Free lessonLevel B111 min read12 practice words

Hif'il: Making Things Happen

The binyan of making someone do something: feed, dress, make laugh. It is also home to some of the most common verbs in Hebrew: start, explain, feel, invite.

Listen for מַ at the start and a long “i” before the last root letter: מַזְמִין, מַסְבִּיר, מַתְחִיל. That's hif'il.

The hif'il patternspot it in a second

Something in front, a long “i” inside

A waiter asks מָה תַּזְמִינוּ? (what will you order?). A friend suggests בּוֹאוּ נַזְמִין פִּיצָה (let's order pizza). Both verbs are the root ז־מ־ן in the binyan hif'il, and both show its shape: a prefix in front of the root, and a long “i” (ִי) between the second and third root letters.

The prefix tells you the tense: הִ in the past, מַ in the present, a future letter with “a” in the future (יַ, תַּ, אַ, נַ) and לְהַ in the infinitive. In the verbs lesson you met hif'il as the binyan that makes someone else do the action. That is its best-known job, and the next chapter is about it, but many everyday hif'il verbs, like הִזְמִין itself, are simply verbs.

הִ־pastמַ־presentיַ־futureלְהַ־infinitive

The ִי is the strongest clue. It stays in almost every form you will use, and gives way only in the past before an ending like ־תִּי (הִזְמַנְתִּי) and in the imperative to a man (הַזְמֵן).

One root, five shapes

הִזְמִיןpast

hizmin

he invited, he ordered

מַזְמִיןpresent

mazmin

invites, orders (m.)

יַזְמִיןfuture

yazmin

he will invite, he will order

לְהַזְמִיןinfinitive

lehazmin

to invite, to order

הַזְמֵןimperative

hazmen

invite! order! (to a man)

The root ז־מ־ן never moves. What changes is the beginning of the word, and the vowel before the last root letter: ִי in four shapes, an “e” in the imperative to a man.

In real life

מָה אַתָּה מַזְמִין?

ma ata mazmin?

What are you ordering? (to a man)

הוּא הִזְמִין אוֹתָנוּ לַחֲתֻנָּה שֶׁלּוֹ.

hu hizmin otanu la-khatuna shelo

He invited us to his wedding.

אֲנִי רוֹצָה לְהַזְמִין שֻׁלְחָן לִשְׁנַיִם.

ani rotsa lehazmin shulkhan li-shnayim

I'd like to book a table for two. (a woman speaking)

Spot it in a second

Three signs: a present that starts with מַ (pi'el has מְ, as in מְדַבֵּר, and hitpa'el has מִתְ, as in מִתְלַבֵּשׁ), a ִי right before the last root letter, and an infinitive that starts with לְהַ. One trap: הִתְחִיל starts with הִתְ only because its root is ת־ח־ל. It is hif'il: מַתְחִיל, לְהַתְחִיל.

Making someone do itcause · become

From doing it to making it happen

In pa'al the baby eats: הַתִּינוֹק אוֹכֵל. In hif'il somebody makes it happen: אַבָּא מַאֲכִיל אֶת הַתִּינוֹק, Dad is feeding the baby, literally “making the baby eat”. The one who did the action becomes the object, with אֶת, and a new doer takes the subject's place.

That is hif'il's best-known job. English needs a separate verb for it (eat, feed) or the word “make” (laugh, make laugh); Hebrew moves the root into hif'il. The binyan has two more jobs: a few verbs of becoming, and a long list of everyday verbs that simply live here.

Not every pair is word for word. הִשְׁמִיעַ, from the root of לִשְׁמֹעַ (to hear), means “to make something heard”: to play a song, to voice an opinion. Pi'el does this job for a few roots too, as you saw in its lesson: לָמַד, learned, and לִמֵּד, taught.

