Q&A: How do I know if a verb in Hebrew is Pa’al type, Piel type or other?

The short answer is that you fairly quickly develop an intuitive sense, from hearing (or reading) how other people use that verb. But if you’re looking for a broad rule of thumb to get you going, here it is:

• If it’s a simple, straightforward verb that doesn’t operate ‘on’ anything and just minds its own business, it’s probably pa’al — e.g.:
  • halakh (walked/went)
  • akhal (ate)
  • ra’ah (saw).
• It has certain passivity to it, it may be niph’al —the passive corollary to pa’al.  Examples:
  • nimtza (he/it is present); nir’eh (seen);
  • nistar (he/it is hidden);
  • norah (he/it was shot).
• If it involves a certain amount of manipulation, it’s probably pi’el — e.g.:
  • ibed et haadamah (worked the land);
  • ḥileq et hazman (divided the time).
    It is also almost invariably the binyan (construction) of choice for Hebraized verbs of foreign origin — e.g.:
  • tilphen (phoned);
  • simess (SMSed);
  • fibreq (fabricated).
• If it involves actually operating something that would otherwise be inanimate or work some other way, it’s hiph’il — e.g.:
  • hiph’il et ham’khonah (to operate the machine);
  • hitnia et ha’oto (to start the car).
• If it relates to the object at the receiving end of hiph’il: if it is clearly a passive thing that is operated on or manipulated by something else, it’s probably huph’al — e.g.:
  • hamekhonah huph’alah (the machine was operated);
  • hatziur hutxag bagaleriah (the painting was exhibited at the gallery).
• If it involves a certain repetition, reflection, or continuous action, it’s hitpa’el — e.g.:
  • histovev bareḥov (wandered around the street);
  • hakadur hitgalgel (the ball rolled);
  • hitpaél mehamar’ot (marvelled at the sights);
  • hitmalé bemaim (filled up with water).
• Last but least: pu’al, which is the passive corollary to pi’el — e.g.:
  • dubar (it was spoken/discussed);
  • supar (it was told).
    It is the rarest of all the binyanim, and somewhat literary or refined.

Here’s a summary table that you can cut out and keep:

Binyan*	Verb type	Examples	Corollary
pa’al פָּעָל	simple, active	okhel אוכל (eat) ro’eh רואה (see)	niph’al נפְעָל
niph’al נִפְעָל	passive corollary of pa’al	ne’ekhal נֶאֶכָל (eaten) nir’eh נִראֶה (seen)	pa’al פָּעָל
pi’el פִּעֵל	involving manipulation of something	me’abed מְעָבֵּד (processing) meḥaleq מְחָלֵק (dividing)	pu’al פּוּעָל
pu’al פּוּעָל	passive corollary of pi’el	dubbar דוּבָּר (spoken) turgam תוּרְגָם (translated)	pi’el פִּעֵל
hiph’il הִפְעִיל	involving operation of other things, people	lehaph’il להַפְעִיל (to operate [machinery]) lehadliq להַדְלִיק (to turn on)	huph’al הִוּפְעָל
huph’al הִוּפְעָל	passive corollary of hiph’il	hutzat הוּצָת (lit., sparked)	hiph’il הִפְעִיל
hitpa’el הִתְפָּעֵל	involving repetition, reflection, or continuous action	mitgalgel מתגלגל (rolling) mitmalé מתמלא (filling up)	–

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*Binyan in this context means “construction.”