Participle Active

Summary

An active participle is a non-finite verbal form with active voice that can function as a verb (either a main verb or a verbal complement), an adjective, or a noun. When used verbally, an active participle most often expresses continuous or imminent action.

Article

Form

Pa’el Active Participle Paradigm

Parsing	Aramaic	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular absolute	מְכַתֵּב	mekhattebh	writing down
feminine singular absolute	מְכַתְּבָה	mekhattebhah	writing down
masculine plural absolute	מְכַתְּבִין	mekhattebhiyn	writing down
feminine plural absolute	מְכַתְּבָן	mekhattebhan	writing down

Haphel Active Participle Paradigm

Parsing	Aramaic	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular absolute	מְהַכְתֵּב	mehakhtebh	causing to write
feminine singular absolute	מְהַכְתְּבָה	mehakhtebhah	causing to write
masculine plural absolute	מְהַכְתְּבִין	mehakhtebhiyn	causing to write
feminine plural absolute	מְהַכְתְּבָן	mehakhtebhan	causing to write

Function

It is helpful to classify participles according to their function in the sentence as a whole: as a verb (or verbal complement); as an adjective; or as a noun. Participles can function independently as their own grammatical entity, but they often introduce entire clauses that function either as adjectives or nouns.

Functions as an adjective

An adjectival participle immediately follows the noun it describes, and matches that noun in gender, number, and definiteness. An adjectival participle can either function as an adjective by itself or introduce an entire clause that functions as an adjective (either attributive or predicative).

Functions as a noun

A nominal participle often takes the definite article (but not always), and can either function as a noun by itself or introduce an entire clause that functions as a noun. A nominal participle will appear in the construct state either when it takes a pronominal suffix or when it is in a construct relationship with another noun in the absolute state.