Do it, or make someone do it

לֶאֱכֹללְהַאֲכִילto eat → to feed

לִלְבֹּשׁלְהַלְבִּישׁto wear, put on → to dress (someone)

לִרְקֹדלְהַרְקִידto dance → to get (someone) dancing

לִצְחֹקלְהַצְחִיקto laugh → to make (someone) laugh

לִשְׁמֹעַלְהַשְׁמִיעַto hear → to play (music), to make heard

לִכְתֹּבלְהַכְתִּיבto write → to dictate

The root stays the same in each pair. The first verb is pa'al: you do it yourself. The second is hif'il: you get someone else to do it, so it usually takes an object.

Making it happen

הַסֶּרֶט הַזֶּה הִצְחִיק אוֹתִי מְאוֹד.

ha-seret ha-ze hitskhik oti me’od

This film made me laugh so much.

אִמָּא מַלְבִּישָׁה אֶת הַיְלָדִים.

ima malbisha et ha-yeladim

Mom is dressing the kids.

הַלַּהֲקָה הִרְקִידָה אֶת כֻּלָּם.

ha-lahaka hirkida et kulam

The band got everyone dancing.

הַמּוֹרָה הִכְתִּיבָה לָנוּ מִשְׁפָּטִים.

ha-mora hikhtiva lanu mishpatim

The teacher dictated sentences to us.

תַּשְׁמִיעַ לִי אֶת הַשִּׁיר הֶחָדָשׁ!

tashmia li et ha-shir he-khadash!

Play me the new song! (to a man)

Becoming: from an adjective to a verb

A few hif'il verbs describe a change the subject goes through, usually from an adjective: שָׁמֵן (fat) gives הִשְׁמִין (to put on weight), and לָבָן (white) gives הִלְבִּין (to turn white). English uses “get”, “go” or “turn” for these.

הִשְׁמַנְתִּי קְצָת בַּחֻפְשָׁה.

hishmanti ktsat ba-khufsha

I put on a little weight on vacation.

הַשֵּׂעָר שֶׁלּוֹ הִלְבִּין.

ha-se’ar shelo hilbin

His hair has gone white.

Ten everyday verbs that are simply hif'il

הִתְחִיל

hitkhil

started, began

הִמְשִׁיךְ

himshikh

continued, went on

הִסְבִּיר

hisbir

explained

הִרְגִּישׁ

hirgish

felt

הִזְמִין

hizmin

invited; ordered, booked

הִפְסִיק

hifsik

stopped, quit

הִצְלִיחַ

hitsliakh

succeeded, managed (to)

הִשְׁאִיר

hish’ir

left (something somewhere)

הִמְלִיץ

himlits

recommended

הִבְטִיחַ

hivtiakh

promised

Don't look for a “make someone” meaning in these. Learn them as ordinary verbs, and the binyan takes care of the conjugation.

Quick check

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Which of these verbs is hif'il?

Present tense: מַ and four endingsthe feminine ends in ־ָה

מַ + root + ִי

At the doctor's: אֵיךְ אַתָּה מַרְגִּישׁ? (how are you feeling?). At a restaurant: עַל מָה אַתְּ מַמְלִיצָה? (what do you recommend?). The present of hif'il starts with מַ, keeps the ִי, and adds the endings for gender and number: מַסְבִּיר, מַסְבִּירָה, מַסְבִּירִים, מַסְבִּירוֹת.

Watch the feminine singular: it ends in ־ָה, never in ־ֶת. You know that sound from רוֹצָה in the present lesson, but here the ־ָה is simply added to the full form: מַסְבִּיר and מַסְבִּירָה, מַרְגִּישׁ and מַרְגִּישָׁה.

Present and past are easy to tell apart, even without nikud: מַסְבִּיר (explains) against הִסְבִּיר (explained). Only the first letter changes.

