Hifil verbs (part I)

Introduction

Today we are going to talk about the verbs of the בִּנְיָן הִפְעִיל. These verbs usually denote an action that is caused by someone/something else. For instance:

לִזְכּוֹר = to remember

לְהַזְכִּיר = to make remember , to remind

Infinitive

The basic form of the בִּנְיָן הִפְעִיל. in the infinitive is formed by the ל that indicates the infinitive in Hebrew + the prefix ה + the first letter of the root + the letter י+ the rest of the root.

(In the case of the note explained below, the “first letter” will be the second letter of the root and the “rest” will be the 3rd letter of the root).

Example:

לְהַרְגִּישׁ = to feel

Present

	singular	plural
masculine	מַרְגִּישׁ	מַרְגִּישִׁים
feminine	מַרְגִּישָׁה	מַרְגִּישׁוֹת

the present is indicated by the prefix מַ, that replaces the ה prefix characteristic of this בִּנְיָן .
the י that is part of the בִּנְיָן is present in all forms
the feminine singular takes the ה suffix (this is a suffix for the present only and not to be confused with the prefix that this בִּנְיָן takes)

Past

אני	הִרְגַּשְׁתִּי
אתה	הִרְגַּשְׁתָּ
את	הִרְגַּשְׁתְּ
הוא	הִרְגִּישׁ
היא	הִרְגִּישָׁה
אנחנו	הִרְגַּשְׁנוּ
אתם	הִרְגַּשְׁתֶּם
אתן	הִרְגַּשְׁתֶּן
הם / הן	הִרְגִּישׁוּ

the prefix ה that usually indicates the הִפְעִיל is present in all the past forms
only in the 3rd person forms (singular AND plural) the י is present

Future

אני	אַרְגִּישׁ
אתה	תַּרְגִּישׁ
את	תַּרְגִּישִׁי
הוא	יַרְגִּישׁ
היא	תַּרְגִּישִׁ
אנחנו	נַרְגִּישׁ
אתם	תַּרְגִּישׁ
אתן	תַּרְגֵּשְׁנָה*
הם	יַרְגִּישׁוּ
הן	תַּרְגֵּשְׁנָה*

in the future the prefix ה is straightforwardly replaced by the prefixes that indicate the future in all בִּנְיָנִים
* the only persons that DO NOT take the י in the future are the 2nd and 3rd persons feminine plural. (They are not so much used, what will be used usually is their masculine counterparts).
in the בִּנְיָן הִפְעִיל the prefixes of the future take a patach

Imperative

	singular	plural
masculine	הַרְגֵּשׁ	הַרְגִּישׁוּ
feminine	הַרְגִּישִׁי	הַרְגֵּשְׁנָה *

the prefix ה is present in all the persons and take a patach
the י is present only in the plural masculine and in the feminine singular
* the feminine plural is rarely used . The masculine plural is used instead

One final note:

There is a special class of verbs in this בִּנְיָן whose first of letter of the root is a נ, but due to pronunciation changes, this נ is NEVER written or spoken. But the rules explained above are still valid, even when only two letters of the root are written down and spoken.

Examples:

לְהַגִּיעַ = to arrive
לְהַבִּיעַ = to express

Sources:

https://www.pealim.com/

https://sites.google.com/site/arabichebrewlexicon/introduction/pronunciation-changes (explanation above table 20)