# למדתם



## Just in time

Hello, everyone. Why is למדתם pronounced lemadetem and not lamadatem? What's even more puzzling is the singular, למדת, is pronounced lamadeta, not lemadeta.

Thank you.


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## slus

This is the way a verb in binyan פעל is constructed. The past plural forms begin with Shva Na. All other past forms begin with Patah.


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## Just in time

Thank you. However, I think I have heard people pronounce למדנו as lamadnu instead of lemadnu.


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## elroy

In my experience, all forms are pronounced with “a” colloquially.


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## LXNDR

There's also difference in stress between the normative and colloquial pronunciation of the 2nd person plural forms.

In the normative the stress falls on the last syllable _lemadtEm/n_ while in colloquial it falls on the penultimate syllable, that's why it's easier to pronounce *Е* in the former and *A* in the latter

To be exact, in other past forms the 1st syllable is vocalized with Kamatz


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## elroy

LXNDR said:


> that's why it's easier to pronounce *Е* in the former and *A* in the latter


 Can you elaborate?  It doesn’t seem to me that changing the stress makes either sound easier to pronounce than the other.


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## LXNDR

I can't reason from Hebrew phonology perspective. I will quote Wikipedia



> בתקופת העברית הקלאסית (ואולי רק בתקופת הניקוד הטברני) תנועות שהיו מרוחקות מן הטעם הראשי במילה התקצרו ונהגו כתנועות קצרות יותר


שווא – ויקיפדיה

What would be another explanation of Kamatz change into Shwa?


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## Just in time

If I wanted to say "you decided" to a man, I would say "h*i*khlateta". If I were talking to a group of men, would I say "h*i*khlatetem" or "h*e*khlatetem"?


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## Drink

The rule above does not apply here. In Hif'il verbs, a similar rule would only apply to hollow roots (_hevánta_ but _havantém_; the tzere becomes a chataf patach).

For the verb _lehachlit_, the rule above does not apply, because the first syllable is closed. However, because of the ח, it is actually _hechlit_ instead of _hichlit_, and thus _hechlát(e)ta_ and _hechlat(e)tém_.


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## Just in time

תודה חמה ממני!


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## Ali Smith

Another example: hevanta (2ms) and hevant (2fs) but havantem (2mp) and havanten (2fp). They are all derived from להבין _lehavin_ (to understand).


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