The Hebrew Alphabet

Biblical Hebrew uses a consonantal alphabet of 22 letters, read from right to left. Each letter also has a numeric value used in ancient times.

Aleph

silent / glottal stop

Value: 1

Beth

b / v

Value: 2

Gimel

g (hard)

Value: 3

Daleth

d / dh

Value: 4

Value: 5

Waw

w / v

Value: 6

Zayin

Value: 7

Cheth

ch (guttural)

Value: 8

Teth

t (emphatic)

Value: 9

Yod

Value: 10

Kaph

k / kh

Value: 20

Lamed

Value: 30

Mem

Value: 40

Nun

Value: 50

Samekh

Value: 60

Ayin

silent / guttural

Value: 70

p / ph

Value: 80

Tsade

Value: 90

Qoph

q (hard k)

Value: 100

Resh

Value: 200

שׁ

Shin

Value: 300

Taw

t / th

Value: 400

Final Forms

Five letters have special forms when they appear at the end of a word:

Letter	Regular Form	Final Form	Name
Kaph	כ	ך	Kaph Sofit
Mem	מ	ם	Mem Sofit
Nun	נ	ן	Nun Sofit
Pe	פ	ף	Pe Sofit
Tsade	צ	ץ	Tsade Sofit

Vowel Points (Nikud)

Vowels are indicated by points and strokes written above, below, or inside the consonants.

Long Vowels

בָ

Qamets

בֵ

Tsere

בִי

Hireq Long

בוֹ

Holem

בוּ

Shuruq

Short Vowels

בַ

Patach

בֶ

Segol

בִ

Hireq

בָ

Qamets Hatuph

בֻ

Qibbuts

Special Vowels

בְ

Sheva

ə (or silent)

בֲ

Hateph Patach

בֱ

Hateph Segol

בֳ

Hateph Qamets

Dagesh: Lene vs. Forte

Dagesh Lene (Light) Appears only in the BeGaD KePhaT letters: בּ גּ דּ כּ פּ תּ
Indicates the hard pronunciation of these consonants.

Letter	With Dagesh Lene	Hard Sound	Without Dagesh	Soft Sound
Beth	בּ	b	ב	v
Gimel	גּ	g	ג	gh (soft g)
Daleth	דּ	d	ד	dh (soft d)
Kaph	כּ	k	כ	kh
Pe	פּ	p	פ	ph (f)
Taw	תּ	t	ת	th

Dagesh Forte (Strong) Can appear in any letter (except gutturals). Indicates doubling/gemination of the consonant.

Example: מַלְכִּי mal-kî (the כּ is doubled)

Note: The BeGaD KePhaT letters take dagesh lene at the beginning of a word or after a consonant without a vowel. They are soft (spirantized) after a vowel.

Syllable Structure

Basic Principle Every syllable in Hebrew must begin with a consonant and contain exactly one vowel. A syllable never begins with a vowel.

Open Syllables

End with a vowel (CV pattern - Consonant + Vowel)

דָּוִד

dā-wid

First syllable dā is open (ends with vowel)

שָׁלוֹם

shā-lōm

First syllable shā is open

Closed Syllables

End with a consonant (CVC pattern - Consonant + Vowel + Consonant)

מֶלֶךְ

me-lekh

Second syllable lekh is closed (ends with consonant)

דָּבָר

dā-vār

Second syllable vār is closed

The Sheva (שְׁוָא)

The sheva (ְ) is the most complex element in Hebrew vocalization. It can be either vocal or silent.

Vocal Sheva Pronounced as a very brief "ə" sound (like the 'a' in "about")

Rules for Vocal Sheva:

At the beginning of a word: always vocal
בְּרֵאשִׁית bə-rē-shīt
After a long vowel: usually vocal
קָטְלוּ qā-ṭə-lū
When two consecutive shevas appear, the first is silent, the second is vocal
יִשְׁמְרוּ yish-mə-rū
Under a doubled consonant (dagesh forte): vocal
הַלְּלוּ hal-lə-lū

Silent Sheva Marks the end of a syllable, not pronounced as a separate sound

Rules for Silent Sheva:

At the end of a word: always silent
מֶלֶךְ me-lekh
After a short vowel: usually silent
קַטְלוּ qaṭ-lū

Davidson's Advice: "The distinction between vocal and silent sheva is one of the first difficulties the student encounters. Practice with familiar words until the patterns become instinctive."

