Nifal נִפְעַל
Nifal is the binyan that often supplies the passive or intransitive counterpart of a paal verb. In Israeli speech it is also simply how a large set of verbs such as נִכְנַס, נִשְׁאַר, and נִרְאָה are stored.
Read a nun prefix on the past and present as nifal, and learn for each verb whether the sense is passive, intransitive, or just the normal meaning.
Past and present masculine singular share a nun prefix in unvowelled spelling: נִכְתַּב, נִכְנַס, נִשְׁבַּר. The infinitive uses לְהִפָּעֵל, as in לְהִכָּנֵס and לְהִכָּתֵב. Future forms drop the heard nun and geminate the first root letter in pointed text: יִכָּנֵס, יִכָּתֵב.
| Hebrew | Transliteration | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| הַמִּכְתָּב נִכְתַּב בְּעִבְרִית | hamikhtav nikhtav be'ivrit | The letter was written in Hebrew | |
| אֲנִי נִכְנָס לַחֶדֶר | ani nikhnas lakheder | I am going into the room | |
| הַכּוֹס נִשְׁבְּרָה | hakos nishberah | The glass broke |
| Tense | m.sg | f.sg | m.pl |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present | נִכְנָס | נִכְנֶסֶת | נִכְנָסִים |
| Past | נִכְנַס | נִכְנְסָה | נִכְנְסוּ |
| Future | יִכָּנֵס | תִּכָּנֵס | יִכָּנְסוּ |
Some nifal verbs are true passives of paal: נִכְתַּב beside כָּתַב, נִמְכַּר beside מָכַר. Others are middle or intransitive: הַדֶּלֶת נִפְתְּחָה, הַחַלּוֹן נִסְגַּר. A third group is just the normal verb: נִכְנַס, נִשְׁאַר, נוֹלַד, נִפְגַּשׁ. Check the meaning in context instead of forcing “was done.”
| Hebrew | Transliteration | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| הוּא נוֹלַד בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם | hu nolad birushalayim | He was born in Jerusalem | |
| נִשְׁאַרְנוּ בַּבַּיִת | nisha'arnu babayit | We stayed home | |
| הַדֶּלֶת נִפְתְּחָה לְבַד | hadelat niftekhah levad | The door opened by itself |
Present nifal agrees in gender and number like an adjective: נִרְאֶה, נִרְאֵית, נִרְאִים, נִרְאוֹת. That present is also how Israelis say “it seems” or “is visible.” Pair it with the right complement: נִרְאֶה שֶׁ, נִמְצָא בְּ, נִשְׁמָע כְּמוֹ.
| Hebrew | Transliteration | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| זֶה נִרְאֶה טוֹב | ze nir'eh tov | That looks good | |
| הַמַּפְתֵּחַ נִמְצָא עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן | hamafteakh nimtza al hashulkhan | The key is on the table | |
| זֶה נִשְׁמָע מְעַנְיֵן | ze nishma me'anyen | That sounds interesting |
Exceptions
Future spelling hides the nun
Unvowelled future nifal can look like a paal or hifil until you know the verb. יכנס in a “will enter” context is יִכָּנֵס, not a paal. Learn infinitives as a set with their future so the missing nun does not send you to the wrong binyan.
Some roots are nifal-only in daily use
Verbs such as נִכְנַס and נוֹלַד are not used as everyday paal counterparts with the same meaning. Do not invent כָּנַס for “he entered.” Keep the nifal form you hear.
| בּוֹא נִכָּנֵס | bo nikanes | Come, let us go in |
Common mistakes
אֲנִי כּוֹנֵס לַחֶדֶר → אֲנִי נִכְנָס לַחֶדֶר
“Enter” in Israeli Hebrew is nifal נִכְנַס, not a paal from the same root.
הַכּוֹס שָׁבְרָה אֶת עַצְמָהּ → הַכּוֹס נִשְׁבְּרָה
The intransitive “broke” is nifal; a reflexive object is the wrong frame.
הַמִּכְתָּב כָּתַב בְּעִבְרִית → הַמִּכְתָּב נִכְתַּב בְּעִבְרִית
When the letter is the subject, use nifal נִכְתַּב, not active כָּתַב.
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