# Ch16 Weak Form ID Drill — Qal Imperfect Weak Verbs

BBH Chapter 16 · 50 forms

Instructions: For each form, identify: (a) Weak Class, (b) Person, (c) Number, (d) Gender, (e) Root.
Part A: forms are grouped by class with a diagnostic hint. Part B: mixed — identify the class first.

## Part A — By Weak Class

### Group 1: III-ה (Lamed-He)

Diagnostic: long form ends in -ֶה (seghol + he); short Jussive drops the ה.

# | Form | Weak Class | Pers. | Num. | Gen. | Root |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
1 | יִבְנֶה |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יִבְנֶה | III-ה | 3 | s | m | בָּנָה | Seghol-he ending; long form
2 | תַּעֲשֶׂה |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | תַּעֲשֶׂה | III-ה | 3/2 | s | f/m | עָשָׂה | I-gutt. (ע) also; chateph prefix
3 | יִהְיֶה |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יִהְיֶה | III-ה | 3 | s | m | הָיָה | Most common III-ה Imperfect
4 | תִּרְאֶה |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | תִּרְאֶה | III-ה | 3/2 | s | f/m | רָאָה | III-ה + I-gutt. (ר light); seghol-he
5 | יִבֶּן |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יִבֶּן | III-ה | 3 | s | m | בָּנָה | Short Jussive — ה dropped, vowel shortens to seghol

### Group 2: III-א (Lamed-Aleph)

Diagnostic: form ends in silent א; preceding vowel is often qamets.

# | Form | Weak Class | Pers. | Num. | Gen. | Root |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
6 | יִמְצָא |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יִמְצָא | III-א | 3 | s | m | מָצָא | Silent aleph; preceding qamets
7 | תִּקְרָא |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | תִּקְרָא | III-א | 3/2 | s | f/m | קָרָא | Silent aleph; qamets before א
8 | אֶמְצָא |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | אֶמְצָא | III-א | 1 | s | c | מָצָא | 1cs prefix (aleph) + silent final aleph
9 | יִמְצְאוּ |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יִמְצְאוּ | III-א | 3 | p | m | מָצָא | 3mp -וּ suffix; aleph visible
10 | נִקְרָא |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | נִקְרָא | III-א | 1 | p | c | קָרָא | 1cp nun prefix; qamets-aleph ending

### Group 3: III-ח/ע (Lamed-Guttural)

Diagnostic: long 3ms/3fs ends in patach furtive before ח or ע; short/wayyiqtol: closed syllable, no furtive.

# | Form | Weak Class | Pers. | Num. | Gen. | Root |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
11 | יִשְׁלַחַ |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יִשְׁלַחַ | III-ח | 3 | s | m | שָׁלַח | Patach furtive before ח; long form
12 | תִּשְׁמַעַ |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | תִּשְׁמַעַ | III-ע | 3/2 | s | f/m | שָׁמַע | Patach furtive before ע; long form
13 | וַיִּשְׁמַע |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | וַיִּשְׁמַע | III-ע | 3 | s | m | שָׁמַע | Wayyiqtol short form; no furtive; syllable closed
14 | יִשְׁלְחוּ |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יִשְׁלְחוּ | III-ח | 3 | p | m | שָׁלַח | 3mp; no furtive before suffix
15 | אֶשְׁמַע |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | אֶשְׁמַע | III-ע | 1 | s | c | שָׁמַע | 1cs; B-class patach; guttural at R3 closes syllable

### Group 4: I-Guttural (Pe-Guttural)

Diagnostic: patach under prefix consonant (not hireq); chateph-patach under R1 guttural.

# | Form | Weak Class | Pers. | Num. | Gen. | Root |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
16 | יַעֲמֹד |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יַעֲמֹד | I-gutt. | 3 | s | m | עָמַד | Patach prefix; chateph-patach under ע
17 | תַּחֲלֹם |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | תַּחֲלֹם | I-gutt. | 3/2 | s | f/m | חָלַם | Patach prefix; chateph under ח
18 | יֹאמַר |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יֹאמַר | I-gutt. (א) | 3 | s | m | אָמַר | Holem prefix (special for aleph); must memorize
19 | תַּעַמְדוּ |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | תַּעַמְדוּ | I-gutt. | 2 | p | m | עָמַד | Patach prefix; chateph resolves before suffix
20 | נַעֲמֹד |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | נַעֲמֹד | I-gutt. | 1 | p | c | עָמַד | 1cp nun prefix + patach/chateph pattern

### Group 5: I-נ (Pe-Nun)

Diagnostic: unexpected dagesh forte in R2 (nun assimilated); tsere or holem in root.

# | Form | Weak Class | Pers. | Num. | Gen. | Root |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
21 | יִתֵּן |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יִתֵּן | I-נ | 3 | s | m | נָתַן | Nun assimilated → dagesh forte in ת; tsere
22 | תִּתֵּן |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | תִּתֵּן | I-נ | 3/2 | s | f/m | נָתַן | Same assimilation pattern
23 | וַיִּתֵּן |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | וַיִּתֵּן | I-נ | 3 | s | m | נָתַן | Wayyiqtol; dagesh in ת still present
24 | יִפֹּל |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יִפֹּל | I-נ | 3 | s | m | נָפַל | Nun assimilation → dagesh in פ; holem
25 | תִּתְּנוּ |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | תִּתְּנוּ | I-נ | 2 | p | m | נָתַן | Dagesh in ת; reduced vowel before plural suffix

### Group 6: I-י (Pe-Yod)

Diagnostic: tsere under the prefix consonant instead of hireq; R1 yod absent from the form.