Syllable Division Examples

Davidson's method of syllabification with hyphenated transliterations:

Hebrew	Syllabification	Meaning	Notes
בְּרֵאשִׁית	bə-rē-shīt	in the beginning	First word of Genesis
הַגַּן	hag-gan	the garden	Dagesh forte doubles the gimel
אֱלֹהִים	ĕ-lō-hīm	God	Hateph segol under aleph
יִשְׁמְרוּ	yish-mə-rū	they will keep	Two consecutive shevas
מַלְכִּי	mal-kī	my king	Closed + open syllables
תּוֹרָה	tō-rāh	law, instruction	Two open syllables
שַׁבָּת	shab-bāt	sabbath	Dagesh forte in beth
יְרוּשָׁלַיִם	yə-rū-shā-la-yim	Jerusalem	Five syllables
קָדוֹשׁ	qā-dōsh	holy	Open + closed syllables
בֶּן	ben	son	Single closed syllable

Reading Practice: Begin by reading each syllable separately, then combine them. The hyphenated transliterations above show exactly where syllable divisions occur according to Davidson's method.

Accent and Tone

Milra' (מִלְרַע) Accent on the final syllable - the most common pattern in Hebrew

דָּבָר dā-VĀR (word)

Mil'el (מִלְעֵל) Accent on the penultimate (next-to-last) syllable

מֶלֶךְ ME-lekh (king)

The accent position often determines vowel length and affects word meaning. Davidson emphasizes learning accent patterns early to develop proper pronunciation habits.

Gender

Hebrew nouns are either masculine or feminine. Most feminine nouns end in ה ָ◌ (āh) or ת ֶ◌ (eth).

Masculine Nouns

סוּס

sūs

horse (masculine)

מֶלֶךְ

me-lekh

king (masculine)

Feminine Nouns

סוּסָה

sū-sāh

mare (feminine, ending in ה ָ◌)

מַלְכָּה

mal-kāh

queen (feminine, ending in ה ָ◌)

תּוֹרָה

tō-rāh

law (feminine, ending in ה ָ◌)

Note: Some common nouns are feminine without the typical endings, such as אֶרֶץ (e-rets, earth) and עִיר (īr, city). These must be memorized.

Number: Singular and Plural

Masculine Plural: ים ִ◌ (-īm)

Singular	Transliteration	Plural	Transliteration	Meaning
סוּס	sūs	סוּסִים	sū-sīm	horse(s)
מֶלֶךְ	me-lekh	מְלָכִים	mə-lā-khīm	king(s)
דָּבָר	dā-vār	דְּבָרִים	də-vā-rīm	word(s)

Feminine Plural: וֹת ◌ (-ōth)

Singular	Transliteration	Plural	Transliteration	Meaning
סוּסָה	sū-sāh	סוּסוֹת	sū-sōth	mare(s)
תּוֹרָה	tō-rāh	תּוֹרוֹת	tō-rōth	law(s)
מִצְוָה	mits-wāh	מִצְוֹת	mits-wōth	commandment(s)

Note: The ה ָ◌ ending drops off before adding וֹת. Vowel changes often occur in the stem when forming plurals.

The Definite Article

Hebrew has no indefinite article ("a/an"). The definite article "the" is expressed by the prefix הַ (ha-) attached to the noun.

