# Qal Infinitive Construct Paradigms

BBH Chapter 20 · Reference file

## Qal Infinitive Construct — Strong Roots

The IC does not inflect for person, number, or gender. It has one form (plus variants with preposition/suffix).

Root | Bare IC | + לְ prefix | + בְּ prefix | + כְּ prefix
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
שמר (guard) | שְׁמֹר | לִ/שְׁמֹר | בִּ/שְׁמֹר | כִּ/שְׁמֹר
כתב (write) | כְּתֹב | לִ/כְתֹב | בִּ/כְתֹב | כִּ/כְתֹב
זכר (remember) | זְכֹר | לִ/זְכֹר | בִּ/זְכֹר | כִּ/זְכֹר

> Key marker: Strong IC = shewa under R1 + holem on R2. Identical to Imperative 2ms. Preposition לְ takes hireq (לִ–) before the IC. Context distinguishes IC from Imperative.

## With לְ Prefix

The preposition לְ (purpose, complementary, epexegetical) takes hireq before the IC:

Root class | Root | + לְ | Transliteration
--- | --- | --- | ---
Strong A | שמר | לִ/שְׁמֹר | li-shmor
Strong B (gutt. R3) | שמע | לִ/שְׁמֹ֣עַ | li-shmo'a
Strong B (gutt. R3) | זבח | לִ/זְבֹּ֣חַ | li-zbokh
III-ה | ראה | לִ/רְאוֹת | li-r'ot
III-ה + I-gutt. | עשה | לַ/עֲשׂוֹת | la-'asot
Biconsonantal | בוא | לָ/בֹא | la-vo
Biconsonantal | שוב | לָ/שׁוּב | la-shuv
I-י | הלך | לֶ/כֶת | le-khet
I-י | ישב | לָ/שֶׁ/בֶת | la-shevet
I-נ | נתן | לָ/תֵת | la-tet
I-aleph | אמר | לֵ/אמֹר | le-'emor
I-aleph | אכל | לֶ/אֱכֹל | le-'ekhol

## Qal Infinitive Construct — III-ה Roots

The final ה is replaced by וֹת (holem-waw + taw):

Root | Bare IC | + לְ | Notes
--- | --- | --- | ---
ראה (see) | רְאוֹת | לִ/רְאוֹת | Tsere often appears: לִרְאֹת
עשה (do) | עֲשׂוֹת | לַ/עֲשׂוֹת | I-gutt. chateph under ע
היה (be) | הֱיוֹת | לִ/הְיוֹת | Hateph-seghol under ה
הלך (go) | — | לֶ/כֶת | I-י replaces III-ה entirely; special form
שתה (drink) | שְׁתוֹת | לִ/שְׁתּוֹת |
בנה (build) | בְּנוֹת | לִ/בְנוֹת |
ידה (praise) | הוֹדוֹת | לְ/הוֹדוֹת | Hiphil of ידה (more common)

> Key marker: וֹת ending (holem-waw + taw) is the diagnostic for III-ה IC. It looks like a plural noun ending — do not confuse! The context (verbal behavior, following an object or subject) confirms IC.

## Qal Infinitive Construct — Biconsonantal

Full long vowel is preserved in all biconsonantal IC forms:

Root | Bare IC | + לְ | Notes
--- | --- | --- | ---
בוא (come) | בֹּא | לָ/בֹא | Holem-waw; aleph quiesces
שוב (return) | שׁוּב | לָ/שׁוּב | Full shureq
קום (arise) | קוּם | לָ/קוּם | Full shureq
מות (die) | מוּת | לָ/מוּת | Full shureq
שים (put) | שִׂים | לָ/שִׂים | Full hireq-yod
ריב (contend) | רִיב | לָ/רִיב | Full hireq-yod

> Key marker: Biconsonantal IC retains the full long vowel of the root. The lamed prefix takes qamets (לָ–) before most biconsonantals.

## Qal Infinitive Construct — I-י

I-י roots show contracted forms in the IC, often with a seghol-taw ending:

Root | Bare IC | + לְ | Notes
--- | --- | --- | ---
הלך (go) | לֶ/כֶת | לֶ/כֶת | No separate bare form common; the ל is fused
ישב (sit/dwell) | שֶׁ/בֶת | לָ/שֶׁ/בֶת | Seghol + bet + taw
ידע (know) | דַּ/עַת | לָ/דַ/עַת | Patach + ayin + taw
יצא (go out) | צֵאת | לָ/צֵאת | Tsere + aleph + taw
ירד (go down) | רֶ/דֶת | לָ/רֶ/דֶת | Seghol + dalet + taw
ירש (inherit) | רֶ/שֶׁת | לָ/רֶ/שֶׁת |
ילד (give birth) | לֶ/דֶת | לָ/לֶ/דֶת |

> Key marker: I-י IC forms often end in ת (taw), giving them a distinctive noun-like appearance. לֶ/כֶת is the most common; the original yod/ה is absent.

## Qal Infinitive Construct — I-נ

Nun assimilates in some roots; others are regular:

Root | Bare IC | + לְ | Notes
--- | --- | --- | ---
נתן (give) | תֵּת | לָ/תֵת | Both nuns drop; very short
נסע (set out) | נְסֹ֣עַ | לִ/נְסֹ֣עַ | Nun retained (not assimilated in IC)
נגש (approach) | גֶּשֶׁת | לָ/גֶּשֶׁת | Nun drops; seghol-taw
נשא (lift) | שְׂאֵת | לָ/שְׂאֵת | Nun drops; tsere-taw
נפל (fall) | נְפֹל | לִ/נְפֹל | Nun retained
נגד (tell) | הַ/גִּיד | לְ/הַ/גִּיד | Hiphil more common for this root

> Key marker: תֵּת (נתן = "to give") is one of the most striking IC forms — only two consonants visible. The I-נ root drops or assimilates the nun. Contrast with I-נ roots where nun is retained (נְסֹ֣עַ).

## Qal Infinitive Construct — I-aleph

Root | Bare IC | + לְ | Notes
--- | --- | --- | ---
אמר (say) | אֱמֹר | לֵ/אמֹר | Hateph-seghol; quotative formula
אכל (eat) | אֱכֹל | לֶ/אֱכֹל | Hateph-seghol under aleph
אהב (love) | אֱהֹב | לֶ/אֱהֹב |
אסף (gather) | אֱסֹף | לֶ/אֱסֹף |

> Key marker: I-aleph IC has hateph-seghol under the aleph (composite shewa). The quotative לֵאמֹר (from אמר) is the most frequent IC form in the entire Hebrew Bible.

## Summary Table

Root Class | IC Form | With לְ | Diagnostic
--- | --- | --- | ---
Strong A | שְׁמֹר | לִ/שְׁמֹר | Shewa + holem; identical to Imper. 2ms
Strong B (gutt.) | שְׁמֹ֣עַ | לִ/שְׁמֹ֣עַ | Patach at R3 (guttural)
III-ה | רְאוֹת | לִ/רְאוֹת | וֹת ending (holem-waw + taw)
Biconsonantal | בֹּא / שׁוּב | לָ/בֹא / לָ/שׁוּב | Full long vowel; לָ + IC
I-י | לֶ/כֶת / שֶׁ/בֶת | — / לָ/שֶׁ/בֶת | Seghol-taw or tsere-taw ending
I-נ | תֵּת / נְסֹ֣עַ | לָ/תֵת / לִ/נְסֹ֣עַ | Nun drops in some (תֵּת very short)
I-aleph | אֱמֹר | לֵ/אמֹר | Hateph-seghol under aleph; lamed takes tsere