּתֵּב (hitkatev) | he corresponded (wrote back and forth) |
The seven binyanim at a glance
| Binyan | Pattern | Typical meaning | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| פָּעַל (Pa'al) | קָטַל | simple / active | כָּתַב (katav) | he wrote |
| נִפְעַל (Nif'al) | נִקְטַל | passive / reflexive | נִכְתַּב (nikhtav) | it was written |
| פִּעֵל (Pi'el) | קִטֵּל | intensive / transitive | כִּתֵּב (kitev) | he typed / spelled |
| פֻּעַל (Pu'al) | קֻטַּל | intensive passive | כֻּתַּב (kutav) | it was typed |
| הִפְעִיל (Hif'il) | הִקְטִיל | causative | הִכְתִּיב (hikhtiv) | he dictated |
| הֻפְעַל (Huf'al) | הֻקְטַל | causative passive | הֻכְתַּב (hukhtav) | it was dictated |
| הִתְפַּעֵל (Hitpa'el) | הִתְקַטֵּל | reciprocal / reflexive | הִתְכַּתֵּב (hitkatev) | he corresponded |
💡 Tip: Pa'al is by far the most common binyan in everyday Hebrew. Master Pa'al first; the others are rarer but follow clear patterns.
What each binyan "does" to meaning
Pa'al — the simple active
The default binyan. Most stative and basic action verbs are Pa'al.
| Root | Pa'al | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| א.כ.ל | אָכַל (akhal) | he ate |
| ש.ת.ה | שָׁתָה (shata) | he drank |
| ה.ל.כ | הָלַךְ (halakh) | he walked / went |
| י.ד.ע | יָדַע (yada) | he knew |
Nif'al — passive or middle voice
Often means "happens to the subject" or "is done."
| Root | Nif'al | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| א.מ.ר | נֶאֱמַר (ne'emar) | it was said |
| פ.ת.ח | נִפְתַּח (niftakh) | it was opened |
| ר.א.ה | נִרְאָה (nir'a) | he seemed / appeared |
Pi'el — intensive or repeated action
Pi'el often adds intensity, repetition, or causation of a simpler action.
| Root | Pa'al | Pi'el | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| ש.ל.ח | שָׁלַח (shalakh) sent | שִׁלֵּחַ (shileakh) sent away / dismissed | more deliberate |
| ס.פ.ר | סָפַר (safar) counted | סִפֵּר (siper) told a story | more intensive/causative |
| ח.ש.ב | חָשַׁב (khashav) thought | חִשֵּׁב (khishev) calculated | more active/process |
Pu'al — passive of Pi'el
| Root | Pu'al | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| כ.ת.ב | כֻּתַּב (kutav) | it was typed / spelled out |
| ש.ל.ח | שֻׁלַּח (shulakh) | he was sent away |
Hif'il — causative (make someone do / cause to happen)
| Root | Hif'il | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| י.ד.ע | הוֹדִיעַ (hodia) | he informed (made known) |
| כ.נ.ס | הִכְנִיס (hikhnis) | he brought in |
| ש.מ.ע | הִשְׁמִיעַ (hishmia) | he played / made heard |
Huf'al — passive of Hif'il
| Root | Huf'al | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| כ.נ.ס | הוּכְנַס (hukhnas) | he was brought in |
| י.ד.ע | הוֹדַע (hoda) | it was made known |
Hitpa'el — reciprocal or reflexive (to oneself / each other)
| Root | Hitpa'el | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ר.ח.צ | הִתְרַחֵץ (hitrakhets) | he washed himself |
| כ.ת.ב | הִתְכַּתֵּב (hitkatev) | he corresponded |
| ל.ב.ש | הִתְלַבֵּשׁ (hitlabesh) | he dressed himself |
Recognizing binyanim in the wild
Look at the prefix and vowel pattern:
| Starts with | Likely binyan |
|---|---|
| נִ... | Nif'al |
| הִ... | Hif'il or Hitpa'el |
| הִתְ... | Hitpa'el |
| הֻ... | Huf'al |
| no prefix, simple pattern | Pa'al |
| doubled middle letter | Pi'el or Pu'al |
✅ Key takeaways
- Hebrew verbs are built from 3-consonant roots placed into binyanim (verb "houses").
- Pa'al is the simple active binyan; learn it first.
- Nif'al = passive/reflexive; Pi'el = intensive; Pu'al = passive of Pi'el.
- Hif'il = causative; Huf'al = passive of Hif'il; Hitpa'el = reciprocal/reflexive.
- The same root in different binyanim creates related but distinct meanings.
✏️ Practice
- What binyan is כָּתַב (katav)?
- What binyan usually means "causative"?
- Give the Nif'al form of כ.ת.ב and its meaning.
- Which binyan starts with הִתְ?
- What is the root of הִתְכַּתֵּב (hitkatev)?
Answers
- Pa'al (simple active).
- Hif'il.
- נִכְתַּב (nikhtav) — "it was written."
- Hitpa'el.
- כ.ת.ב (k-t-b).