Suffixes in Hebrew

Template:Details3 There are several suffixes in Hebrew which are appended to regular words to introduce a new meaning. In Hebrew, the letters which form these suffixes (excluding the plurals) are called "Formative Letters" (Hebrew: אוֹתִיּוֹת הַשִּׁמּוּשׁ, Otiyot HaShimush).

Suffixes in Hebrew are used to form plurals of nouns and adjectives, in verb conjugation of all tenses, and to indicate possession and direct objects. They are also used for the construct noun form.

Plurals

Due to noun-adjective agreement rules, plurals also apply to a noun's adjectival modifiers.

Suffix	Meaning	Examples
Template:Hebrew (Yud and Mem)	masculine plural	yamim (days) (ימים)
Template:Hebrew (Vav and Tav)	feminine plural	mitzvot (commandments) (מצוות)

Conjugation of Verbs

Suffix	Meaning	Examples
Template:Hebrew (Tav with Hiriq and Yodh)	When attached to a verb stem, indicates first person, singular, past tense. I did	katavti (I wrote)
Template:Hebrew (Tav with Kamatz)	When attached to a verb stem, indicates second person, masculine, singular, past tense. You did	katavta (you (sing. m.) wrote)
Template:Hebrew (Tav with Sh'va)	When attached to a verb stem, indicates second person, feminine, singular, past tense. You did	katavt (you (sing. f.) wrote)
Template:Hebrew (Nun and Vav with shuruk)	When attached to a verb stem, indicates first person, plural, past tense. We did	katavnu (we wrote)

Possessives and Direct objects

Suffix	Meaning	Examples
Template:Hebrew (Final Kaf with kamatz)	Second person, singular, masculine direct object or possessive. You, Your	yivarech'cha (He will bless you) b'khol l'vavikha uv'khol naf'shikha uv'khol m'odekha (with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your means)
Template:Hebrew (Nun and Vav with shuruk)	First person, plural direct object or possessive. Us, Our	asher kidishanu (who has sanctified us) avinu malkenu (our Father, our King)

Construct form

Suffix	Meaning	Examples
Template:Hebrew (Tav)	Changes a singular feminine noun to the construct form. of	torat Moshe (Torah of Moses)
Template:Hebrew (Yud)	Changes a plural masculine noun to the construct form. of	sifrei kedushah (Books of holiness)

Noun derivation

Suffix	Meaning	Examples
Template:Hebrew (Vav with holam and nun)	denotes a smaller version of something	sefer (book) → sifron (booklet) makhev (computer) → makhsevon (calculator) mitbakh (kitchen) → mitbakhon (kitchenette)

Loanwords

These sufixes (Hebrew: סוֹפִית sofit) often come from loanwords from English (Latin, Greek, etc...) which are especially prevalent with technical and academic terms.

Suffix	Origin	Hebrew	Meaning	Examples
-graphy	English	גְרַפְיָה- -grafya	field of study; writing	גֵּאוֹגְרַפְיָה geografya (hard g) geography קָלִיגְרַפְיָה caligrafya calligraphy
-ic/-ical	English	ִי- i	of or pertaining to	נוֹסְטַלְגִּי nostalgi nostalgic פּוֹלִיטִי politi political מִיתִי miti mythic(al)
-ian/-an/-ish	English	ִי- i	belonging to	רוּסִי rusi Russian אוּטוֹפִּי utopi utopian גֶּרְמָנִי germani (hard g) German בְּרִיטִי briti British פּוֹלִיטִיקַאי politikai politican קוֹמִיקַאי komikai comedian
-ar	English	ָרִי- ari	pertaining to	מוֹלֶקוּלָרִי molekulari molecular לִינֵאָרִי lineari linear קַוִּי kavi (means: line-pertaining to) linear
-ism	English	יזְם- -izm	movement; discriminatory belief	לִיבֶּרָלִיזְם liberalizm liberalism סֶקְסִיזְם seksizm sexism
-kinesis	Greek	קִינֶזִיס- -kinezis	movement, motion	טֶלֶקִינֶזִיס telekinezis telekinesis פְּסִיכוֹקִינֶזִיס pesichokinezis psychokinesis
-logy (and -ology)	English	לוֹגְיָה- -logya	branch of learning	בִּיוֹלוֹגְיָה bi'ologya (hard g) biology טְרִילוֹגְיָה trilogya trilogy
-mania	Greek	מַנְיָה- -manya	obsession	פִּירוֹמַנְיָה piromanya (means: pyro-mania) pyromania קְלֶפְּטוֹמַנְיָה kleptomanya (means: klepto-mania) kleptomania
-maniac	English	מָן- -man	person with obsession	פִּירוֹמָן piroman (means: pyro-maniac) pyromaniac קְלֶפְּטוֹמָן kleptoman (means: klepto-maniac) kleptomaniac
-oid	English	וֹאִיד- -o'id	similar, but not the same	אַנְדְּרוֹאִיד andro'id android הוּמָנוֹאִיד humano'id humanoid
-onym	English	וֹנִים- -onim	name	אֶפּוֹנִים eponim eponym הֶטְרוֹנִים hetronim heteronym
-scope	English	סְקוֹפּ- -skop	instrument for viewing	טֶלֶסְקוֹפּ teleskop telescope טְרַנְסְאַטְלַנְטִי mikroskop microscope
-esque	French	ֶסְקָה- -eska	resembling	בּוּרְלֶסְקָה burleska burlesque הוּמוֹרֶסְקָה humoreska humoresque גְּרוֹטֶסְקִי groteski grotesque
-y	-	יָה- -ya	having the quality of	קוֹמֶדְיָה komedya comedy הִיסְטוֹרְיָה historya history פִילוֹסוֹפְיָה filosofya philosophy
-meter	English	מֶטֶר- -meter	measuring device; units of measure	בָּרוֹמֶטֶר barometer barometer קִילוֹמֶטֶר kilometer kilometer
-nik	Yiddish	נִיק- nik	one connected with	מוֹשַׁבְנִיק moshavnik moshav member/resident נוּדְנִיק nudnik bothersome person

References

Hebrew Language: Root Words