Geminate verbs ע״ע ‘ayin-‘ayin
In verbs whose second and third root letters are the same, the two letters merge in many forms. When a vowel follows, the single letter is dotted to show the doubling (קַלּוּ); at the end of a word it stays one letter (תַּם). Some forms, like the participle, write all three (הַסֹּבֵב going around, Gen 2:11). This page shows these forms one by one in words actually used in the Bible.
the third letter repeats the ע (second) letter
Colour key blue = added at the front · orange = added at the end · purple = a mark inside (dot · doubled letter · changed vowel) · underline = the word this page is about
1What geminate verbs are
Some verbs have identical second and third root letters — ס-ב-ב (turn, go around) · ק-ל-ל (be light, curse) · א-ר-ר (curse) · ת-מ-ם (be complete, come to an end) · ח-ל-ל (begin, Hiphil) · ח-נ-ן (be gracious) · ג-ל-ל (roll). These are geminate verbs.
They are weak because in many forms the two identical letters merge and are written only once. When a vowel follows, that one letter gets a dot (dagesh) to show it is doubled (קַלּוּ qallu); at the end of a word it stays a single letter with no dot (תַּם tam). So only two root letters are visible.
In Genesis 2, הַסֹּבֵב (2:11), the river that “goes around” the land, is such a verb. The participle writes both letters, so the root is plain there.
2Where the name comes from — ע״ע ‘Ayin-‘Ayin
Traditional grammar names the root positions after the model verb פָּעַל (pa‘al); the second position is ע (‘ayin). Because the third letter repeats the second (the ע slot), these are called ‘Ayin-‘Ayin (ע״ע).
English grammars call them geminate (“twin”) verbs, Double-‘Ayin, or II=III. Lexicons list them with all three letters, סָבַב.
3At a glance — four signs of a geminate verb
- Dot in the second letter + vowel endingWhen a vowel follows, the merged letter is dotted — קַלּוּ (they had abated, Gen 8:11).
- A single letter at the endNo dot, one letter; only two root letters show — תַּם (is spent, Gen 47:18).
- Two kinds of imperfectיָ (ya) + a single letter — וַיָּגֶל (he rolled, 29:10), or יִ + a dot in the first letter — וַיִּסֹּב (he turned, 42:24).
- Participle and lexical form: three lettersBoth letters are written — הַסֹּבֵב (going around, 2:11).
4Paradigm — סבב (turn, go around)
The main forms of the Qal and other stems. Purple marks the merged pair (a dot means it is doubled) or the doubled first letter. Where a cell has two forms, both are used in the Bible.
| Form | סבב | Reading | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qal perfect (he) | סַב · סָבַב | sav · savav | short form (one letter) · full form (three letters) |
| Qal perfect (she) | סַבָּה | sabbah | dotted before a vowel |
| Qal perfect (they) | סַבּוּ | sabbu | dotted before a vowel |
| Qal perfect (I) | סַבּוֹתִי | sabboti | linking vowel וֹ keeps the doubling |
| Qal imperfect (he) | יָסֹב · יִסֹּב | yasov · yissov | יָ + one letter · יִ + doubled first letter |
| wayyiqtol (and he) | וַיָּסָב · וַיִּסֹּב | vayyasov · vayyissov | the final ָ of וַיָּסָב is a short “o” |
| imperative (2ms) | סֹב | sov | |
| infinitive construct | סֹב | sov | |
| participle (ms) | סֹבֵב | sovev | all three letters written |
| passive participle | סָבוּב | savuv | all three letters written |
| Niphal perfect (he) | נָסַב | nasav | prefix vowel ָ |
| Niphal imperfect (he) | יִסַּב | yissav | Niphal dot in the first letter |
| Hiphil perfect (he) | הֵסֵב | hesev | prefix vowel ֵ |
| Hiphil imperfect (he) | יָסֵב | yasev | prefix vowel ָ |
| Hophal perfect (he) | הוּסַב | husav |
Geminate forms closely resemble those of hollow verbs (יָקוּם הֵקִים), since both roots have in effect only two sounding consonants. How to tell them apart is under “Easy to confuse.”
