Suffixes in Hebrew

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There are several suffixes in Hebrew that are appended to regular words to introduce a new meaning.

Hebrew
: אוֹתִיּוֹת הַשִּׁמּוּשׁ‎, Otiyot HaShimush).

Gender and number

Due to noun-adjective agreement rules, these apply to nouns and to adjectival modifiers. In some cases, a masculine plural noun will have a feminine plural suffix and vice versa, but the adjectival modifiers are always the same.

Suffix Meaning Examples
ָ ה  (Kamatz and He) feminine singular
  • סוּסָהsusa (mare)
  • סוּסָה טוֹבָהsusa tova (good mare)
ִ ים  (Chirik, Yud and Final Mem) masculine plural
  • סוּסִיםsusim (horses)
  • סוּסִים טוֹבִיםsusim tovim (good horses)
וֹת‎ (Cholam and Tav) feminine plural
  • סוּסוֹתsusot (mares)
  • סוּסוֹת טוֹבוֹתsusot tovot (good mares)
ַ יִם  (Patach, Yud with Chirik and Final Mem) masculine and feminine noun dual form
  • יָדַיִםyadayim (two hands)

Construct state

Suffix Meaning Examples
ַ ת  (Patach and Tav) Changes a singular feminine noun to the construct form. of תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁהTorat Moshe (Torah of Moses)
ֵ י  (Tzere and Yud) Changes a plural masculine noun to the construct form. of סִפְרֵי קְדֻשָּׁהSifre q'dusha (Books of holiness)

Pronominal suffixes

Singular nouns

Suffix Meaning Examples
ִ י  (Chirik and Yud) First person, singular possessive. My
  • סוּסִיsusi (my horse)
  • תּוֹרָתִיtorati (my law)
ְ ךָ  (Shva and Final Khaf with Kamatz) Second person, singular, masculine possessive. Your
  • סוּסְךָsuskha (your horse)
  • תּוֹרָתְךָtoratkha (your law)
ֵ ךְ  (Tzere and Final Khaf with Shva) Second person, singular, feminine possessive. Your
  • סוּסֵךְsusekh (your horse)
  • תּוֹרָתֵךְtoratekh (your law)
וֹ‎ ( Cholam male) Third person, singular, masculine possessive. His
  • סוּסוֹsuso (his horse)
  • תּוֹרָתוֹtorato (his law)
ָ הּ  (Kamatz and He with Mappiq) Third person, singular, feminine possessive. Her
  • סוּסָהּsusah (her horse)
  • תּוֹרָתָהּtoratah (her law)
ֵ נוּ  (
Shuruk
)
First person, plural possessive. Our
  • סוּסֵנוּsusenu (our horse)
  • תּוֹרָתֵנוּtoratenu (our law)
ְ כֶם  (Shva, Khaf with Segol and Final Mem) Second person, plural, masculine possessive. Your
  • סוּסְכֶםsuskhem (your horse)
  • תּוֹרַתְכֶםtoratkhem (your law)
ְ כֶן  (Shva, Khaf with Segol and Final Nun) Second person, plural, feminine possessive. Your
  • סוּסְכֶןsuskhen (your horse)
  • תּוֹרַתְכֶןtoratkhen (your law)
ָ ם  (Kamatz and Final Mem) Third person, plural, masculine possessive. Their
  • סוּסָםsusam (their horse)
  • תּוֹרָתָםtoratam (their law)
ָ ן  (Kamatz and Final Nun) Third person, plural, feminine possessive. Their
  • סוּסָןsusan (their horse)
  • תּוֹרָתָןtoratan (their law)