Present tense: four forms

Present tense: four forms
Who	to explain	to succeed
אֲנִי / אַתָּה / הוּא	מַסְבִּיר	מַצְלִיחַ
אֲנִי / אַתְּ / הִיא	מַסְבִּירָה	מַצְלִיחָה
אֲנַחְנוּ / אַתֶּם / הֵם	מַסְבִּירִים	מַצְלִיחִים
אֲנַחְנוּ / אַתֶּן / הֵן	מַסְבִּירוֹת	מַצְלִיחוֹת

When the last root letter is ח or ע, the masculine singular gets a short “a” before it: מַצְלִיחַ (matsliakh), מַבְטִיחַ (mavtiakh), מַגִּיעַ (magia). It is written under the last letter and called patach genuva, the “stolen” patach. As soon as an ending follows, it's gone: מַצְלִיחָה, מַבְטִיחִים.

Sentences to read aloud

הַמּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת מַסְבִּירָה מְצֻיָּן.

ha-mora ha-zot masbira metsuyan

This teacher explains really well.

אֲנִי לֹא מַצְלִיחָה לִפְתֹּחַ אֶת הַדֶּלֶת.

ani lo matslikha liftoakh et ha-delet

I can't get the door open. (a woman speaking; לֹא מַצְלִיחָה + infinitive is the everyday “can't manage to”)

הֵם מַמְשִׁיכִים לַעֲבֹד עַד מְאֻחָר.

hem mamshikhim la’avod ad me’ukhar

They keep working until late.

הוּא תָּמִיד מַבְטִיחַ וְלֹא מְקַיֵּם.

hu tamid mavtiakh ve-lo mekayem

He's always making promises and never keeping them.

אַתֶּן מַרְגִּישׁוֹת בְּסֵדֶר?

aten margishot beseder?

Are you feeling okay? (to a group of women)

Hif'il in disguise

The present form often works as a noun or an adjective: a מַדְרִיךְ is “one who guides”, a מַזְכִּירָה is “one who reminds”, and מַצְחִיק, “making laugh”, is the everyday word for funny. Hif'il also has a noun pattern of its own, the one in הַזְמָנָה, הַתְחָלָה and הַצְלָחָה. The last one is the word in בְּהַצְלָחָה! (good luck!).

מַדְרִיךְ

madrikh

guide, instructor, youth counsellor

מַזְכִּירָה

mazkira

secretary (f.)

מַצְחִיק

matskhik

funny (m.)

הַזְמָנָה

hazmana

an order; an invitation

הַתְחָלָה

hatkhala

a beginning, a start

הַצְלָחָה

hatslakha

success

Past tense: where the ִי goesevery person

Long “i” or short “a”

The past starts with הִ, and the endings are the ones from the past lesson. Only one vowel moves: the one before the last root letter. In the third person, he, she and they, it stays a long “i”: הִסְבִּיר, הִסְבִּירָה, הִסְבִּירוּ.

Before an ending that starts with a consonant (־תִּי, ־תָּ, ־תְּ, ־נוּ, ־תֶּם, ־תֶּן) the ִי shortens to an “a”, a patach: הִסְבַּרְתִּי, הִסְבַּרְנוּ. You saw this with הִתְחַלְתִּי in the past lesson. It is the same rule for every hif'il verb except roots ending in א or ה (הֵבֵאתִי, הֶרְאֵיתִי).

Pi'el drops its vowel before ־ָה and ־וּ (דִּבְּרָה, דִּבְּרוּ); hif'il keeps its ִי there: הִיא הִסְבִּירָה, הֵם הִסְבִּירוּ.

Two rules, one root

הִסְבִּירהִסְבִּירָהhe explained → she explained: the ִי stays

הִסְבִּירהִסְבַּרְתִּיhe explained → I explained: the ִי becomes a patach

Past tense: every person

Past tense: every person
Person	to explain	to feel
אֲנִי	הִסְבַּרְתִּי	הִרְגַּשְׁתִּי
אַתָּה	הִסְבַּרְתָּ	הִרְגַּשְׁתָּ
אַתְּ	הִסְבַּרְתְּ	הִרְגַּשְׁתְּ
הוּא	הִסְבִּיר	הִרְגִּישׁ
הִיא	הִסְבִּירָה	הִרְגִּישָׁה
אֲנַחְנוּ	הִסְבַּרְנוּ	הִרְגַּשְׁנוּ
אַתֶּם / אַתֶּן	הִסְבַּרְתֶּם / הִסְבַּרְתֶּן	הִרְגַּשְׁתֶּם / הִרְגַּשְׁתֶּן
הֵם / הֵן	הִסְבִּירוּ	הִרְגִּישׁוּ

One detail: when the root itself ends in נ, the נ of ־נוּ merges with it, so “we invited” is הִזְמַנּוּ.