# | Form | Weak Class | Pers. | Num. | Gen. | Root |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
26 | יֵדַע |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יֵדַע | I-י | 3 | s | m | יָדַע | Tsere prefix (not hireq); yod R1 absent
27 | תֵּשֵׁב |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | תֵּשֵׁב | I-י | 3/2 | s | f/m | יָשַׁב | Tsere prefix; tsere under R2 (seghol class)
28 | וַיֵּלֶד |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | וַיֵּלֶד | I-י | 3 | s | m | יָלַד | Wayyiqtol; tsere prefix + waw-consecutive
29 | יֵצֵא |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יֵצֵא | I-י | 3 | s | m | יָצָא | Tsere prefix; III-א also in play (aleph at R3)
30 | אֵלֵד |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | אֵלֵד | I-י | 1 | s | c | יָלַד | 1cs; aleph prefix takes tsere (not seghol)

### Group 7: Biconsonantal (II-י/ו)

Diagnostic: qamets under prefix consonant; no R2 consonant visible; ו or י as middle element.

# | Form | Weak Class | Pers. | Num. | Gen. | Root |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
31 | יָקוּם |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יָקוּם | Biconsonantal | 3 | s | m | קוּם | Qamets under prefix; shureq as middle vowel
32 | תָּבוֹא |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | תָּבוֹא | Biconsonantal | 3/2 | s | f/m | בּוֹא | Qamets prefix; holem-vav as middle vowel
33 | וַיָּבֹא |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | וַיָּבֹא | Biconsonantal | 3 | s | m | בּוֹא | Wayyiqtol; qamets under prefix
34 | יָמוּת |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יָמוּת | Biconsonantal | 3 | s | m | מוּת | Qamets prefix; shureq middle; stative sense
35 | וַיָּקׇם |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | וַיָּקׇם | Biconsonantal | 3 | s | m | קוּם | Wayyiqtol; short form — qamets hatuf in root syllable

### Group 8: Geminate (Ayin-Doubled)

Diagnostic: dagesh forte in R2 (= R3); or short contracted form with qamets prefix. Root knowledge needed to distinguish from Biconsonantal.

# | Form | Weak Class | Pers. | Num. | Gen. | Root |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
36 | יָסֹב |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יָסֹב | Geminate | 3 | s | m | סָבַב | Qamets prefix; holem; R2=R3 (dagesh absorbed)
37 | יִסֹּב |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יִסֹּב | Geminate | 3 | s | m | סָבַב | Hireq prefix + holem + dagesh forte in ב (R2=R3)
38 | וַיָּסׇּב |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | וַיָּסׇּב | Geminate | 3 | s | m | סָבַב | Wayyiqtol; qamets prefix + dagesh forte in root
39 | תָּסֹב |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | תָּסֹב | Geminate | 3/2 | s | f/m | סָבַב | Qamets prefix; holem; same as יָסֹב pattern
40 | יִסֹּבּוּ |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יִסֹּבּוּ | Geminate | 3 | p | m | סָבַב | 3mp; dagesh forte in ב; -וּ suffix

## Part B — Mixed Forms

Identify the weak class first, then parse the form completely.

# | Form | Weak Class | Pers. | Num. | Gen. | Root |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
41 | וַיָּקׇם |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | וַיָּקׇם | Biconsonantal | 3 | s | m | קוּם | Gen 22:3 — Abraham arising
42 | יִבְנֶה |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יִבְנֶה | III-ה | 3 | s | m | בָּנָה | Long Imperfect; seghol-he ending
43 | יִתֵּן |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יִתֵּן | I-נ | 3 | s | m | נָתַן | Dagesh in ת from assimilated nun
44 | יַעֲשֶׂה |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יַעֲשֶׂה | III-ה + I-gutt. | 3 | s | m | עָשָׂה | III-ה + I-gutt. ע (chateph prefix)
45 | תֵּדַע |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | תֵּדַע | I-י | 3/2 | s | f/m | יָדַע | Tsere prefix; I-י diagnostic
46 | וַיִּשְׁמַע |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | וַיִּשְׁמַע | III-ע | 3 | s | m | שָׁמַע | III-guttural wayyiqtol (no furtive)
47 | יִמְצָא |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יִמְצָא | III-א | 3 | s | m | מָצָא | Silent aleph; qamets
48 | וַיָּבֹאוּ |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | וַיָּבֹאוּ | Biconsonantal | 3 | p | m | בּוֹא | Wayyiqtol 3mp; qamets + -וּ
49 | תִּתֵּן |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | תִּתֵּן | I-נ | 3/2 | s | f/m | נָתַן | Dagesh in ת; same assimilation pattern
50 | יֵצֵא |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | יֵצֵא | I-י | 3 | s | m | יָצָא | Tsere prefix; I-י (+ III-א at R3)

Discussion Questions

1. Biconsonantal vs. Geminate: Both classes can show qamets under the prefix consonant (יָסֹב / יָקוּם). What distinguishes them? What additional information do you need to tell them apart?
2. I-נ in Perfect vs. Imperfect: Why is I-נ essentially invisible in the Perfect (Ch14) but produces a dramatic change in the Imperfect? What is happening phonologically?
3. The III-ה Jussive: How does a III-ה Jussive form (e.g. יִבֶּן) differ from the long Imperfect (יִבְנֶה)? What changes, and why does this matter for reading narrative?
4. I-י prefix pattern: Why does I-י show tsere under the prefix consonant instead of hireq? Trace what happens to the yod at R1 when the imperfect prefix is added.
5. Wayyiqtol identification: What morphological feature is shared by all wayyiqtol forms across all weak classes? How does recognizing this feature help you identify a wayyiqtol even in an unfamiliar weak root?