Plural nouns

Suffix Meaning Examples
ַ י  (Patach and Yud) First person, singular possessive. My
  • סוּסַיsusai (my horses)
  • תּוֹרוֹתַיtorotai (my laws)
ֶ יךָ  (Segol, Yud and Final Khaf with Kamatz) Second person, singular, masculine possessive. Your
  • סוּסֶיךָsusekha (your horses)
  • תּוֹרוֹתֶיךָtorotekha (your laws)
ַ יִךְ  (Patach, Yud with Chirik and Final Khaf with Shva) Second person, singular, feminine possessive. Your
  • סוּסַיִךְsusayikh (your horses)
  • תּוֹרוֹתַיִךְtorotayikh (your laws)
ָ יו  (Kamatz, Yud and Vav) Third person, singular, masculine possessive. His
  • סוּסָיוsusav (his horses)
  • תּוֹרוֹתָיוtorotav (his laws)
ֶ יהָ  (Segol, Yud and He with Kamatz) Third person, singular, feminine possessive. Her
  • סוּסֶיהָsuseha (her horses)
  • תּוֹרוֹתֶיהָtoroteha (her laws)
ֵ ינוּ  (
Shuruk
)
First person, plural possessive. Our
  • סוּסֵינוּsuseinu (our horses)
  • תּוֹרוֹתֵינוּtoroteinu (our laws)
ֵ יכֶם  (Tzere, Yud, Khaf with Segol and Final Mem) Second person, plural, masculine possessive. Your
  • סוּסֵיכֶםsuseikhem (your horses)
  • תּוֹרוֹתֵיכֶםtoroteikhem (your laws)
ֵ יכֶן  (Tzere, Yud, Khaf with Segol and Final Nun) Second person, plural, feminine possessive. Your
  • סוּסֵיכֶןsuseikhen (your horses)
  • תּוֹרוֹתֵיכֶןtorateikhen (your laws)
ֵ יהֶם  (Tzere, Yud, He with Segol) and Final Mem) Third person, plural, masculine possessive. Their
  • סוּסֵיהֶםsuseihem (their horses)
  • תּוֹרוֹתֵיהֶםtorateihem (their laws)
ֵ יהֶן  (Tzere, Yud, He with Segol) and Final Nun) Third person, plural, feminine possessive. Their
  • סוּסֵיהֶןsuseihen (their horses)
  • תּוֹרוֹתֵיהֶןtorateihen (their laws)

Conjugation of verbs

Qal Perfect

Suffix Meaning Examples
תִּי‎ (Tav with Hiriq male) 1st person sg. I did שָׁמַרְתִּיshamarti (I kept)
תָּ‎ (Tav with Kamatz) 2nd person, masc. sg. You did שָׁמַרְתָּshamarta (you kept)
תְּ‎ (
Sh'va
)
2nd person, fem. sg. You did שָׁמַרְתְּshamart (you kept)
-‎ (None, Base form) Qal perfect Did
3rd person, masc. sg. He did
שָׁמַרshamar (kept/he kept)
ָ ה  (Kamatz and He) 3rd person, fem. sg. She did שָׁמְרָהshamra (she kept)
נוּ‎ (
Shuruk
)
1st person pl. We did שָׁמַרְנוּshamarnu (we kept)
תֶּם‎ (Tav with Segol and Final Mem) 2nd person, masc. pl. You did שְׁמַרְתֶּםshmartem (you kept)
תֶּן‎ (Tav with Segol and Final Nun) 2nd person, fem. pl. You did שְׁמַרְתֶּןshmarten (you kept)
וּ‎ (
Shuruk
)
3rd person pl. They did שָׁמְרוּshamru (they kept)

Imperfect

Suffix Meaning Examples
ִי  (Chirik male) Second person, feminine singular. You will do
  • תִּשְׁמְרִיtishm'ri (you will keep)
וּ‎ (
Shuruk
)
Third and Second person, masculine plural. They will do, You will do
  • יִשְׁמְרוּyishm'ru (they will keep)
  • תִּשְׁמְרוּtishm'ru (you will keep)
נָה‎ (Nun with Kamatz and He) Third and Second person, feminine plural. They will do, You will do
  • תִּשְׁמֹרְנָהtishmorna (they will keep)
  • תִּשְׁמֹרְנָהtishmorna (you will keep)

Imperative

Suffix Meaning Examples
ִ י  (Chirik male) Feminine singular. do! שִׁמְרִיshimri (keep!)
וּ‎ (
Shuruk
)
Masculine plural. do! שִׁמְרוּshimru (keep!)
נָה‎ (Nun with Kamatz and He) Feminine plural. do! שְׁמֹרְנָהshmorna (keep!)

Derivative

Diminutive

Suffix Meaning Examples
וֹן‎ (Cholam male and Final Nun) Diminutive, sometimes masculine
  • סֵפֶרsefer (book) → סִפְרוֹןsifron (booklet)
  • מַחְשֵׁבmachshev (computer) → מַחְשְׁבוֹןmachshevon (calculator)
  • מִטְבָּחmitbach (kitchen) → מִטְבָּחוֹןmitbachon (kitchenette)
ֹנֶת‎ (Cholam chaser and Nun and Tav) Diminutive, a feminine version of וֹן
  • יֶלֶדyeled (child, boy) → יַלְדוֹןyaldon (boy (diminutive)) → יַלְדֹּנֶתyaldonet (girl (diminutive))
  • טִפָּהtippa (drop) → טִפֹּנֶתtipponet (drop (diminutive))
  • חָמוּדchamud (cute) → חֲמוּדוֹןchamudon (cutie (male)) → חֲמוּדֹנֶתchamudonet (cutie (feminine))
ִ ית  (Chirik male and Tav) Diminutive, sometimes feminine
  • שַׂקsaq (sack) → שַׂקִּיתsaqqit (bag)
  • כַּףkaf (spoon) → כַּפִּיתkappit (teaspoon)