Sentences to read aloud

כְּבָר הִסְבַּרְתִּי לָךְ אֶת זֶה!

kvar hisbarti lakh et ze!

I've already explained this to you! (to a woman)

הִיא הִצְלִיחָה בַּמִּבְחָן!

hi hitslikha ba-mivkhan!

She passed the exam! (literally: she succeeded in the exam)

הִשְׁאַרְתִּי אֶת הַמַּפְתְּחוֹת בָּאוֹטוֹ.

hish’arti et ha-maftekhot ba-oto

I left the keys in the car.

הִרְגַּשְׁנוּ שֶׁמַּשֶּׁהוּ לֹא בְּסֵדֶר.

hirgashnu she-mashehu lo beseder

We felt that something was wrong.

הֵם הִבְטִיחוּ לַעֲזֹר לָנוּ.

hem hivtikhu la’azor lanu

They promised to help us.

Future, infinitive and imperativethe “a” prefix

An “a” under the prefix

Making plans: אֲנִי אַזְמִין לָנוּ מוֹנִית (I'll order us a taxi). In the future of hif'il the person letters from the future lesson all take an “a”: אַ, תַּ, יַ, נַ. The ִי stays in every person: אַסְבִּיר, תַּסְבִּירִי, יַסְבִּירוּ.

The infinitive is לְהַ + the same stem: לְהַסְבִּיר, לְהַזְמִין. That “a” after the ה is what sets it apart from the infinitives that start with לְהִ, so it's לְהַתְחִיל, never לְהִתְחִיל.

The first vowel of the future is a strong hint: יַסְבִּיר is hif'il, יְדַבֵּר is pi'el, יִכְתֹּב is pa'al.

Future tense: every person

Future tense: every person
Person	to explain	to succeed
אֲנִי	אַסְבִּיר	אַצְלִיחַ
אַתָּה	תַּסְבִּיר	תַּצְלִיחַ
אַתְּ	תַּסְבִּירִי	תַּצְלִיחִי
הוּא	יַסְבִּיר	יַצְלִיחַ
הִיא	תַּסְבִּיר	תַּצְלִיחַ
אֲנַחְנוּ	נַסְבִּיר	נַצְלִיחַ
אַתֶּם / אַתֶּן	תַּסְבִּירוּ	תַּצְלִיחוּ
הֵם / הֵן	יַסְבִּירוּ	יַצְלִיחוּ

The patach genuva of מַצְלִיחַ is back wherever there is no ending: אַצְלִיחַ, יַצְלִיחַ. Before ־ִי and ־וּ it disappears again: תַּצְלִיחִי, יַצְלִיחוּ.

The imperative: written and spoken

The imperative: written and spoken
Form	To a man	To a woman	To a group
Imperative (formal, written)	הַסְבֵּר	הַסְבִּירִי	הַסְבִּירוּ
Future (everyday speech)	תַּסְבִּיר	תַּסְבִּירִי	תַּסְבִּירוּ
Don't: אַל + future	אַל תַּסְבִּיר	אַל תַּסְבִּירִי	אַל תַּסְבִּירוּ

To forbid, use אַל + future, as in the imperative lesson: אַל תַּפְרִיעַ (don't interrupt). The imperative itself can't be negated.

Plans, requests and “don't”

אִם תִּלְמַד כָּל יוֹם, תַּצְלִיחַ.

im tilmad kol yom, tatsliakh

If you study every day, you'll succeed.

