When a verb contains a guttural consonant in one of the root positions there is a slight modification to the vowel of the guttural consonant. See highlighted verbs.

PNG Standard I-guttural II-guttural III-guttural

3ms ָק�ַט�ל ָע�ַמ�ד ָּב��ַח�ר ָׁש �ל�ַח

3fs ָק�ַט�ל�ה ָע�ַמ�ד�ה ָּב��ַח�ר�ה ָׁש �ל�ַח�ה

2ms � ָק�ַט�ל�ָּת� � ָע�ַמ�ד�ָּת� � ָּב��ַח�ר�ָּת� � ָׁש �ל�ַח�ָּת�

2fs � ָק�ַט�ל�ָּת� � ָע�ַמ�ד�ָּת� � ָּב��ַח�ר�ָּת� � ָׁש �ל�ַח�ָּת�

1cs �י ָק�ַט�ל�ָּת� �י ד�ָּת� ָע�ַמ� �י ָּב��ַח�ר�ָּת� �י ָׁש �ל�ַח�ָּת�

3cp � ָק�ַט�לּו � ָע�ַמ�דּו � ָּב��ַח�רּו � ָׁש �ל�ַחּו

2mp ָק�ַט�ל�ָּת��ם ָע�ַמ�ד�ָּת��ם ָּב��ה�ר�ָּת��ם �ם ָׁש �ל�ַח�ָּת�

2fp �ן ָק�ַט�ל�ָּת� �ן ד�ָּת� ָע�ַמ� �ן ָּב��ה�ר�ָּת� �ן ָׁש �ל�ַח�ָּת�

1cp � ָק�ַט�ל�נּו � ד�נּו ָע�ַמ� � ָּב��ַח�ר�נּו � ָׁש �ל�ַח�נּו

Notice that some gutturals have a shewa.

Why?

Because נ is a weak consonant, the final נ in ָּת�ן� changes when placed next to a suffix that נ

begins with a ָּת or another נ.

Nun Assimilation: The change that occurs is called “assimilation,” which means that the נ drops off and leaves a dagesh in the ָּת or נ of the suffix.

PNG Standard III- נ

3ms ָק�ַט�ל �ָּת�ן נ3fs ָק�ַט�ל�ה �ה �ָּת�נ נ2ms � ָק�ַט�ל�ָּת� � �ָּת�ָּת� נ2fs � ָק�ַט�ל�ָּת� � �ָּת�ָּת� נ1cs �י ָק�ַט�ל�ָּת� �י �ָּת�ָּת� נ3cp � ָק�ַט�לּו � �ָּת�נּו נ2mp ָק�ַט�ל�ָּת��ם �ָּת�ָּת��ם נ2fp �ן ָק�ַט�ל�ָּת� �ן �ָּת�ָּת� נ1cp � ָק�ַט�ל�נּו � �ּו �ָּת�נ נ

If you do not see the three root consonants of the verb, check for a dagesh in the suffixes that begin with ָּת or נ.

The appearance of a dagesh serves as a clue that the missing root consonant could be a נ.

Forms of the verb ָּת�ן� occur over 2,000 times נin the Hebrew Bible.

Some nouns do not follow the standard rules for pluralization. Note the following irregular plural forms:The contraction of the stems for ַא�ִיל and ִיָּת� in the ַזplural form:

ram ַא�ִילַא�יל�ים

olive �ִיָּת ַז�יָּת�י ַזם

The identical singular and plural stems for the following singular and plural nouns:

warrior ��ָּב�ּו�ר ִּג ��ָּב�ּו�ר�ים ִּג

poor ַא�ָּב�יּו ן�י ַא�ָּב�יּו נ

:when pluralized ה� drop their III-root ה� Nouns ending inם

field ָׁש�ד�ה דּו�ָּת ָׁש�shepherd ר ָע�ה ר ָע�ים