Verb Perfect

Summary

A Perfect verb usually expresses a completed action in the past. However, the Perfect conjugation can also be used to describe other kinds of actions.

Article

In Biblical Aramaic a Perfect verb is normally used to describe actions that have occurred in the past or actions that are seen as completed (even in present or future time). However, the Perfect conjugation is also used to describe a variety of other kinds of actions. Thus, a Perfect verb has the potential to be translated with the past tense, the present tense, or even the future tense. The context must determine the proper meaning for each instance of a Perfect verb.

When the conjunction waw (וְ “and”) is added to the Perfect conjugation as a prefix, this can indicate either the Perfect copulative or the Sequential Perfect. The meaning of the verb is different in either case, and the context must be carefully considered to determine if it is a Perfect copulative verb or a Sequential Perfect verb.

Form

Pe’al Perfect Paradigm

Parsing	Aramaic	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular third person	כְּתַב	ketabh	he wrote
feminine singular third person	כִּתְבַת	kithbhath	she wrote
masculine singular second person	כְּתַבְתְּ (or כְּתַבְתָּ)	kithabhte (or kethabhta)	you wrote
feminine singular second person	כְּתַבְתִּי	kethabhtiy	you wrote
common singular first person	כִּתְבֵת	kithbheth	I wrote
masculine plural third person	כְּתַבוּ	kethabhu	they wrote
feminine plural third person	כְּתַבָה	kethabhah	they wrote
masculine plural second person	כְּתַבְתּוּן	kethabhtun	you wrote
feminine plural second person	כְּתַבְתֵּן	kethabhten	you wrote
common plural first person	כְּתַבְנָא	kethabhna’	we wrote

Pe’il Perfect Paradigm

Parsing	Aramaic	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular third person	כְּתִיב	kethiybh	he/it is written
feminine singular third person	כְּתִיבַת	kethiybhath	she/it is written
masculine singular second person	כְּתִיבְתָּ	kethiybhta	you are written
feminine singular second person	כְּתִיבְתִּי	kethiybhtiy	you are written
common singular first person	כְּתִיבֵת	kethiybheth	I am written
masculine plural third person	כְּתִיבוּ	kethiybhu	they are written
feminine plural third person	כְּתִיָה	kethiyah	they are written
masculine plural second person	כְּתִיבְתּוּן	kethiybhtun	you are written
feminine plural second person	כְּתִיבְתֵּן	kethiybhten	you are written
common plural first person	כְּתִיבְנָא	kethiybhna’	we are written

Hithpe’el Perfect Paradigm

Parsing	Aramaic	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular third person	הִתְכְּתֵב (or הִתְכְּתִב)	hithkethebh	he wrote himself
feminine singular third person	הִתְכַּתְבַת	hithkathbhath	she wrote herself
masculine singular second person	הִתְכְּתֵבְתְּ (or הִתְכְּתֵבְתָּ)	hithkethebhte (or hithkethebhta)	you wrote yourself
feminine singular second person	הִתְכְּתֵבְתִּי	hithkethebhtiy	you wrote yourself
common singular first person	הִתְכַּתְבֵת	hithkathbheth	I wrote myself
masculine plural third person	הִתְכְּתִבוּ	hithkethibhu	they wrote themselves
feminine plural third person	הִתְכְּתִבָה	hithkethibhah	they wrote themselves
masculine plural second person	הִתְכְּתֵבְתּוּן	hithkethebhtun	you killed yourselves
feminine plural second person	הִתְכְּתֵבְתֵּן	hithkethebhten	you killed yourselves
common plural first person	הִתְכְּתֵבְנָא	hithkethebhna’	we killed ourselves

Pa’el Perfect Paradigm

Parsing	Aramaic	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular third person	כַּתֵּב (or כַּתִּב)	kattebh (or kattibh)	he wrote down
feminine singular third person	כַּתְּבַת	kattebhath	she wrote down
masculine singular second person	כַּתֵּבְתְּ	kattebhte	you wrote down
feminine singular second person	כַּתֵּבְתִּי	kattebhtiy	you wrote down
common singular first person	כַּתְּבֵת	kattebheth	I wrote down
masculine plural third person	כַּתִּבוּ	kattibhu	they wrote down
feminine plural third person	כַּתִּבָה	kattibhah	they wrote down
masculine plural second person	כַּתֵּבְתּוּן	kattebhtun	you wrote down
feminine plural second person	כַּתֵּבְתֵּן	kattebhten	you wrote down
common plural first person	כַּתֵּבְנָא	kattebhna’	we wrote down