אֶפְשָׁר לְהַזְמִין?

efshar lehazmin?

Can we order? (to a waiter)

תַּסְבִּיר לִי שׁוּב, בְּבַקָּשָׁה.

tasbir li shuv, bevakasha

Explain it to me again, please. (to a man)

אַל תַּפְרִיעַ לוֹ, הוּא עוֹבֵד.

al tafria lo, hu oved

Don't disturb him, he's working.

מָחָר נַמְשִׁיךְ מֵאוֹתוֹ מָקוֹם.

makhar namshikh me-oto makom

Tomorrow we'll carry on from the same place.

Why הַסְבֵּר has no ִי

In the imperative to a man the ִי gives way to a shorter vowel, usually an “e”: הַסְבֵּר, הַזְמֵן, הַפְסֵק. To a woman and to a group it comes back: הַסְבִּירִי, הַסְבִּירוּ. In conversation the future is far more common, but you'll read the imperative everywhere, in ads, on websites and in apps, often in the plural:

הַזְמִינוּ עַכְשָׁיו!

hazminu akhshav!

Order now! (an ad, speaking to everyone)

Quick check

1 of 5

“She feels much better today.”

הִיא ___ הַרְבֵּה יוֹתֵר טוֹב הַיּוֹם.

Gutturals and weak rootsa first look

When the first root letter is a guttural

Some of the most useful hif'il verbs have a root that starts with a guttural: הֶחְלִיט (decided), הֶעֱבִיר (moved, passed), הֶאֱמִין (believed), הֶחֱזִיר (gave back). Before א, ה, ח and ע the past starts with הֶ instead of הִ. The present, the future and the infinitive keep their “a”: מַחְלִיט, יַחְלִיט, לְהַחְלִיט.

Under the guttural itself you'll see either a silent shva (הֶחְלִיט, מַחְלִיט) or a hataf, a short vowel that echoes the one before it: הֶעֱבִיר, but מַעֲבִיר, יַעֲבִיר, לְהַעֲבִיר. Everything else follows the rules of this lesson, the ִי, the endings and the patach before ־תִּי: הֶעֱבַרְתִּי, הֶחֱזַרְתִּי.

ר is no trouble in hif'il: it simply takes a shva like any other letter, so הִרְגִּישׁ and הִרְקִיד are completely regular.

Four guttural verbs

Four guttural verbs
Meaning	Past (he)	Past (I)	Present	Future (he)	Infinitive
to decide	הֶחְלִיט	הֶחְלַטְתִּי	מַחְלִיט	יַחְלִיט	לְהַחְלִיט
to move, to pass, to transfer	הֶעֱבִיר	הֶעֱבַרְתִּי	מַעֲבִיר	יַעֲבִיר	לְהַעֲבִיר
to believe	הֶאֱמִין	הֶאֱמַנְתִּי	מַאֲמִין	יַאֲמִין	לְהַאֲמִין
to give back, to return (something)	הֶחֱזִיר	הֶחֱזַרְתִּי	מַחֲזִיר	יַחֲזִיר	לְהַחֲזִיר

The endings are exactly those of הִסְבִּיר: הֶחְלִיטָה, הֶעֱבַרְנוּ, מַאֲמִינָה, יַחֲזִירוּ. Only the beginning of the word looks different.

Guttural verbs in use

הֶחְלַטְתִּי לִלְמֹד עִבְרִית.

hekhlatti lilmod ivrit

I decided to learn Hebrew.

אֲנִי לֹא מַאֲמִין!

ani lo ma’amin!

I don't believe it! (a man speaking)

תַּעֲבִיר לִי אֶת הַמֶּלַח, בְּבַקָּשָׁה.

ta’avir li et ha-melakh, bevakasha

Pass me the salt, please. (to a man)

הוּא עוֹד לֹא הֶחֱזִיר לִי אֶת הַסֵּפֶר.

hu od lo hekhezir li et ha-sefer

He still hasn't given me back the book.