Regular Pattern: הַ (ha-)

Without Article	With Article	Transliteration	Meaning
מֶלֶךְ	הַמֶּלֶךְ	ham-me-lekh	the king
דָּבָר	הַדָּבָר	had-dā-vār	the word
אִישׁ	הָאִישׁ	hā-īsh	the man

Article Rules:

Before most consonants: הַ (ha-) with dagesh forte in the following letter
Before gutturals (א ה ח ע): הָ (hā-) or הֶ (he-) without dagesh
The article causes the first letter to double (dagesh forte) except with gutturals

Before Gutturals

הָאָרֶץ hā-ā-rets (the earth)
הֶהָרִים he-hā-rīm (the mountains)
הֶחָכָם he-khā-khām (the wise one)

The Construct State (סְמִיכוּת)

The construct state expresses the relationship "X of Y" by joining two nouns. The first noun (in construct) undergoes vowel changes and loses its accent.

Pattern: Construct Noun + Absolute Noun = "Noun of Noun"
The construct noun is shortened; the absolute noun remains normal.

Common Construct Forms

Absolute (Normal)	Construct	Example Phrase	Transliteration	Meaning
דָּבָר	דְּבַר	דְּבַר־יְהוָה	də-var YHWH	word of the LORD
בֵּן	בֶּן	בֶּן־הַמֶּלֶךְ	ben-ham-me-lekh	son of the king
בַּיִת	בֵּית	בֵּית־אֵל	bēth-ēl	house of God (Bethel)
מֶלֶךְ	מֶלֶךְ	מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל	me-lekh yis-rā-ēl	king of Israel

Davidson's Note: "The construct state is one of the most characteristic features of Hebrew. Master this thoroughly, as it appears constantly in Biblical texts."

Plural Constructs

דִּבְרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ div-rē ham-me-lekh
words of the king (masculine plural construct: דִּבְרֵי)

בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל bə-nē yis-rā-ēl
sons of Israel (masculine plural construct: בְּנֵי)

Adjectives

Adjectives in Hebrew agree with their nouns in gender, number, and definiteness. They typically follow the noun.

Attributive Adjectives (describe the noun)

Hebrew	Transliteration	Meaning	Notes
מֶלֶךְ טוֹב	me-lekh ṭōv	a good king	indefinite
הַמֶּלֶךְ הַטּוֹב	ham-me-lekh haṭ-ṭōv	the good king	both take article
תּוֹרָה טוֹבָה	tō-rāh ṭō-vāh	a good law	feminine agreement
מְלָכִים טוֹבִים	mə-lā-khīm ṭō-vīm	good kings	masculine plural

Predicate Adjectives (statement about the noun)

When the adjective is indefinite but the noun is definite, the adjective functions as a predicate (no verb needed).

הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב ham-me-lekh ṭōv
The king (is) good

הַתּוֹרָה טוֹבָה hat-tō-rāh ṭō-vāh
The law (is) good

Key Distinction:
הַמֶּלֶךְ הַטּוֹב = "the good king" (attributive - both definite)
הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב = "the king is good" (predicate - noun definite, adjective indefinite)

Introduction to Hebrew Verbs

Hebrew verbs are built on a system of roots and patterns. Most roots consist of three consonants, and meaning is modified by changing the vowel patterns and adding prefixes/suffixes.

The Seven Stems (Binyanim) Hebrew verbs come in seven major patterns called stems or binyanim. We'll focus on the Qal stem, the simplest and most common.

Perfect vs. Imperfect:
• Perfect - completed action (similar to past tense)
• Imperfect - incomplete action (similar to future/present tense)

Qal Perfect

The Qal perfect indicates completed action. We'll use the root קטל (q-ṭ-l, "to kill") as the standard paradigm.

Person	Hebrew	Transliteration	Meaning
3ms (he)	קָטַל	qā-ṭal	he killed
3fs (she)	קָטְלָה	qā-ṭə-lāh	she killed
2ms (you m.)	קָטַלְתָּ	qā-ṭal-tā	you (m) killed
2fs (you f.)	קָטַלְתְּ	qā-ṭalt	you (f) killed
1cs (I)	קָטַלְתִּי	qā-ṭal-tī	I killed
3cp (they)	קָטְלוּ	qā-ṭə-lū	they killed
2mp (you m.pl)	קְטַלְתֶּם	qə-ṭal-tem	you (m.pl) killed
2fp (you f.pl)	קְטַלְתֶּן	qə-ṭal-ten	you (f.pl) killed
1cp (we)	קָטַלְנוּ	qā-ṭal-nū	we killed

Pattern: The perfect conjugates by adding suffixes (endings) to the root. The vowel pattern for Qal perfect is typically qāṭal (ָ◌ַ◌).

