The nifal stem represents simple action in the passive voice (as opposed to the qal which is simple action in the active voice). video or Gesenius
A QTL will have a nun prefix; in the YQTL, the nifal is characterized by the nifal triangle. more
See these videos for the nuances of verbs in this stem. Translating the nifal:
Nifal QTLs
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Gloss |
masculine singular third person | נִקְטַל | he was killed |
feminine singular third person | נִקְטְלָה | she was killed |
masculine singular second person | נִקְטַלְתָּ | you were killed |
feminine singular second person | נִקְטַלְתְּ | you were killed |
common singular first person | נִקְטַלְתִּי | I was killed |
common plural third person | נִקְטְלוּ | they were killed |
masculine plural second person | נִקְטַלְתֶּם | you were killed |
feminine plural second person | נִקְטַלְתֶּן | you were killed |
common plural first person | נִקְטַלְתֶּנוּ | we were killed |
Nifal YQTLs
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Gloss |
masculine singular third person | יִקָּטֵל | he will be killed |
feminine singular third person | תִּקָּטֵל | she will be killed |
masculine singular second person | תִּקָּטֵל | you will be killed |
feminine singular second person | תִּקָּטְלִי | you will be killed |
common singular first person | אֶקָּטֵל | I will be killed |
masculine plural third person | יִקָּטְלוּ | they will be killed |
feminine plural third person | תִּקָּטַלְנָה | they will be killed |
masculine plural second person | תִּקָּטְלוּ | you will be killed |
feminine plural second person | תִּקָּטַלְנָה | you will be killed |
common plural first person | נִקָּטֵל | we will be killed |
Nifal QTL with conjunction
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Gloss |
masculine singular third person | וְנִקְטַל | (and) he will be killed |
feminine singular third person | וְנִקְטְלָה | (and) she will be killed |
masculine singular second person | וְנִקְטַלְתָּ | (and) you will be killed |
feminine singular second person | וְנִקְטַלְתְּ | (and) you will be killed |
common singular first person | וְנִקְטַלְתִּי | (and) I will be killed |
common plural third person | וְנִקְטְלוּ | (and) they will be killed |
masculine plural second person | וְנִקְטַלְתֶּם | (and) you will be killed |
feminine plural second person | וְנִקְטַלְתֶּן | (and) you will be killed |
common plural first person | וְנִקְטַלְתֶּנוּ | (and) we will be killed |
Nifal YQTL with vav-conversive
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Gloss |
masculine singular third person | וַיִּקָּטֵל | (and) he was killed |
feminine singular third person | וַתִּקָּטֵל | (and) she was killed |
masculine singular second person | וַתִּקָּטֵל | (and) you were killed |
feminine singular second person | וַתִּקָּטְלִי | (and) you were killed |
common singular first person | וָאֶקָּטֵל | (and) I was killed |
masculine plural third person | וַיִּקָּטְלוּ | (and) they were killed |
feminine plural third person | וַתִּקָּטַלְנָה | (and) they were killed |
masculine plural second person | וַתִּקָּטְלוּ | (and) you were killed |
feminine plural second person | וַתִּקָּטַלְנָה | (and) you were killed |
common plural first person | וַנִּקָּטֵל | (and) we were killed |
Nifal infinitives
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Gloss |
Infinitive Construct | הִקָּטֵל | be killed |
Infinitive Absolute | הִקָּטֹל / נִקְטֹל | be killed |
Nifal imperatives
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Gloss |
masculine singular | הִקָּטֵל | you must be killed |
feminine singular | הִקָּטְלִי | you must be killed |
masculine plural | הִקָּטְלוּ | you must be killed |
feminine plural | הִקָּטַלְנָה | you must be killed |
The jussive in the Nifal is recognizable only for select verbs. Here the sample verb is גָּלָה (to uncover), where the third letter (ה) has dropped out.
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Gloss |
masculine singular third person | יִגָּל | may he be uncovered |
feminine singular third person | תִּגָּל | may she be uncovered |
masculine singular second person | תִּגָּל | may you be uncovered |
feminine singular second person | תִּגָּלִי | may you be uncovered |
masculine plural third person | יִגָּלוּ | may they be uncovered |
feminine plural third person | תִּגָּלְנָה | may they be uncovered |
masculine plural second person | תִּגָּלוּ | may you be uncovered |
feminine plural second person | תִּגָּלְנָה | may you be uncovered |
Nifal cohortative
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Gloss |
common singular | אֶקָּטֵלָה | let me be killed |
common plural | נִקָּטֵלָה | let us be killed |
Nifal participles
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Gloss |
masculine singular | נִקְטָל | being killed |
feminine singular | נִקְטָלָה | being killed |
masculine plural | נִקְטָלִים | being killed |
feminine plural | נִקְטָלוֹת | being killed |