A first look at the weak roots

Three families of weak roots change the look of hif'il. In פ״נ roots (נ־ג־ע, נ־כ־ר) the נ disappears into a dagesh: הִגִּיעַ, מַכִּיר. In most פ״י roots (י־ר־ד, י־ד־ע) the י turns into a וֹ: הוֹרִיד, מוֹרִיד. Two-letter roots (ב־י־ן, כ־ו־ן, ב־ו־א) take הֵ in the past, מֵ in the present and לְהָ in the infinitive.

A first look at the weak roots
Family	Past (he)	Present	Infinitive	Meaning
פ״נ	הִגִּיעַ	מַגִּיעַ	לְהַגִּיעַ	to arrive, to get (somewhere)
פ״נ	הִכִּיר	מַכִּיר	לְהַכִּיר	to know (someone), to get to know
פ״י	הוֹרִיד	מוֹרִיד	לְהוֹרִיד	to take down, to take off; to download
פ״י	הוֹדִיעַ	מוֹדִיעַ	לְהוֹדִיעַ	to announce, to let (someone) know
ע״ו / ע״י	הֵבִין	מֵבִין	לְהָבִין	to understand
ע״ו / ע״י	הֵכִין	מֵכִין	לְהָכִין	to prepare, to make (food)
ע״ו / ע״י	הֵבִיא	מֵבִיא	לְהָבִיא	to bring

For now, learn these as words. Two details: in the two-letter family the מֵ shortens when an ending is added (מֵבִין, but מְבִינָה), and a few פ״י roots copy the פ״נ shape, like הִצִּיעַ (suggested, offered). We'll see why the פ״נ and פ״י families behave this way in the lesson on weak roots.

Weak verbs you'll hear every day

מָתַי אַתָּה מַגִּיעַ?

matai ata magia?

When are you getting here? (to a man)

נָעִים לְהַכִּיר!

na’im lehakir!

Nice to meet you!

תּוֹרִיד אֶת הַנַּעֲלַיִם, בְּבַקָּשָׁה.

torid et ha-na’alayim, bevakasha

Take your shoes off, please. (to a man)

מִי מֵבִיא אֶת הַשְּׁתִיָּה?

mi mevi et ha-shtiya?

Who's bringing the drinks?

Quick check

1 of 2

“In the end she decided to go.”

בַּסּוֹף הִיא ___ לִנְסֹעַ.

Common mistakes and summary

Six mistakes worth fixing now

אֲנִי רוֹצֶה לְהִתְחִילאֲנִי רוֹצֶה לְהַתְחִיל
The hif'il infinitive starts with לְהַ. The ת of הִתְחִיל is a root letter, so this is not hitpa'el.
הִסְבִּירְתִּי לוֹהִסְבַּרְתִּי לוֹ
Before ־תִּי the ִי shortens to a patach.
הִיא מַרְגִּישֶׁת טוֹבהִיא מַרְגִּישָׁה טוֹב
The feminine present of hif'il ends in ־ָה, never in ־ֶת.
מָחָר הוּא יִסְבִּירמָחָר הוּא יַסְבִּיר
The future prefix of hif'il takes an “a”: יַ, תַּ, אַ, נַ.
הוּא הִחְלִיט לִנְסֹעַהוּא הֶחְלִיט לִנְסֹעַ
When the first root letter is a guttural, the past starts with הֶ.
הַלֵּיצָן צָחַק אֶת הַיְלָדִיםהַלֵּיצָן הִצְחִיק אֶת הַיְלָדִים
צָחַק is the one who laughs. To make others laugh you need hif'il: הִצְחִיק.

