There are several suffixes in Hebrew which are appended to regular words to introduce a new meaning. Suffixes are used in the Hebrew language to form plurals of nouns and adjectives, in verb conjugation of grammatical tense , and to indicate possession and direct objects . They are also used for the construct noun form. The letters which form these suffixes (excluding plurals) are called "formative letters" (Hebrew : אוֹתִיּוֹת הַשִּׁמּוּשׁ , Otiyot HaShimush ).
Gender and number [ edit ] 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
סוּסָה susa (mare)סוּסָה טוֹבָה susa tova (good mare)
ִ ים (Chirik , Yud and Mem )masculine plural
סוּסִים susim (horses )סוּסִים טוֹבִים susim tovim (good horses )
וֹת Cholam and Tav )feminine plural
סוּסוֹת susot (mares )סוּסוֹת טוֹבוֹת susot tovot (good mares )
ַ יִם (Patach , Yud with Chirik and Mem )masculine and feminine noun dual form
יָדַיִם yadayim (two hands )
Construct State [ edit ]
Suffix
Meaning
Examples
ַ ת (Patach and Tav )Changes a singular feminine noun to the construct form. of
תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה Torat Moshe (Torah of Moses)
ֵ י (Tzere and Yud )Changes a plural masculine noun to the construct form. of
סִפְרֵי קְדוּשָׁה Sifre k'dushah (Books of holiness)
Pronominal Suffixes [ edit ] Singular nouns [ edit ]
Suffix
Meaning
Examples
ִ י (Chirik and Yud )First person, singular possessive. My
סוּסִי susi (my horse)תּוֹרָתִי torati (my law)
ְ ךָ (Shva and Final Chaf with Kamatz )Second person, singular, masculine possessive. Your
סוּסְךָ suscha (your horse)תּוֹרָתְךָ toratcha (your law)
ֵ ךְ (Tzere and Final Chaf with Shva )Second person, singular, feminine possessive. Your
סוּסֵךְ susech (your horse)תּוֹרָתֵךְ toratech (your law)
וֹ Cholam male )Third person, singular, masculine possessive. His
סוּסוֹ suso (his horse)תּוֹרָתוֹ torato (his law)
ָ הּ (Kamatz and He with Mappiq )Third person, singular, feminine possessive. Her
סוּסָהּ susah (her horse)תּוֹרָתָהּ toratah (her law)
ֵ נוּ (Tzere and Nun with Shuruk )First person, plural possessive. Our
סוּסֵנוּ susenu (our horse)תּוֹרָתֵנוּ toratenu (our law)
ְ כֶם (Shva , Chaf with Segol and Final Mem )Second person, plural, masculine possessive. Your
סוּסְכֶם suschem (your horse)תּוֹרַתְכֶם toratchem (your law)
ְ כֶן (Shva , Chaf with Segol and Final Nun )Second person, plural, feminine possessive. Your
סוּסְכֶן suschen (your horse)תּוֹרַתְכֶן toratchen (your law)
ָ ם (Kamatz and Final Mem )Third person, plural, masculine possessive. Their
סוּסָם susam (their horse)תּוֹרָתָם toratam (their law)
ָ ן (Kamatz and Final Nun )Third person, plural, feminine possessive. Their
סוּסָן susan (their horse)תּוֹרָתָן toratan (their law)
Plural nouns [ edit ]
Suffix
Meaning
Examples
ַ י (Patach and Yud )First person, singular possessive. My
סוּסַי susai (my horses)תּוֹרוֹתַי torotai (my laws)
ֶ יךָ (Segol , Yud and Final Chaf with Kamatz )Second person, singular, masculine possessive. Your
