Let’s be honest — when you start to learn Hebrew, verbs can feel like a maze. You spot words like לומד, לומדת, לומדים… and wonder, are those even the same verb?
Good news: they are! Even better news? The present tense Hebrew verbs system is one of the most straightforward to learn — once you understand the basic patterns. It’s all about how they change based on gender and number, not tense.
In this grammar guide, we’ll show how Hebrew present tense verbs work — so you can start using them in conversation, journaling, or voice notes right away.
Why Start with the Present Tense?
If you're just beginning your Hebrew journey, present tense is where the action happens.
- It’s the most used tense in everyday speech
- It lets you express what you’re doing right now
- You’ll find it in basic greetings, introductions, and small talk
✅ Hebrew for beginners tip: Mastering the present tense gives you the foundation to build future and past tense later — it’s your launchpad.
Hebrew Verbs in the Present Are Like Adjectives
This is a unique feature of Hebrew: present tense verbs act a lot like adjectives. That means they change based on the subject’s gender and number, not on tense. In Hebrew, every verb belongs to a binyan (verb pattern), but as a beginner, you only need to focus on one: Pa'al (פעל) — the most common binyan. Let’s take the verb ללמוד (lilmod) – to learn — and see how it looks in the present tense:
| Subject | Hebrew | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| אני (m) | לומד | lomed | I learn (male) |
| אני (f) | לומדת | lomedet | I learn (female) |
| אתה | לומד | ata lomed | You learn (male) |
| את | לומדת | at lomedet | You learn (female) |
| הוא | לומד | hu lomed | He learns |
| היא | לומדת | hi lomedet | She learns |
| אנחנו (m) | לומדים | lomdim | We learn (m/mixed) |
| אנחנו (f) | לומדות | lomdot | We learn (f) |
Want to understand how these verbs connect with sentence structure? See our guide to Hebrew prepositions.
Notice the endings?
- -ים (-im) → masculine plural
- -ות (-ot) → feminine plural
- -ת (-et) → feminine singular
No ending (or just base root) → masculine singular
Common Present Tense Verbs in Hebrew
Here’s a cheat sheet with other useful verbs in the present tense (masculine singular form):
| Infinitive | Hebrew (m.s.) | English |
|---|---|---|
| לאכול (le'ekhol) | אוכל (okhel) | eat |
| ללכת (lalekhet) | הולך (holekh) | go / walk |
| לשתות (lishtot) | שותה (shoteh) | drink |
| לעבוד (la'avod) | עובד (oved) | work |
| לקרוא (likro) | קורא (kore) | read |
| לכתוב (likhtov) | כותב (kotev) | write |
| לדבר (ledaber) | מדבר (medaber) | speak |
✅ Practice tip: Pick one verb each day and say it in all 4 forms — I (m/f), we (m/f). Repetition builds fluency.
How to Use Present Tense in a Sentence
Here’s a basic structure to get you started:
[Subject] + [Verb in Present Tense] + [Object/Complement]
Examples:
- אני לומדת עברית (ani lomedet ivrit) – I (female) learn Hebrew
- הוא אוכל תפוח (hu okhel tapuach) – He is eating an apple
- אנחנו כותבים מכתב (anachnu kotvim mikhtav) – We (male/mixed) are writing a letter
Notice how we don’t need an auxiliary verb like “am” or “is” — the Hebrew present tense stands on its own. Need help with gender forms? Check out our simple rules for masculine and feminine in Hebrew — they’ll help you avoid mix-ups.
Mistakes to Watch Out For (I Made These Too!)
When I first started, I confused these forms constantly. Here are some common beginner slips:
- Wrong gender: Saying אני לומד when you're female — should be אני לומדת
- Wrong plural: Mixing לומדים and לומדות
- Forgetting the root verb: Not recognizing that לומד, לומדת, לומדים, and לומדות all come from ללמוד
✅ Hebrew language tip: Practice with a partner and correct each other — it’s much easier to catch these slips when you say them out loud.
A Quick Practice Exercise
Try filling in the blanks:
- אני (f) ______ עברית. → (I learn Hebrew)
- הם ______ ספר. → (They are reading a book)
- את ______ מים? → (Are you drinking water?)
- אנחנו (f) ______ ביחד. → (We are working together)
Answers:
- לומדת
- קוראים
- שותה
- עובדות
Expand Your Skills: What’s Next?
Once you’re comfortable with the present tense, you’ll be ready to:
Build full conversations
Ask and answer questions
Transition to past and future tenses
But don’t rush! Stick with present tense until it feels easy and natural.
Final Takeaway: Practice a Tiny Sentence Today
Hebrew present tense verbs are like puzzle pieces. Once you learn how to fit them with your subject (gender and number), everything clicks.
So here’s your challenge for today:
➡️ Pick one verb from this article
➡️ Conjugate it in masculine/feminine singular + plural
➡️ Use it in a simple Hebrew sentence aloud
You don’t need to be perfect — you just need to keep showing up. Because every word you speak gets you one step closer to fluency.