Hitpa'el in the Past

Level 3

Past התפעל forms include התלבשתי, I got dressed, and התלבשה, she got dressed. The prefix is part of the pattern.

How It Works

The Get Dressed Family

Learn התלבשתי, התלבשת, התלבש, התלבשה, התלבשנו, התלבשתם, התלבשתן and התלבשו. Male and female singular התלבשת differ in pronunciation. The plural third-person form serves both הם and הן.

Meaning and Relationships

להתלבש describes getting dressed. Other התפעל verbs can express reciprocal actions, changes of state or ordinary lexical meanings; do not translate every verb with myself. התכתבתי עם דנה means I corresponded with Dana and keeps the verb’s עם relationship.

Actual Prefix Changes

The straightforward התלבש family is a useful starting point. Roots beginning with certain consonants produce forms such as השתמש and הסתכל, with a different written order. Learn those actual forms in their own entry. Negation is ordinary לא: לא התלבשתי.

Examples (4)

  1. התלבשתי מהר.

    I got dressed quickly.

    תי identifies I in the past.

  2. היא התלבשה לפני העבודה.

    She got dressed before work.

    התלבשה is third-person feminine.

  3. אנחנו התלבשנו בבית.

    We got dressed at home.

    נו identifies we.

  4. הם לא התלבשו עדיין.

    They have not got dressed yet.

    The plural past is negated with לא.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding a past ending to the present מת-form.

    מתלבשתי מהר.
    התלבשתי מהר.

    Use the past התלבש stem with תי.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Hitpa'el in the PastLevel 3

Learn This First

Add person-marked past forms to familiar Hitpa'el vocabulary.