Verb Imperfect¶
Summary¶
An Imperfect verb is used generally to indicate an action that is not complete, or an action that either occurs in the present or will occur in the future. However, an Imperfect verb can also be used to describe other kinds of actions.
Article¶
In Biblical Aramaic the Imperfect conjugation is used generally to describe actions that are not completed or actions that occur in the present or future. However, the Imperfect conjugation is also used to describe several other kinds of actions as determined by the context. These include frequentive or durative actions, negative commands, indirect commands, potential actions, and actions of greater or lesser desirability (similar to Jussive verbs and Cohortative verbs).
The normal Imperfect conjugation with the conjunction waw (וְ “and”) as a prefix is different from the Sequential Imperfect, which utilizes a specialized form of the conjunction and contains a different meaning. Sometimes a verb with Imperfect conjugation occurs within a clause after another finite verb (as in Gen 49:27 below, supplying the linking verb to be). In these cases, the context must determine whether the Imperfect verb is functioning as a non-finite verb to complement the preceding main verb, or whether it is functioning as a second main verb.
Form¶
Parsing |
Aramaic |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
יִכְתֻּב |
yikhtubh |
he will write |
feminine singular third person |
תִּכְתֻּב |
tikhtubh |
she will write |
masculine singular second person |
תִּכְתֻּב |
tikhtubh |
you will write |
feminine singular second person |
תִּכְתְּבִין |
tikhtebhiyn |
you will write |
common singular first person |
אֶכְתֻּב |
‘ekhtubh |
I will write |
masculine plural third person |
יִכְתְּבוּן |
yikhtebhun |
they will write |
feminine plural third person |
יִכְתְּבָנ |
yikhtebhan |
they will write |
masculine plural second person |
תִּכְתְּבוּן |
tikhtebhun |
you will write |
feminine plural second person |
תִּכְתְּבָן |
tikhtebhan |
you will write |
common plural first person |
נִכְתֻּב |
nikhtubh |
we will write |
Parsing |
Aramaic |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
יִתְכְּתֵב (or יִתְכְּתִב) |
yithkethebh (or yithkethibh) |
he will write himself |
feminine singular third person |
תִּתְכְּתֵב |
tithkethebh |
she will write herself |
masculine singular second person |
תִּתְכְּתֵב |
tithkethebh |
you will write yourself |
feminine singular second person |
תִּתְכַּתְבִין |
tithkathbhiyn |
you will write yourself |
common singular first person |
אֶתְכְּתֵב |
‘ethkethebh |
I will write myself |
masculine plural third person |
יִתְכַּתְבוּן |
yithkathbhun |
they will write themselves |
feminine plural third person |
יִתְכַּתְבָן |
yithkathbhan |
they will write themselves |
masculine plural second person |
תִּתְכַּתְבוּן |
tithkathbhun |
you will write yourselves |
feminine plural second person |
תִּתְכַּתְבָן |
tithkathbhan |
you will write yourselves |
common plural first person |
נִתְכְּתֵב |
nithkethebh |
we will write ourselves |
Parsing |
Aramaic |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
יְכַתֵּב (or יְכַתִּב) |
yekhattebh (or yekhattibh) |
he will write down |
feminine singular third person |
תְּכַתֵּב |
tekhattebh |
she will write down |
masculine singular second person |
תְּכַתֵּב |
tekhattebh |
you will write down |
feminine singular second person |
תְּכַתְּבִין |
tekhattebhiyn |
you will write down |
common singular first person |
אֲכַתֵּב |
‘ekhattebh |
I will write down |
masculine plural third person |
יְכַתְּבוּן |
yekhattebhun |
they will write down |
feminine plural third person |
יְכַתְּבָן |
yekhattebhan |
they will write down |
masculine plural second person |
תְּכַתְּבוּן |
tekhattebhun |
you will write down |
feminine plural second person |
תְּכַתְּבָן |
thekhattebhan |
you will write down |
common plural first person |
נְכַתֵּב |
nekhattebh |
we will write down |
Parsing |
Aramaic |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
יִתְכַּתַּב |
yithkattabh |
he will write himself down |
feminine singular third person |
תִּתְכַּתַּב |
tithkattabh |
she will write herself down |
masculine singular second person |
תִּתְכַּתַּב |
tithkattabh |
you will write yourself down |
feminine singular second person |
תִּתְכַּתְּבִין |
tithkattebhiyn |
you will write yourself down |
common singular first person |
אֶתְכַּתַּב |
‘ethkattabh |
I will write myself down |
masculine plural third person |
יִתְכַּתְּבוּן |
yithkattebhun |
they will write themselves down |
feminine plural third person |
יִתְכַּתְּבָן |
yithkattebhan |
they will write themselves down |
masculine plural second person |
תִּתְכַּתְּבוּן |
tithkattebhun |
you will write themselves down |
feminine plural second person |
תִּתְכַּתְּבָן |
tithkattebhan |
you will write yourselves down |
common plural first person |
נִתְכַּתַּב |
nithkattabh |
we will write ourselves down |
Parsing |
Aramaic |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
יְהַכְתֵּב (or יְהַכְתִּב) |
yehakhtebh |
he will cause to write |
feminine singular third person |
תְּהַכְתֵּב |
tehakhtebh |
she will cause to write |
masculine singular second person |
תְּהַכְתֵּב |
tehakhtebh |
you will cause to write |
feminine singular second person |
תְּהַכְתְּבִין |
tehakhbebhiyn |
you will cause to write |
common singular first person |
אֲהַכְתֵּב |
‘ehakhtebh |
I will cause to write |
masculine plural third person |
יְהַכְתְּבוּן |
yehakhtebhun |
they will cause to write |
feminine plural third person |
יְהַכְתְּבָן |
yehakhtebhan |
they will cause to write |
masculine plural second person |
תְּהַכְתְּבוּן |
tehakhtebhun |
you will cause to write |
feminine plural second person |
תְּהַכְתְּבָן |
tehakhtebhan |
you will cause to write |
common plural first person |
נְהַכְתֵּב |
nehakhtebh |
we will cause to write |
Function¶
The Imperfect conjugation can indicate any of the following kinds of actions:
Actions in future time¶
Actions in present time¶
Frequentive or durative actions¶
These may be in past time, present time, future time, or without a specified time frame.
Direct negative commands (with לֹא to express an emphatic prohibition)¶
Potential actions¶
Actions of greater or lesser desirability¶
These may include instructions, requests, permissions, invitations, assurances, wishes, etc.