סוּסֶיךָ susecha (your horses)תּוֹרוֹתֶיךָ torotecha (your laws)
ַ יִךְ (Patach , Yud with Chirik and Final Chaf with Shva )Second person, singular, feminine possessive. Your
סוּסַיִךְ susayich (your horses)תּוֹרוֹתַיִךְ torotayich (your laws)
ָ יו (Kamatz , Yud and Vav )Third person, singular, masculine possessive. His
סוּסָיו susav (his horses)תּוֹרוֹתָיו torotav (his laws)
ֶ יהָ (Segol , Yud and He with Kamatz )Third person, singular, feminine possessive. Her
סוּסֶיהָ suseha (her horses)תּוֹרוֹתֶיהָ toroteha (her laws)
ֵ ינוּ (Tzere , Yud and Nun with Shuruk )First person, plural possessive. Our
סוּסֵינוּ suseinu (our horses)תּוֹרוֹתֵינוּ toroteinu (our laws)
ֵ יכֶם (Tzere , Yud , Chaf with Segol and Final Mem )Second person, plural, masculine possessive. Your
סוּסֵיכֶם suseichem (your horses)תּוֹרוֹתֵיכֶם toroteichem (your laws)
ֵ יכֶן (Tzere , Yud , Chaf with Segol and Final Nun )Second person, plural, feminine possessive. Your
סוּסֵיכֶן suseichen (your horses)תּוֹרוֹתְכֶן torateichen (your laws)
ֵ יהֶם (Tzere , Yud , He with Segol ) and Final Mem )Third person, plural, masculine possessive. Their
סוּסֵיהֶם suseihem (their horses)תּוֹרוֹתֵיהֶם torateihem (their laws)
ֵ יהֶן (Kamatz and Final Nun )Third person, plural, feminine possessive. Their
סוּסֵיהֶן suseihen (their horses)תּוֹרוֹתֵיהֶן torateihen (their laws)
Conjugation of verbs [ edit ] Qal Perfect [ edit ]
Suffix
Meaning
Examples
ָ ה (Kamatz and He )Third person, feminine singular. She did
שָׁמְרָה shamra (she kept)
תָּ Tav with Kamatz )Second person, masculine singular. You did
שָׁמַרְתָּ shamarta (you kept)
תְּ Tav with Sh'va )Second person, feminine singular. You did
שָׁמַרְתְּ shamart (you kept)
תִּי Tav with Hiriq male)First person singular. I did
שָׁמַרְתִּי shamarti (I kept)
וּ Shuruk )Third person plural. They did
שָׁמְרוּ shamru (they kept)
תֶּם Tav with Segol and Final Mem )Second person, masculine plural. You did
שָׁמַרְתֶּם shamartem (you kept)
תֶּן Tav with Segol and Final Nun )Second person, feminine plural. You did
שָׁמַרְתֶּן shamarten (you kept)
נוּ Nun with Shuruk )First person plural. We did
שָׁמַרְנוּ shamarnu (we kept)
Imperfect [ edit ]
Suffix
Meaning
Examples
ִי (Chirik male )Second person, feminine singular. You will do
תִּשְׁמְרִי tishm'ri (you will keep)
וּ Cholam male )Third and Second person, masculine plural. They will do , You will do
יִשְׁמְרוּ yishm'ru (they will keep)תִּשְׁמְרוּ tishm'ru (you will keep)
נָה Nun with Kamatz and He )Third and Second person, feminine plural. They will do , You will do
תִּשְׁמֹרְנָה tishmorna (they will keep)תִּשְׁמֹרְנָה tishmorna (you will keep)
Imperative [ edit ]
Suffix
Meaning
Examples
ִ י (Chirik male )Feminine singular. do!
שִׁמְרִי shimri (keep!)
וּ Cholam male )Masculine plural. do!
שִׁמְרוּ shimru (keep!)
נָה Nun with Kamatz and He )Feminine plural. do!
שְׁמֹרְנָה shmorna (keep!)