Abstract nouns

Suffix Meaning Examples
וּת‎ (
Qubbutz and Tav
)
Abstractive, feminine
  • נַגָּרnagar (carpenter) → נַגָּרוּתnagarut (carpentry)
  • חָבֵרchaver (friend) → חֲבֵרוּתchaverut (friendship)

Collective nouns

Suffix Meaning Examples
וֹן‎ (Cholam male and Final Nun) Collective, masculine
  • זְכוּתzchut (right) → זְכוּתוֹןzchuton (a collection of rights)
  • מִלָּהmil-a (word) → מִלּוֹןmilon (dictionary (a collection of words))

Loanwords

These suffixes (

Hebrew: סוֹפִיתsofit) often come from loanwords from English (Latin, Greek
, etc...) which are especially prevalent with technical and academic terms.

Suffix Origin Hebrew Meaning Examples
-graphy Ladino גְרַפְיָה‎- -grafya field of study; writing
  • גֵּאוֹגְרַפְיָהgeografya (hard g) geography
  • קָלִיגְרַפְיָהqaligrafya calligraphy
-ic/-ical Biblical Hebrew/ English ִי‎- i of or pertaining to
  • נוֹסְטַלְגִּיnostalgi nostalgic
  • פּוֹלִיטִיpoliti political
  • מִיתִיmiti mythic(al)
  • מוֹלֶקוּלָרִיmolequlari molecular
  • קַוִּיqavi (means: line-pertaining to) linear
-ian/-an/-ish Biblical Hebrew/ English ִי‎- i belonging to
  • רוּסִיrusi Russian
  • אוּטוֹפִּיutopi utopian
  • גֶּרְמָנִיgermani (hard g) German
  • בְּרִיטִיbriti British
  • פּוֹלִיטִיקַאיpolitiqai politician
  • קוֹמִיקַאיqomiqai comedian
-ism English יזְם‎- -izm movement; discriminatory belief
  • לִיבֶּרָלִיזְםliberalizm liberalism
  • סֶקְסִיזְםseqsizm sexism
-kinesis Greek קִינֶזִיס‎- -qinezis movement, motion
  • טֶלֶקִינֶזִיסteleqinezis telekinesis
  • פְּסִיכוֹקִינֶזִיסpsikhoqinezis psychokinesis
-logy (and -ology) Ladino לוֹגְיָה‎- -logya branch of learning
  • בִּיוֹלוֹגְיָהbiyologya (hard g) biology
  • טְרִילוֹגְיָהtrilogya trilogy
-mania Greek מַנְיָה‎- -manya obsession
  • פִּירוֹמַנְיָהpiromanya (means: pyro-mania) pyromania
  • קְלֶפְּטוֹמַנְיָהqleptomanya (means: klepto-mania) kleptomania
-maniac English מָן‎- -man person with obsession
  • פִּירוֹמָןpiroman (means: pyro-maniac) pyromaniac
  • קְלֶפְּטוֹמָןqleptoman (means: klepto-maniac) kleptomaniac
-oid English וֹאִיד‎- -oid similar, but not the same
  • אַנְדְּרוֹאִידandroid android
  • הוּמָנוֹאִידhumanoid humanoid
-onym English וֹנִים‎- -onim name
  • אֶפּוֹנִיםeponim eponym
  • הֶטְרוֹנִיםhetronim heteronym
-scope English סְקוֹפּ‎- -sqop instrument for viewing
  • טֶלֶסְקוֹפּtelesqop telescope
  • מיקרוסקופmiqrosqop microscope
-esque French ֶסְקָה‎- -esqa resembling
  • בּוּרְלֶסְקָהburlesqa burlesque
  • הוּמוֹרֶסְקָהhumoresqa humoresque
  • גְּרוֹטֶסְקִיgrotesqi grotesque
-y Ladino יָה‎- -ya having the quality of
  • קוֹמֶדְיָהqomedya comedy
  • הִיסְטוֹרְיָהhistorya history
  • פִילוֹסוֹפְיָהfilosofya philosophy
-meter English מֶטֶר‎- -meter measuring device;
units of measure
  • בָּרוֹמֶטֶרbarometer barometer
  • קִילוֹמֶטֶרqilometer kilometer
-nik Yiddish/Russian נִיק‎- nik one connected with
  • מוֹשַׁבְנִיקmoshavniq moshav member/resident
  • נוּדְנִיקnudniq bothersome person

See also

References

  1. ^ Sharpe, Samuel. A Short Hebrew Grammar Without Points. Samuel Bagster & Sons, 1877. 7.

External links