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Qal Perfect — I-Guttural (Pe-Guttural) Paradigms

Full inflection tables for I-guttural roots in the Qal Perfect. Note: The Perfect is largely unaffected by the guttural at R1. The effects are most visible in the Imperfect (Ch16).

I-guttural (ע): עָמַד (stand)

Person Form Notes
3ms עָמַד Regular qamets-patach; no change from strong
3fs עָמְדָה Shewa under ע (not dagesh — gutturals cannot take dagesh)
2ms עָמַדְתָּ Regular
2fs עָמַדְתְּ Regular
1cs עָמַדְתִּי Regular
3cp עָמְדוּ Shewa under R1
2mp עֲמַדְתֶּם Chateph-patach (not simple shewa) under ע
2fp עֲמַדְתֶּן Same as 2mp; nun final
1cp עָמַדְנוּ Regular

Key principle: In the Perfect, the guttural at R1 cannot take a silent shewa — it takes a chateph (composite) shewa instead. But the patach/qamets vowel pattern of the root remains essentially the same as the strong paradigm. The Perfect is largely transparent for I-guttural roots; the major effects appear in the Imperfect.

I-guttural (א): אָמַר (say)

Person Form Notes
3ms אָמַר Regular qamets-patach
3fs אָמְרָה Shewa under א; aleph takes silent shewa here (א can take silent shewa before consonant)
2ms אָמַרְתָּ Regular
2fs אָמַרְתְּ Regular
1cs אָמַרְתִּי Regular
3cp אָמְרוּ Shewa under א
2mp אֲמַרְתֶּם Chateph-patach under א
2fp אֲמַרְתֶּן Same
1cp אָמַרְנוּ Regular

I-guttural (ח): חָשַׁב (think, plan)

Person Form Notes
3ms חָשַׁב Regular
3fs חָשְׁבָה Shewa under ח
2ms חָשַׁבְתָּ Regular
2fs חָשַׁבְתְּ Regular
1cs חָשַׁבְתִּי Regular
3cp חָשְׁבוּ Shewa under ח
2mp חֲשַׁבְתֶּם Chateph-patach under ח
1cp חָשַׁבְנוּ Regular

Strong Paradigm — Comparison

Person Strong (קָטַל) I-gutt. ע (עָמַד) I-gutt. א (אָמַר)
3ms קָטַל עָמַד אָמַר
3fs קָטְלָה עָמְדָה אָמְרָה
2ms קָטַלְתָּ עָמַדְתָּ אָמַרְתָּ
2fs קָטַלְתְּ עָמַדְתְּ אָמַרְתְּ
1cs קָטַלְתִּי עָמַדְתִּי אָמַרְתִּי
3cp קָטְלוּ עָמְדוּ אָמְרוּ
2mp קְטַלְתֶּם עֲמַדְתֶּם אֲמַרְתֶּם
1cp קָטַלְנוּ עָמַדְנוּ אָמַרְנוּ

Observation: The only consistent difference from the strong paradigm is that: (1) R1 takes chateph-patach (not simple shewa) in forms where shewa normally appears, and (2) compensatory lengthening occurs when a dagesh forte would have been expected in R1. These are subtle; the I-guttural Perfect is one of the least-disruptive weak classes.