Chapter 28 — Stem-ID Drill (Strong Roots)

BBH Chapter 28 · Hophal Strong Verbs

By Chapter 28 you have learned all four major stems: Qal, Niphal, Hiphil, and Hophal. This drill mixes 24 forms of strong roots (6 per stem), interleaved. For each item: (1) identify the stem, (2) parse the conjugation and PGN, (3) translate. Click ▶ Answer to reveal the answer row.

Key identifiers: Qal — base root vowels, no special prefix. Niphal — נִ prefix (Perfect); dagesh-forte in Imperfect/Wayyiqtol; הִ + dagesh in Imperative/Inf. Abs. Hiphil — הִ prefix (Perfect); a-class prefix vowel + chiriq in 2nd position (Imperfect); הַ in Imperative/Inf. Abs. Hophal — הָ prefix (o-class qamets-hatuf) in Perfect; o-class (יָ) in Imperfect prefix; הָ in Inf. Construct/Participle.
Note: Items 16 and 20 share the identical spelling הַשְׁמֵר. In strong roots the Hiphil Imperative 2ms and Hiphil Infinitive Absolute are identical in form. Context is required to disambiguate. The Hophal has no Imperative; item 18 uses the Hophal Infinitive Construct in its place.
# Hebrew Form Stem Conjugation PGN Root Translation
1 קָטַל
Qal · Perfect · 3ms · קטל — he killed
2 הִקְטִיל
Hiphil · Perfect · 3ms · קטל — he caused to kill · Hiphil marker: הִ prefix + chiriq in 2nd position (קְטִיל)
3 נִקְטַל
Niphal · Perfect · 3ms · קטל — he was killed · Niphal marker: נִ prefix in Perfect
4 הָקְטַל
Hophal · Perfect · 3ms · קטל — he was caused to be killed · Hophal marker: הָ prefix with qamets-hatuf (o-class vowel) in Perfect
5 שָׁמַר
Qal · Perfect · 3ms · שׁמר — he kept / he guarded · Qal: base qamets-patach vowels, no prefix
6 נִשְׁמַר
Niphal · Perfect · 3ms · שׁמר — he was kept / he was guarded · Niphal marker: נִ prefix in Perfect
7 יִשְׁמֹר
Qal · Imperfect · 3ms · שׁמר — he will keep / he keeps · Qal Imperfect: hiriq under יִ prefix, holem in 2nd-3rd root syllable
8 יַשְׁמִיר
Hiphil · Imperfect · 3ms · שׁמר — he will cause to keep · Hiphil Imperfect: patach under יַ prefix + chiriq-yod in 2nd root position
9 יִשָּׁמֵר
Niphal · Imperfect · 3ms · שׁמר — he will be kept / he guards himself · Niphal Imperfect: dagesh-forte in שּׁ (נ assimilated) + tsere in 3rd root position
10 יָשְׁמַר
Hophal · Imperfect · 3ms · שׁמר — he will be made to keep / he will be guarded · Hophal Imperfect: qamets (o-class) under יָ prefix + patach in 3rd position
11 וַיִּשְׁמֹר
Qal · Wayyiqtol · 3ms · שׁמר — and he kept / and he guarded · Wayyiqtol = וַ + doubled prefix consonant + Imperfect form; holem in stem = Qal
12 וַיַּשְׁמֵר
Hiphil · Wayyiqtol · 3ms · שׁמר — and he caused to keep · Hiphil Wayyiqtol: patach under וַיַּ + tsere in stem
13 וַיִּשָּׁמֵר
Niphal · Wayyiqtol · 3ms · שׁמר — and he was kept / and he kept himself · Niphal Wayyiqtol: hiriq under prefix + dagesh-forte in שּׁ (assimilated נ) + tsere
14 וַיָּשְׁמַר
Hophal · Wayyiqtol · 3ms · שׁמר — and he was made to keep / and he was guarded · Hophal Wayyiqtol: qamets (o-class) under וַיָּ prefix
15 שְׁמֹר
Qal · Imperative · 2ms · שׁמר — Keep! / Guard! · Qal Imperative 2ms: shewa under 1st root consonant + holem
16 הַשְׁמֵר
Hiphil · Imperative · 2ms · שׁמר — Cause to keep! · Hiphil Imperative 2ms: הַ prefix + tsere in stem. Same spelling as #20 (Hiphil Inf. Abs.); context disambiguates.
17 הִשָּׁמֵר
Niphal · Imperative · 2ms · שׁמר — Guard yourself! / Be on guard! · Niphal Imperative 2ms: הִ prefix + dagesh-forte (assimilated נ) + tsere
18 הָשְׁמֵר
Hophal · Infinitive Construct · — · שׁמר — to be made to keep / to be guarded · Hophal has no Imperative; Inf. Construct used instead. Hophal Inf. Const.: הָ prefix (qamets-hatuf) + tsere in stem. Contrast with Hiphil הַשְׁמֵר (#16, #20) where הַ has patach.
19 שָׁמוֹר
Qal · Infinitive Absolute · — · שׁמר — keeping / indeed keeping · Qal Inf. Abs.: qamets under 1st consonant + holem-waw
20 הַשְׁמֵר
Hiphil · Infinitive Absolute · — · שׁמר — causing to keep · Hiphil Inf. Abs.: הַ prefix (patach) + tsere in stem. Identical to #16 (Hiphil Imp. 2ms) — context required to distinguish.
21 הִשָּׁמֵר
Niphal · Infinitive Absolute · — · שׁמר — being kept / indeed guarding oneself · Niphal Inf. Abs.: הִ prefix + dagesh-forte + tsere. Same form as Niphal Imperative 2ms (#17).
22 שֹׁמֵר
Qal · Participle · ms · שׁמר — one who keeps / guardian · Qal Participle ms: holem under 1st consonant + tsere
23 מַשְׁמִיר
Hiphil · Participle · ms · שׁמר — one who causes to keep · Hiphil Participle: מַ prefix + chiriq-yod in stem
24 הָשְׁמָר
Hophal · Participle · ms · שׁמר — one who is being kept / one who is guarded · Hophal Participle: הָ prefix (qamets-hatuf) + qamets in stem. Compare Hophal Inf. Const. (#18) הָשְׁמֵר (tsere) vs. Participle הָשְׁמָר (qamets).