5Why — the sound reasons
- 1. Two identical sounds run togetherTwo identical consonants with no vowel between them are pronounced once, long (doubled). Hebrew writes this not as two letters but as one letter + a dot → סַבּוּ (sabbu).
- 2. Doubling cannot be heard at the end of a wordAt the very end of a word a doubled sound cannot be made, so no dot is written → סַב, תַּם. From the end alone the root seems to have two letters.
- 3. A linking vowel before consonantal endingsBefore an ending that begins with a consonant (“I” תִּי), a linking “o” (Qal וֹ · Hiphil ֹ) is inserted to keep the doubling → סַבּוֹתִי, הֲרֵעֹתֶם (Gen 43:6).
- 4. The imperfect fills the first syllable in two waysWith in effect two consonants the prefix stands in an open syllable. One way lengthens its vowel to ָ like a hollow verb (יָסֹב); the other doubles the first letter to close the syllable (יִסֹּב). Both occur in the Bible.
- 5. Gutturals cannot doubleGutturals like ר ח take no dot, so where doubling is due the preceding vowel lengthens instead → וַיֵּרַע (21:11, ֵ rather than ִ).
6Qal perfect — short form · dot · full form
tam — (the money) is spent
Qal perfect (he): the second and third letters of ת-מ-ם (מ ם) have merged into one, and at the end of the word there is no dot. “Our money is spent.”
YLVAnd that year was ended, and they came to him in the second year and said to him, "We will not hide from my lord that the silver is spent, and the livestock of the cattle is my lord's; there is nothing left before my lord except our bodies and our ground (adamah).
qallu — (the waters) had abated
Qal perfect (they): קַ + לּ (the two לs merged; dot = doubling) + וּ (they). Root ק-ל-ל (be light → abate). The vowel ending וּ makes the doubling audible, so the dot is written. The ַ before a doubled letter stays short.
YLVAnd the dove came in to him at the time of evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had abated from upon the earth.
ḥanan — (God) has graciously given
The full form of the Qal perfect (he): all three letters of ח-נ-ן are written (ן is the final form of נ). Geminate verbs also use full forms like a strong verb. “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.”
YLVAnd he lifted up his eyes and saw the women (ishah) and the children, and said, "Who are these to you?" And he said, "The children whom God has graciously given to your servant."
vegalalu — and they would roll
Weqatal: וְ (and) + גָלֲל (all three letters) + וּ. A very short vowel (hateph patah ֲ) between the two לs keeps them apart. “They would roll the stone from the mouth of the well.” וַיָּגֶל in 29:10 is the short form of the same verb.
YLVAnd all the flocks were gathered there, and they rolled the stone from upon the mouth of the well, and watered the sheep, and put the stone back upon the mouth of the well in its place.
7Imperfect · wayyiqtol — two patterns
vayyagel — and he rolled
First pattern: וַיָּ (prefix vowel ָ) + גֶל (a single merged ל) — the same shape as the hollow וַיָּשֶׂם (2:8). Jacob rolls the stone from the well.
YLVAnd it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob drew near, and rolled the stone from upon the mouth of the well, and watered the sheep of Laban his mother's brother.
vayyissov — and he turned away
Second pattern: וַיִּ + סֹּ (the first root letter ס doubled, with a dot) + ב (the merged ב). Root ס-ב-ב. Like a Niphal imperfect it has a dot in the first letter, but it is Qal. “He turned away from them and wept.”
YLVAnd he turned about from them and wept; and he returned to them and spoke to them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.
vayyittom — and (the money) was spent
Second pattern: וַיִּ + תֹּ (first letter doubled) + ם. The same root ת-מ-ם as the perfect תַּם in 47:18. “When the money was spent in the land of Egypt and Canaan.”
YLVAnd when the silver was spent from the land of Egypt and from the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph, saying, "Give us bread; and why should we die before you? For the silver has failed."
vatteqal — and (her mistress) was despised
Wayyiqtol of a stative verb: וַתֵּ (she — prefix vowel ֵ) + קַל. Root ק-ל-ל (be light), as in קַלּוּ (8:11). “Her mistress was light (despised) in her eyes.”
