Rotze lilmod: the infinitive through le-
To say "to do something", put le- before the root: lilmod — to learn, laavod — to work, lishtot — to drink. This is the infinitive, and it never changes for gender or number. For example: “אני רוצה ללמוד עברית.” — I want to learn Hebrew. A rule from the Hebrew course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
To say "to do something", put le- before the root: lilmod — to learn, laavod — to work, lishtot — to drink. This is the infinitive, and it never changes for gender or number.
The infinitive follows the words that open an action: rotze — want, tzarich — need, efshar — may, ohev — love. Ani rotze lilmod — I want to learn. Tzarich leshalem — the bill must be paid.
The vowel of the prefix shifts with the sound after it: li- in lilmod, la- in laavod, le- in leshalem. The root inside does not change, so a root you know is easy to spot in the infinitive too.
Table
| verb | infinitive | How it reads | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| learn | ללמוד | lilmod | to learn |
| work | לעבוד | laavod | to work |
| drink | לשתות | lishtot | to drink |
| pay | לשלם | leshalem | to pay |
| choose | לבחור | livchor | to choose |
By example
- אני רוצה ללמוד עברית.ани роце лилмод иврит.I want to learn Hebrew.
- אני צריך לשלם חשבון.ани царих лешалем хешбон.I need to pay the bill.
- אפשר להיכנס?эфшар лехиканес?May I come in?
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
How to say I want to learn in Hebrew?
To say "to do something", put le- before the root: lilmod — to learn, laavod — to work, lishtot — to drink. This is the infinitive, and it never changes for gender or number.
The infinitive in Hebrew?
The vowel of the prefix shifts with the sound after it: li- in lilmod, la- in laavod, le- in leshalem. The root inside does not change, so a root you know is easy to spot in the infinitive too.
Why laavod and not liavod?
To say "to do something", put le- before the root: lilmod — to learn, laavod — to work, lishtot — to drink. This is the infinitive, and it never changes for gender or number.
How to say need to do in Hebrew?
To say "to do something", put le- before the root: lilmod — to learn, laavod — to work, lishtot — to drink. This is the infinitive, and it never changes for gender or number.
What does it look like in a Hebrew example sentence?
“אני רוצה ללמוד עברית.” (ани роце лилмод иврит.) — I want to learn Hebrew. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.