Biblical Hebrew Forum

[kwrandolph <kwrandolph AT email.com>]

Chris:

Think of how you learned weak verbs in your native tongue. Then 
transfer that over to Biblical Hebrew.

As for me, I just started reading, using an analytical lexicon. After 
a few times through Tanakh, my analytical lexicon was falling apart 
with pages scattering to the winds, but I had learned most of the 
irregular verb forms, including all the most common ones, and a feel 
for how to track down the roots for the less common ones, so I no 
longer need the analytical lexicon.

This was not a scholarly method and I don't recommend it for class. 
But I had studied only two semesters of Biblical Hebrew because I 
wanted to read Tanakh, and I was doing that. If you need to learn it 
quickly for class, there may be a more appropriate method, but for 
simple understanding Tanakh on one's own time, I found this a way to 
accomplish my goal without getting frustrated.

To you teachers out there, I can hear you cringing, even through your 
keyboards just from your hands touching them.

This is not a shortcut, but I hope it helps.

Karl W. Randolph.