Participle Passive

Summary

A passive participle is a non-finite verbal form with passive or reflexive voice that can function as a verb (or verbal complement), an adjective, or a noun. Passive participles most often function as either an attributive adjective or a predicative adjective.

Article

Participles are non-finite verbal forms that can change their form based on stem formation (like verbs) as well as person, gender, state, and definiteness (like both adjectives and nouns). Participles are very flexible in their grammatical use and can function as a verbal complement, a finite main verb, an adjective, or a noun. In most cases, the context will clearly show how the participle is being used in the sentence. The meaning of a participle is usually clear, even in cases where its specific grammatical function cannot be determined precisely.

Passive participles express verbal action in either passive voice or reflexive voice. Passive voice means that the person/thing described by the participle receives the action expressed by the participle itself. Reflexive voice means that the person/thing described by the participle both performs and receives the action expressed by the participle itself.

Form

Pe’il (passive) Participle Forms

Parsing	Aramaic	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular Absolute	כְּתִיב	kethiybh	being written
feminine singular Absolute	כְּתִיבָה	kethiybhah	being written
masculine plural Absolute	כְּתִיבִין	kethiybhiyn	being written
feminine plural Absolute	כְּתִיבָן	kethiybhan	being written

Hithpe’el (reflexive) Participle Forms

Parsing	Aramaic	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular Absolute	מִתְכְּתֵב	mithkathebh	writing himself
feminine singular Absolute	מִתְכַּתְבָה	mithkathbhah	writing herself
masculine plural Absolute	מִתְכַּתְבִין	mithkathbhiyn	writing themselves
feminine plural Absolute	מִתְכַּתְבָן	mithkathbhan	writing themselves

Pa’al (passive) Participle Forms

Parsing	Aramaic	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular Absolute	מְכַתַּב	mekhattabh	being written down
feminine singular Absolute	מְכַתְּבָה	mekhattebhah	being written down
masculine plural Absolute	מְכַתְּבִין	mekhattebhiyn	being written down
feminine plural Absolute	מְכַתְּבָן	mekhattebhan	being written down

Hithpa’al (reflexive) Participle Forms

Parsing	Aramaic	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular Absolute	מִתְכַּתַּב	mithkattabh	writing himself down
feminine singular Absolute	מִתְכַּתְּבָה	mithkattebhah	writing herself down
masculine plural Absolute	מִתְכַּתְּבִין	mithkattebhiyn	writing themselves down
feminine plural Absolute	מִתְכַּתְּבָן	mithkattebhan	writing themselves down

Hophal (passive) Participle Forms

Parsing	Aramaic	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular Absolute	מְהַכְתַּב	mehakhtabh	being caused to write
feminine singular Absolute	מְהַכְתְּבָה	mehakhtebhah	being caused to write
masculine plural Absolute	מְהַכְתְּבִין	mehakhtebhiyn	being caused to write
feminine plural Absolute	מְהַכְתְּבָן	mehakhtebhan	being caused to write

Function

A passive/reflexive participle is often used as an independent grammatical entity, although it can introduce entire clauses similar to the active participle. Passive participles are generally more limited in meaning than active participles. Passive participles are governed either by the main verb of a sentence or by the context. They can express action in past time, present time, future time, or without any specified timeframe.

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).

This is the most common use of the passive participle in Biblical Hebrew. An adjectival passive participle can function as either an attributive adjective or a predicative adjective. The context must determine whether a passive participle is functioning as a predicative adjective or as a main verb, because both appear the same in many instances.

Functions as a finite main verb

When functioning as a main verb, the participle is governed by the context and has the potential to be translated as past time, present time, future time, or even without a specified timeframe. A verbal participle can express continuous, imminent, habitual, or even stative action as determined by the context.

The context must determine whether a passive participle is functioning as a main verb or as a predicative adjective, because both appear the same in many instances.

Functions as a non-finite verbal complement

When functioning as a verbal complement, the participle is governed by the main verb of the sentence and has potential to be translated as past time, present time, or future time. A verbal participle can express continuous, imminent, habitual, or even stative action as determined by the context.

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.