The Hebrew past tense uses suffixes added to the verb root. Unlike the present tense, each person (I, you, he, she, we, they) has its own unique form.
The Pattern
Past tense verbs are built from the root + a suffix that indicates the person. The base form (3rd person masculine singular - 'he') has no suffix and is the simplest form.
Full Conjugation - כָּתַב (wrote)
| Person | Hebrew | Transliteration | Suffix |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | כָּתַבְתִּי | ka-TAV-ti | -תִּי |
| you (m.) | כָּתַבְתָּ | ka-TAV-ta | -תָּ |
| you (f.) | כָּתַבְתְּ | ka-TAVT | -תְּ |
| he | כָּתַב | ka-TAV | - |
| she | כָּתְבָה | kat-VA | -ָה |
| we | כָּתַבְנוּ | ka-TAV-nu | -נוּ |
| you (m. pl.) | כְּתַבְתֶּם | ktav-TEM | -תֶּם |
| they | כָּתְבוּ | kat-VU | -וּ |
More Verbs in Past (1st person - I)
| Infinitive | Past (I) | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| לִלְמֹד | לָמַדְתִּי | la-MAD-ti | I learned |
| לֶאֱכֹל | אָכַלְתִּי | a-KHAL-ti | I ate |
| לָלֶכֶת | הָלַכְתִּי | ha-LAKH-ti | I went |
| לְדַבֵּר | דִּבַּרְתִּי | di-BAR-ti | I spoke |
| לִשְׁמֹעַ | שָׁמַעְתִּי | sha-MA-ti | I heard |
In Sentences
אֲנִי כָּתַבְתִּי מִכְתָּב
a-NI ka-TAV-ti mikh-TAV
I wrote a letter
הִיא לָמְדָה עִבְרִית בַּאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה
hi lam-DA iv-RIT ba-u-ni-ver-si-TA
She studied Hebrew at the university
אֲנַחְנוּ אָכַלְנוּ בַּמִּסְעָדָה
a-NAKH-nu a-KHAL-nu ba-mis-a-DA
We ate at the restaurant
הֵם הָלְכוּ לַיָּם
hem hal-KHU la-YAM
They went to the sea
Quick Tip
The 3rd person masculine singular (he) form - like כָּתַב - is the dictionary form of the verb. When you look up a verb, this is the form you'll find.