What to remember

The shape: הִ in the past, מַ in the present, יַ / תַּ / אַ / נַ in the future, לְהַ in the infinitive, and a ִי before the last root letter.
Its best-known job is making someone do something (לְהַאֲכִיל, לְהַצְחִיק). It also has verbs of becoming (הִשְׁמִין) and many everyday verbs (הִתְחִיל, הִסְבִּיר, הִרְגִּישׁ).
Present: מַסְבִּיר, מַסְבִּירָה, מַסְבִּירִים, מַסְבִּירוֹת. The feminine ends in ־ָה.
Past: the ִי stays in הִסְבִּיר, הִסְבִּירָה, הִסְבִּירוּ and shortens before an ending that starts with a consonant: הִסְבַּרְתִּי.
Gutturals take הֶ in the past (הֶחְלִיט, הֶעֱבִיר), and weak roots give הִגִּיעַ, הוֹרִיד, הֵבִין. We'll see the פ״נ and פ״י rules in the lesson on weak roots.

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Frequently asked questions

What is hif'il in Hebrew?: One of the seven binyanim, the verb patterns of Hebrew. Its best-known meaning is causative: making someone do something, as in הִצְחִיק (made someone laugh) and הֶאֱכִיל (fed). It also includes very common everyday verbs such as הִתְחִיל (started), הִסְבִּיר (explained) and הִרְגִּישׁ (felt). You recognise it by מַ in the present, לְהַ in the infinitive and a long “i” before the last root letter.
Is it לְהַתְחִיל or לְהִתְחִיל?: לְהַתְחִיל. The root is ת־ח־ל, so the ת belongs to the root and the verb is hif'il, whose infinitive starts with לְהַ. The present is מַתְחִיל and the future יַתְחִיל. לְהִתְחִיל is a common mistake, made by analogy with hitpa'el verbs like לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ.
How do I say “make someone do something” in Hebrew?: If the verb has a hif'il form, use it: הִצְחִיק אוֹתִי (made me laugh), הֶאֱכִילָה אֶת הַתִּינוֹק (she fed the baby). If not, use גָּרַם לְ־ + infinitive: הַסֶּרֶט גָּרַם לִי לִבְכּוֹת (the film made me cry). Both are everyday Hebrew.
What is the passive of hif'il?: Its passive binyan is huf'al: הִזְמִין (invited) and הֻזְמַן (was invited), הִדְלִיק (turned on) and הֻדְלַק (was turned on). We'll see huf'al in the lesson on pu'al and huf'al.

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Hif'il: Making Things Happen

The binyan of making someone do something: feed, dress, make laugh. It is also home to some of the most common verbs in Hebrew: start, explain, feel, invite.

Listen for מַ at the start and a long “i” before the last root letter: מַזְמִין, מַסְבִּיר, מַתְחִיל. That's hif'il.

Who

to explain

to succeed

אֲנִי / אַתָּה / הוּא

מַסְבִּיר

מַצְלִיחַ

אֲנִי / אַתְּ / הִיא

מַסְבִּירָה

מַצְלִיחָה

אֲנַחְנוּ / אַתֶּם / הֵם

מַסְבִּירִים

מַצְלִיחִים

אֲנַחְנוּ / אַתֶּן / הֵן

מַסְבִּירוֹת

מַצְלִיחוֹת

Person

to explain

to feel

אֲנִי

הִסְבַּרְתִּי

הִרְגַּשְׁתִּי

אַתָּה

הִסְבַּרְתָּ

הִרְגַּשְׁתָּ

אַתְּ

הִסְבַּרְתְּ

הִרְגַּשְׁתְּ

הוּא

הִסְבִּיר

הִרְגִּישׁ

הִיא

הִסְבִּירָה

הִרְגִּישָׁה

אֲנַחְנוּ

הִסְבַּרְנוּ

הִרְגַּשְׁנוּ

אַתֶּם / אַתֶּן

הִסְבַּרְתֶּם / הִסְבַּרְתֶּן

הִרְגַּשְׁתֶּם / הִרְגַּשְׁתֶּן

הֵם / הֵן

הִסְבִּירוּ

הִרְגִּישׁוּ

Person

to explain

to succeed

אֲנִי

אַסְבִּיר

אַצְלִיחַ

אַתָּה

תַּסְבִּיר

תַּצְלִיחַ

אַתְּ

תַּסְבִּירִי

תַּצְלִיחִי

הוּא

יַסְבִּיר

יַצְלִיחַ

הִיא

תַּסְבִּיר

תַּצְלִיחַ

אֲנַחְנוּ

נַסְבִּיר

נַצְלִיחַ

אַתֶּם / אַתֶּן

תַּסְבִּירוּ

תַּצְלִיחוּ

הֵם / הֵן

יַסְבִּירוּ

יַצְלִיחוּ

Form

To a man

To a woman

To a group

Imperative (formal, written)