Pu’al Perfect Paradigm

Parsing	Aramaic	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular third person	כֻּתַּב	kuttabh	he/it was written down
feminine singular third person	כֻּתְּבַת	kuttebhath	she/it was written down
masculine singular second person	כֻּתַּבְתָּ	kuttabhta	you were written down
feminine singular second person	כֻּתַּבְתִּי	kuttabhtiy	you were written down
common singular first person	כֻּתְּבֵת	kuttebheth	I was written down
masculine plural third person	כֻּתַּבוּ	kuttabhu	they were written down
feminine plural third person	כֻּתַּבַה	kuttabhah	they were written down
masculine plural second person	כֻּתַּבְתּוּן	kuttabhtun	you were written down
feminine plural second person	כֻּתַּבְתֵּן	kuttabhten	you were written down
common plural first person	כֻּתַּבְנָא	kuttabhna’	we were written down

Hithpa’al Perfect Paradigm

Parsing	Aramaic	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular third person	הִתְכַּתַּב	hithkattabh	he wrote himself down
feminine singular third person	הִתְכַּתְּבַת	hithkattkbhath	she wrote herself down
masculine singular second person	הִתְכַּתַּבְתְּ	hithkattabhte	you wrote yourself down
feminine singular second person	הִתְכַּתַּבְתִּי	hithkattabhtiy	you wrote yourself down
common singular first person	הִתְכַּתְּבֵת	hithkattebheth	I wrote myself down
masculine plural third person	הִתְכַּתַּבוּ	hithkattabhu	they wrote themselves down
feminine plural third person	הִתְכַּתַּבָה	hithkattabhah	they wrote themselves down
masculine plural second person	הִתְכַּתַּבְתּוּן	hithkattabhtun	you wrote yourselves down
feminine plural second person	הִתְכַּתַּבְתֵּן	hithkattabhten	you wrote yourselves down
common plural first person	הִתְכַּתַּבְנָא	hithkattabhna’	we wrote ourselves down

Hophal Perfect Paradigm

Parsing	Aramaic	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular third person	הֻכְתַּב (or הָכְתַּב)	hukhtabh (or hokhtabh)	he was caused to write
feminine singular third person	הֻכְתְּבַת	hukhtebhath	she was caused to write
masculine singular second person	הֻכְתַּבְתָּ	hukhtabhta	you were caused to write
feminine singular second person	הֻכְתַּבְתִּי	hukhtabhtiy	you were caused to write
common singular first person	הֻכְתְּבֵת	hukhtebheth	I was caused to wtie
masculine plural third person	הֻכְתַּבוּ	hukhtabhu	they were caused to write
feminine plural third person	הֻכְתַּבָה	hukhtabhah	they were caused to write
masculine plural second person	הֻכְתַּבְתּוּן	hukhtabhtun	you were caused to write
feminine plural second person	הֻכְתַּבְתֵּן	hukhtabhten	you were caused to write
common plural first person	הֻכְתַּבְנָא	hukhtabhna’	we were caused to write

Function

The Perfect conjugation can indicate any of the following kinds of actions:

Completed actions in past time

The Perfect conjugation can be translated as simple past action (“he did”), present completed action (“he has done”), or past completed action (“he had done”).

Completed actions in present/future time

Imaginary actions

This is an action described as a hypothetical situation.

Stative actions (describing a state or condition)

This kind of action describes a state or a condition, often (but not always) with a passive stem formation.

Performative actions

This is an action that is performed by speaking it.

Prophetic actions

This is a very rare use of the Perfect conjugation, occurring in prophetic utterances.

Perfect copulative

This form adds the conjunction waw (וְ “and”) to the normal Perfect conjugation and can express any of the above meanings. This form appears identical to the Sequential Perfect.