# Qal Participle Paradigms — Active and Passive

BBH Chapter 22 · Reference file

## Active Participle — Strong Roots

The active participle inflects for gender and number like an adjective. It does not inflect for person.

| Masculine | Feminine
--- | --- | ---
Singular absolute | שֹׁמֵ֖ר | שֹׁמֶ֫רֶת
Singular construct | שֹׁמֵ֖ר | שֹׁמֶ֫רֶת
Plural absolute | שֹׁמְרִ֖ים | שֹׁמְרוֹת
Plural construct | שֹׁמְרֵ֖י | שֹׁמְרוֹת

> Key marker: Active participle = holem-waw on R1 + tsere on R2. The ms absolute is the citation form. The fs absolute adds ת with a seghol pattern. The plural reduces R2 to shewa.

### Strong B-class (Guttural R3)

| Masculine | Feminine
--- | --- | ---
Singular absolute | שֹׁמֵ֣עַ | שֹׁמַ֫עַת
Plural absolute | שֹׁמְעִ֖ים | שֹׁמְעוֹת

> Patach furtive before guttural R3 (ע, ח, ה) in the singular; vowel shift in plural.

### I-gutt (R1 = ח, ה, ע, א)

Root | ms | fs | mp
--- | --- | --- | ---
עמד (stand) | עֹמֵ֖ד | עֹמֶ֫דֶת | עֹמְדִ֖ים
עבר (cross) | עֹבֵ֖ר | עֹבֶ֫רֶת | עֹבְרִ֖ים
חיה (live) | חָ֖י | חַיָּ֖ה | חַיִּ֖ים

## Active Participle — Weak Roots

### III-ה Roots

The final ה is retained and the tsere is replaced by seghol:

Root | ms | fs | mp | fp
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
עשה (do) | עֹשֶׂ֖ה | עֹשָׂ֫ה | עֹשִׂ֖ים | עֹשׂוֹת
ראה (see) | רֹאֶ֖ה | רֹאָ֫ה | רֹאִ֖ים | רֹאוֹת
רעה (shepherd) | רֹעֶ֛ה | רֹעָ֫ה | רֹעִ֛ים | רֹעוֹת
היה (be) | הֹוֶ֖ה | — | — | —

> Key marker: III-ה active ptc. ms = holem-waw + seghol + ה. Compare IC (רְאוֹת = וֹת) and IA (רָאֹ֣ה = qamets + holem + ה retained).

### Biconsonantal Roots

Root | ms | fs | mp | Notes
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
בוא (come) | בָ֖א | בָּאָ֫ה | בָּאִ֖ים | Qamets + quiescent aleph
שוב (return) | שָׁ֖ב | שָׁבָ֫ה | שָׁבִ֖ים | Qamets + bet
קום (arise) | קָ֖ם | קָמָ֫ה | קָמִ֖ים | Qamets + mem
מות (die) | מֵ֖ת | מֵתָ֫ה | מֵתִ֖ים | Tsere + taw
שים (put) | שָׂ֖ם | שָׂמָ֫ה | שָׂמִ֖ים | Qamets + mem

> Key marker: Biconsonantal active ptc. ms is very short (2 letters visible). Distinguish from biconsonantal IC (same form + preposition) and IA (same form, no preposition). The context (with noun agreement, definite article, predicate use) confirms ptc.

### I-י Roots

Root | ms | fs | mp | Notes
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
ישב (sit) | יוֹשֵׁ֖ב | יוֹשֶׁ֫בֶת | יוֹשְׁבִ֖ים | Yod + holem-waw + tsere; yod visible
ילד (give birth) | יוֹלֵ֖ד | יוֹלֶ֫דֶת | יוֹלְדִ֖ים |
ידע (know) | יוֹדֵ֖עַ | יוֹדַ֫עַת | יוֹדְעִ֖ים | Gutt. R3 patach
יצא (go out) | יֹצֵ֖א | יֹצֵ֫את | יֹצְאִ֖ים |
הלך (go) | הוֹלֵ֣ךְ | הוֹלֶ֫כֶת | הוֹלְכִ֖ים | ה + holem-waw; I-י shape

> Key marker: I-י active ptc. retains the yod (יוֹשֵׁ֖ב, יוֹלֵ֖ד). This contrasts sharply with the contracted I-י IC forms.