YLVAnd he went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and she saw that she had conceived, and her mistress was diminished in her eyes.
tesubbenah — (they) gathered around
Qal imperfect (they, f): תְ + סֻ + בֶּ (the two בs merged, dotted) + ינָה (they f). A linking ֶי before the ending נָה keeps the doubling. In Joseph’s dream the brothers’ sheaves (feminine plural) “gathered around” and bowed.
YLVfor behold, we were binding sheaves in the midst of the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came round about and bowed down to my sheaf."
8Participle · infinitive · Niphal · Hiphil
hassovev — which goes around
Qal participle with the article: הַ (the, which) + סֹּבֵב. The participle writes both בs, so the root ס-ב-ב is plain. The dot in ס comes from the article הַ. “Pishon — it goes around the whole land of Havilah.” In 2:13 it is spelled הַסּוֹבֵב, writing “o” with וֹ.
YLVThe name of the first is Pishon; it is the one surrounding all the land of Havilah, where there is gold.
’arur — cursed
Qal passive participle: אָר + וּ (the passive “u”) + ר. Both רs of א-ר-ר are visible. “Cursed are you ….”
YLVAnd YHWH God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the cattle and above every living thing (chai) of the field; upon your belly you shall go, and dust (aphar) you shall eat all the days of your life (chai).
’a’or — I will curse
Qal imperfect (I): אָ (I — prefix vowel ָ) + אֹר (the first root letter א + a single merged ר). The same א-ר-ר, now with only one ר left. “Him who curses you I will curse.”
YLVAnd I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and in you shall be blessed all the families of the ground (adamah)."
larov — to multiply
לָ (to) + the infinitive construct רֹב. The two בs of ר-ב-ב (multiply) have merged. With הֵחֵל (began) in the same verse: “when man began to multiply on the face of the ground.”
YLVAnd it came to pass, when man (adam) began to multiply upon the face of the ground (adamah), and daughters were born to them,
nasabbu — (they) surrounded
Niphal perfect (they): נָ (Niphal prefix — ָ in geminates) + סַבּ (merged ב with a dot) + וּ. “The men of Sodom surrounded the house.” The Niphal of this verb means “gather around, surround.”
YLVBefore they lay down, the men (ish) of the city, the men (ish) of Sodom, surrounded the house, from young to old, all the people from every quarter.
heḥel — (he) began
Hiphil perfect (he): הֵ (Hiphil prefix with ֵ) + חֵל (a single merged ל). The Hiphil of ח-ל-ל → “begin.” Unlike the strong Hiphil הִקְטִיל, there is no ִי, and the prefix is הֵ.
YLVAnd it came to pass, when man (adam) began to multiply upon the face of the ground (adamah), and daughters were born to them,
haḥillam — their beginning
Hiphil infinitive construct + suffix: הַ + חִלָּ (merged ל with a dot) + ם (their). In הֵחֵל (6:1) the ל was single at the end of the word; with the suffix the doubling is heard and dotted. “This is what they have begun to do.”
YLVAnd YHWH said, "Behold, one people, and one language for all of them; and this they begin to do, and now nothing will be withheld from them which they purpose to do.
9Easy to confuse
Confusing it with a hollow verb. וַיָּגֶל (29:10) and וַיָּשֶׂם (2:8) look alike. A geminate shows a dot when a vowel ending is added (קַלּוּ) and has a three-letter participle (סֹבֵב); a hollow verb has the vowel letter וּ ִי וֹ in that slot (קוּם). Checking the lexical form settles it.
Confusing it with the Niphal. וַיִּסֹּב (42:24) has a dot in the first letter like a Niphal imperfect (יִקָּרֵא), but it is Qal. A Niphal shows all three root letters after the dot; this word shows only two.
In the Piel and Polel all three letters show. לְקַלֵּל (to curse, 8:21) is a Piel infinitive with three לs (the Piel dot in the middle one). Geminates also use Polel-type forms — לְהִתְגֹּלֵל (to fall upon, 43:18, Hithpolel).
Gutturals like ר ע get no dot where doubling is due. וַיֵּרַע (and it was displeasing, 21:11) is from ר-ע-ע; ר cannot double, so the prefix vowel lengthens to ֵ.