The passive “ intensive ” form: פֻּעַל

The Basic Form

You can identify this passive version of פִּעֵל by applying the following rules of thumb:

There is almost always a dot of emphasis – a דָּגֵשׁ – that appears in the second letter of the root. Two exceptions: when the root is composed of four letters (usually a foreign root), and when the second root letter makes a guttural sound, making such emphasis difficult for native speakers to pronounce (such as the letter ע in פֻּעַל).

In the past tense, the three letters of the root appear first in the word, but unlike the קל form, there is almost always a דגש in the second letter of the root, as in הַכֶּסֶף שֻׁלָּם (the money was paid).

In all three major tenses, there is an oo-ah or oh-ah vowel rhyming pattern.

Witness these patterns as you review the chart below, which lays out all the possibilities of the verb מְדֻבָּר (spoken of) in past, present and future tenses:

ציווי imperative	עתיד future	הווה present	עבר past
	אֲדֻבַּר	מְדֻבָּר, מְדֻבֶּרֶת	דֻּבַּרְתִּי	אני
	נְדֻבַּר	מְדֻבָּרִים, מְדֻבָּרוֹת	דֻּבַּרְנוּ	אנחנו
	תְּדֻבַּר	מְדֻבָּר	דֻּבַּרְתָּ	אתה
	תְּדֻבְּרִי	מְדֻבֶּרֶת	דֻּבַּרְתְּ	את
	תְּדֻבְּרוּ	מְדֻבָּרִים	דֻּבַּרְתֶּם	אתם
	תְּדֻבְּרוּ	מְדֻבָּרוֹת	דֻּבַּרְתֶּן	אתן
	יְדֻבַּר	מְדֻבָּר	דֻּבָּר	הוא
	תְּדֻבַּר	מְדֻבֶּרֶת	דֻּבְּרָה	היא
	יְדֻבְּרוּ	מְדֻבָּרִים	דֻּבְּרוּ	הם
	יְדֻבְּרוּ	מְדֻבָּרוֹת	דֻּבְּרוּ	הן

 

As in any spoken language, things that are difficult for native speakers to pronounce get altered. So there will be roots that don’t fit into the neat table of פועל above.