הַסְבֵּר

הַסְבִּירִי

הַסְבִּירוּ

Future (everyday speech)

תַּסְבִּיר

תַּסְבִּירִי

תַּסְבִּירוּ

Don't: אַל + future

אַל תַּסְבִּיר

אַל תַּסְבִּירִי

אַל תַּסְבִּירוּ

Meaning

Past (he)

Past (I)

Present

Future (he)

Infinitive

to decide

הֶחְלִיט

הֶחְלַטְתִּי

מַחְלִיט

יַחְלִיט

לְהַחְלִיט

to move, to pass, to transfer

הֶעֱבִיר

הֶעֱבַרְתִּי

מַעֲבִיר

יַעֲבִיר

לְהַעֲבִיר

to believe

הֶאֱמִין

הֶאֱמַנְתִּי

מַאֲמִין

יַאֲמִין

לְהַאֲמִין

to give back, to return (something)

הֶחֱזִיר

הֶחֱזַרְתִּי

מַחֲזִיר

יַחֲזִיר

לְהַחֲזִיר

Family

Past (he)

Present

Infinitive

Meaning

פ״נ

הִגִּיעַ

מַגִּיעַ

לְהַגִּיעַ

to arrive, to get (somewhere)

פ״נ

הִכִּיר

מַכִּיר

לְהַכִּיר

to know (someone), to get to know

פ״י

הוֹרִיד

מוֹרִיד

לְהוֹרִיד

to take down, to take off; to download

פ״י

הוֹדִיעַ

מוֹדִיעַ

לְהוֹדִיעַ

to announce, to let (someone) know

ע״ו / ע״י

הֵבִין

מֵבִין

לְהָבִין

to understand

ע״ו / ע״י

הֵכִין

מֵכִין

לְהָכִין

to prepare, to make (food)

ע״ו / ע״י

הֵבִיא

מֵבִיא

לְהָבִיא

to bring

Frequently asked questions

What is hif'il in Hebrew?

One of the seven binyanim, the verb patterns of Hebrew. Its best-known meaning is causative: making someone do something, as in הִצְחִיק (made someone laugh) and הֶאֱכִיל (fed). It also includes very common everyday verbs such as הִתְחִיל (started), הִסְבִּיר (explained) and הִרְגִּישׁ (felt). You recognise it by מַ in the present, לְהַ in the infinitive and a long “i” before the last root letter.

Is it לְהַתְחִיל or לְהִתְחִיל?

לְהַתְחִיל. The root is ת־ח־ל, so the ת belongs to the root and the verb is hif'il, whose infinitive starts with לְהַ. The present is מַתְחִיל and the future יַתְחִיל. לְהִתְחִיל is a common mistake, made by analogy with hitpa'el verbs like לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ.

How do I say “make someone do something” in Hebrew?

If the verb has a hif'il form, use it: הִצְחִיק אוֹתִי (made me laugh), הֶאֱכִילָה אֶת הַתִּינוֹק (she fed the baby). If not, use גָּרַם לְ־ + infinitive: הַסֶּרֶט גָּרַם לִי לִבְכּוֹת (the film made me cry). Both are everyday Hebrew.

What is the passive of hif'il?

Its passive binyan is huf'al: הִזְמִין (invited) and הֻזְמַן (was invited), הִדְלִיק (turned on) and הֻדְלַק (was turned on). We'll see huf'al in the lesson on pu'al and huf'al.