### I-נ Roots

Nun is retained in the active participle (no assimilation):

Root | ms | Notes
--- | --- | ---
נתן (give) | נֹתֵ֥ן | Holem-waw + tsere; most common active ptc. in Torah (53×)
נשא (lift) | נֹשֵׂ֥א | III-א; holem-waw + tsere
נפל (fall) | נֹפֵ֥ל |
נסע (set out) | נֹסֵ֣עַ | Gutt. R3 patach

### I-aleph Roots

Root | ms | Notes
--- | --- | ---
אמר (say) | אֹמֵ֣ר | Holem-waw on aleph + tsere
אכל (eat) | אֹכֵ֣ל |
אהב (love) | אֹהֵ֣ב |

## Passive Participle

The passive participle follows the qatûl pattern (qamets + shureq) for strong roots. It is much rarer than the active participle.

### Strong Roots — Full Inflection (שמר)

| Masculine | Feminine
--- | --- | ---
Singular absolute | שָׁמ֥וּר | שְׁמוּרָ֥ה
Singular construct | שְׁמוּר | שְׁמוּרַת
Plural absolute | שְׁמוּרִ֥ים | שְׁמוּרוֹת
Plural construct | שְׁמוּרֵ֥י | שְׁמוּרוֹת

> Key marker: ms absolute = qamets + shureq. All other forms: shewa R1 + shureq. The qamets disappears in non-ms-absolute forms (qamets is pretonic lengthening; it shortens to shewa when the stress shifts).

### Common Lexicalized Passive Participles

Root | ms | fs | mp | Gloss
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
ברך (bless) | בָּר֥וּךְ | בְּרוּכָ֥ה | בְּרוּכִ֥ים | "blessed"
ארר (curse) | אָר֕וּר | אֲרוּרָ֕ה | אֲרוּרִ֕ים | "cursed"
כתב (write) | כָּת֥וּב | כְּתוּבָ֥ה | כְּתוּבִ֥ים | "written"
נתן (give) | נָת֥וּן | נְתוּנָ֥ה | נְתוּנִ֥ים | "given"
בלל (mix) | בָּל֥וּל | בְּלוּלָ֥ה | בְּלוּלִ֥ים | "mixed"
משח (anoint) | מָשׁ֥וּחַ | מְשׁוּחָ֥ה | מְשׁוּחִ֥ים | "anointed"
נטה (stretch) | נָט֥וּי | נְטוּיָ֖ה | נְטוּיִ֥ים | "outstretched"

### Passive Participle — Weak Roots

Root | ms | Notes
--- | --- | ---
ראה (see) | רָא֥וּי | "seen / worthy"; III-ה + qatûl
עשה (do) | עָשׂ֥וּי | "done / made"; III-ה
בנה (build) | בָּנ֥וּי | "built"; III-ה
ידע (know) | יָד֥וּעַ | "known"; I-י; gutt. patach
גלה (uncover) | גָּל֥וּי | "uncovered / revealed"; III-ה

## Full Inflection Table

Form | Active ms | Active fs | Active mp | Active fp
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
שמר | שֹׁמֵ֖ר | שֹׁמֶ֫רֶת | שֹׁמְרִ֖ים | שֹׁמְרוֹת
שמע | שֹׁמֵ֣עַ | שֹׁמַ֫עַת | שֹׁמְעִ֖ים | שֹׁמְעוֹת
עשה | עֹשֶׂ֖ה | עֹשָׂ֫ה | עֹשִׂ֖ים | עֹשׂוֹת
ישב | יוֹשֵׁ֖ב | יוֹשֶׁ֫בֶת | יוֹשְׁבִ֖ים | יוֹשְׁבוֹת
בוא | בָ֖א | בָּאָ֫ה | בָּאִ֖ים | בָּאוֹת
נתן | נֹתֵ֥ן | נֹתֶ֫נֶת | נֹתְנִ֥ים | נֹתְנוֹת

Form | Passive ms | Passive fs | Passive mp | Passive fp
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
שמר | שָׁמ֥וּר | שְׁמוּרָ֥ה | שְׁמוּרִ֥ים | שְׁמוּרוֹת
ברך | בָּר֥וּךְ | בְּרוּכָ֥ה | בְּרוּכִ֥ים | בְּרוּכוֹת
כתב | כָּת֥וּב | כְּתוּבָ֥ה | כְּתוּבִ֥ים | כְּתוּבוֹת

## Summary: Active vs. Passive Diagnostic

Feature | Active Participle | Passive Participle
--- | --- | ---
R1 vowel (ms abs.) | Holem-waw (שֹׁ–) | Qamets (שָׁ–)
R2 vowel (ms abs.) | Tsere (–מֵ–) | Shureq (–מוּ–)
Pattern name | — | Qatûl (קָטוּל)
Other forms | Shewa R2 in plural | Shewa R1 in all except ms abs.
III-ה ms | Holem-waw + seghol + ה | Holem-waw + tsere + יָה (fs)
Biconsonantal ms | Qamets + final cons. | Full shureq (same as IC/IA — context needed)