Diminutive [ edit ]
Suffix
Meaning
Examples
וֹן Cholam male and Nun )Diminutive, sometimes masculine
סֵפֶר sefer (book) → סִפְרוֹן sifron (booklet)מַחְשֵׁב mahshev (computer) → מַחְשֵׁבוֹן mahshevon (calculator)מִטְבָּח mitbach (kitchen) → מִטְבָּחוֹן mitbachon (kitchenette)
ִ ית (Chirik male and Tav )Diminutive, sometimes feminine
שַׂק saq (sack) → שַׂקִית saqit (bag)כַּף kaf (spoon) → כַּפִּית kapit (teaspoon)
Loanwords [ edit ] These sufixes (Hebrew : סוֹפִית sofit ) 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
גֵּאוֹגְרַפְיָה geografya (hard g) geographyקָלִיגְרַפְיָה caligrafya calligraphy
-ic/-ical
Biblical Hebrew/ English
ִי - i
of or pertaining to
נוֹסְטַלְגִּי nostalgi nostalgicפּוֹלִיטִי politi politicalמִיתִי miti mythic(al)
-ian/-an/-ish
Biblical Hebrew/ English
ִי - i
belonging to
רוּסִי rusi Russianאוּטוֹפִּי utopi utopianגֶּרְמָנִי germani (hard g) Germanבְּרִיטִי briti Britishפּוֹלִיטִיקַאי politikai politicianקוֹמִיקַאי komikai comedian
-ar
English
ָרִי - ari
pertaining to
מוֹלֶקוּלָרִי molekulari molecularלִינֵאָרִי lineari linearקַוִּי qavi (means: line-pertaining to) linear
-ism
English
יזְם - -izm movement; discriminatory belief
לִיבֶּרָלִיזְם liberalizm liberalismסֶקְסִיזְם seksizm sexism
-kinesis
Greek
קִינֶזִיס - -kinezis movement, motion
טֶלֶקִינֶזִיס telekinezis telekinesisפְּסִיכוֹקִינֶזִיס psikhokinezis psychokinesis
-logy (and -ology)
Ladino
לוֹגְיָה - -logya branch of learning
בִּיוֹלוֹגְיָה biyologya (hard g) biologyטְרִילוֹגְיָה trilogya trilogy
-mania
Greek
מַנְיָה - -manya obsession
פִּירוֹמַנְיָה piromanya (means: pyro-mania) pyromaniaקְלֶפְּטוֹמַנְיָה kleptomanya (means: klepto-mania) kleptomania
-maniac
English
מָן - -man person with obsession
פִּירוֹמָן piroman (means: pyro-maniac) pyromaniacקְלֶפְּטוֹמָן kleptoman (means: klepto-maniac) kleptomaniac
-oid
English
וֹאִיד - -oid similar, but not the same
אַנְדְּרוֹאִיד android androidהוּמָנוֹאִיד humanoid humanoid
-onym
English
וֹנִים - -onim name
אֶפּוֹנִים eponim eponymהֶטְרוֹנִים hetronim heteronym
-scope
English
סְקוֹפּ - -skop instrument for viewing
טֶלֶסְקוֹפּ teleskop telescopeמיקרוסקופ mikroskop microscope
-esque
French
ֶסְקָה - -eska resembling
בּוּרְלֶסְקָה burleska burlesqueהוּמוֹרֶסְקָה humoreska humoresqueגְּרוֹטֶסְקִי groteski grotesque
-y
Ladino
יָה - -ya having the quality of
קוֹמֶדְיָה komedya comedyהִיסְטוֹרְיָה historya historyפִילוֹסוֹפְיָה filosofya philosophy
-meter
English
מֶטֶר - -meter measuring device;
בָּרוֹמֶטֶר barometer barometerקִילוֹמֶטֶר kilometer kilometer
-nik
Yiddish/Russian
נִיק - nik one connected with
מוֹשַׁבְנִיק moshavnik moshav member/residentנוּדְנִיק nudnik bothersome person
See also [ edit ] References [ edit ]
External links [ edit ]
