עשה

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
ע־שׂ־ה (ʿ-s-h)
5 terms

Compare Ugaritic 𐎓𐎌𐎊 (ʿšy, to make, work).

Pronunciation

Verb

עָשָׂה • (asá) (pa'al construction, present עוֹשֶׂה, future יַעֲשֶׂה, passive participle עָשׂוּי, passive counterpart נַעֲשָׂה)

  1. (transitive) To do (to perform an action, to accomplish a thing).
    • Tanach, Genesis 32:10, with Young's Literal Translation:
      קָטֹנְתִּי מִכֹּל הַחֲסָדִים וּמִכָּל־הָאֱמֶת אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ אֶת־עַבְדֶּךָ
      katónti mikól hakhasadím umikól-ha'emét ashér asíta et-avdékha
      qāṭṓntī mikkōl haḥăsāḏīm ūmikkol-hāʾĕmeṯ ʾăšer ʿāśī́ṯā ʾeṯ-ʿaḇdéḵā
      I have been unworthy of all the kind acts, and of all the truth which Thou hast done with thy servant
  2. (transitive) To make; to create.
    עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל
    He who makes peace in his high places, may he make peace upon us and upon all Israel.
  3. (transitive) To make (to cause to be).
  4. (slang, transitive) To say (to utter).
  5. (slang, transitive) To do (to have sex with).

Usage notes

  • Unlike English do, עָשָׂה never introduces a bare infinitive; however, it does frequently act as a “light” verb, with the main verbal force being carried by its direct object; hence עשה קניות (asá k'niyót, to do shopping), עשה כביסה (asá k'visá, to do laundry), and so on.

Conjugation

Conjugation of עָשָׂה (see also Appendix:Hebrew verbs)
non-finite forms to-infinitive לַעֲשׂוֹת
action noun עֲשִׂיָּה
passive participle עָשׂוּי
finite forms singular plural
m f m f
past first עָשִׂיתִי עָשִׂינוּ
second עָשִׂיתָ עָשִׂית עֲשִׂיתֶם1 עֲשִׂיתֶן1
third עָשָׂה עָשְׂתָה עָשׂוּ
present עוֹשֶׂה עוֹשָׂה עוֹשִׂים עוֹשׂוֹת
future first אֶעֱשֶׂה נַעֲשֶׂה
second תַּעֲשֶׂה תַּעֲשִׂי תַּעֲשׂוּ תַּעֲשֶׂינָה2
third יַעֲשֶׂה תַּעֲשֶׂה יַעֲשׂוּ תַּעֲשֶׂינָה2
imperative עֲשֵׂה עֲשִׂי עֲשׂוּ עֲשֶׂינָה2

1 Pronounced עָשִׂיתֶם and עָשִׂיתֶן in informal Modern Hebrew.
2 Rare in Modern Hebrew.

Derived terms

References

Anagrams