Qal Imperfect

The Qal imperfect indicates incomplete action (future or ongoing). It conjugates by adding both prefixes and suffixes.

Person	Hebrew	Transliteration	Meaning
3ms (he)	יִקְטֹל	yiq-ṭōl	he will kill
3fs (she)	תִּקְטֹל	tiq-ṭōl	she will kill
2ms (you m.)	תִּקְטֹל	tiq-ṭōl	you (m) will kill
2fs (you f.)	תִּקְטְלִי	tiq-ṭə-lī	you (f) will kill
1cs (I)	אֶקְטֹל	eq-ṭōl	I will kill
3mp (they m.)	יִקְטְלוּ	yiq-ṭə-lū	they (m) will kill
3fp (they f.)	תִּקְטֹלְנָה	tiq-ṭōl-nāh	they (f) will kill
2mp (you m.pl)	תִּקְטְלוּ	tiq-ṭə-lū	you (m.pl) will kill
2fp (you f.pl)	תִּקְטֹלְנָה	tiq-ṭōl-nāh	you (f.pl) will kill
1cp (we)	נִקְטֹל	niq-ṭōl	we will kill

Pattern: The imperfect uses the vowel pattern yiqṭōl (ִ◌ְ◌ֹ◌) with prefixes:
• יִ (yi-) for 3ms
• תִּ (ti-) for 3fs, 2ms, 2fs, and plurals
• אֶ (e-) for 1cs
• נִ (ni-) for 1cp

Common Verbs - Qal Perfect

Root	3ms Perfect	Transliteration	Meaning
שׁמר	שָׁמַר	shā-mar	he kept, guarded
כתב	כָּתַב	kā-thav	he wrote
מלך	מָלַךְ	mā-lakh	he reigned
הלך	הָלַךְ	hā-lakh	he walked, went
ישׁב	יָשַׁב	yā-shav	he sat, dwelt
אכל	אָכַל	ā-khal	he ate
אמר	אָמַר	ā-mar	he said
עשׂה	עָשָׂה	ā-śāh	he made, did

Verb Patterns Summary

Perfect Pattern (Completed Action)

Formed with suffixes (endings)
Base form: qāṭal (ָ◌ַ◌)
Typically translated as past tense

Imperfect Pattern (Incomplete Action)

Formed with prefixes and suffixes
Base form: yiqṭōl (ִ◌ְ◌ֹ◌)
Typically translated as future or ongoing action

Example: Root שׁמר (keep, guard)

Perfect: שָׁמַר shā-mar - he kept

Imperfect: יִשְׁמֹר yish-mōr - he will keep

Davidson's Advice: "Memorize the perfect and imperfect paradigms thoroughly. All regular verbs follow these patterns, making them the foundation of Hebrew verb mastery."

Interactive Practice Exercises

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Reading Practice

Click each Hebrew word to reveal its syllabification and meaning:

בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים

bə-rē-shīt bā-rā ĕ-lō-hīm

"In the beginning God created" (Genesis 1:1)

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל

shə-ma yis-rā-ēl

"Hear, O Israel" (Deuteronomy 6:4)

יְהוָה רֹעִי לֹא אֶחְסָר

YHWH rō-ī lō ekh-sār

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want" (Psalm 23:1)

הַשָּׁמַיִם מְסַפְּרִים כְּבוֹד־אֵל

ha-shā-ma-yim mə-sap-pə-rīm kə-vōd-ēl

"The heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalm 19:1)

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה

bā-rūkh at-tāh YHWH

"Blessed are You, O LORD" (common blessing formula)