שאל

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See also: שאַל

Aramaic

Etymology

From root ש-א-ל.

Verb

שאל • (transliteration needed)

  1. to ask, to inquire
  2. to lend, to borrow

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
שׁ־א־ל (sh-ʾ-l)

Compare Arabic سَأَلَ (saʔala), Ge'ez ሰአለ (säʾälä).

Pronunciation

  • Audio:(file)

Verb

שָׁאַל • (sha'ál) (pa'al construction, future יִשְׁאַל, passive participle שָׁאוּל, passive counterpart נִשְׁאַל)

  1. to ask (a question), to query
  2. to borrow (an item)

Usage notes

  • (ask): Unlike English ask, Hebrew שָׁאַל is not usually used in the sense of “request”; for that, ביקש / בִּקֵּשׁ (bikésh, “ask for, request”) is used.
  • (borrow): Unlike English borrow, Hebrew שָׁאַל is not used with loans that are not returned exactly, such as money (since one does not return the same money that one borrows, as in the same bills or coins or the like, but rather an equivalent amount of money); for that, הלווה / הִלְוָה (hilvá, “borrow (money, etc.)”) is used.

Conjugation

Conjugation of שָׁאַל (see also Appendix:Hebrew verbs) 
non-finite forms
finite forms singular plural
m. f. m. f.
past first שָׁאַלְתִּי שָׁאַלְנוּ
second שָׁאַלְתָּ שָׁאַלְתְּ שְׁאַלְתֶּם1 שְׁאַלְתֶּן1
third שָׁאַל שָׁאֲלָה שָׁאֲלוּ
present שׁוֹאֵל שׁוֹאֶלֶת שׁוֹאֲלִים שׁוֹאֲלוֹת
future first אֶשְׁאַל נִשְׁאַל
second תִּשְׁאַל תִּשְׁאֲלִי תִּשְׁאֲלוּ תִּשְׁאַלְנָה2
third יִשְׁאַל תִּשְׁאַל יִשְׁאֲלוּ תִּשְׁאַלְנָה2
imperative שְׁאַל שַׁאֲלִי שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁאַלְנָה2
notes
  1. Pronounced שָׁאַלְתֶּם and שָׁאַלְתֶּן in informal Modern Hebrew.
  2. Rare in Modern Hebrew.

Derived terms

Yiddish

Noun

שאל • (shal) f, plural שאלן (shaln), diminutive שאליקל (shalikl)

  1. (nonstandard) Unpointed form of שאַל (shal).
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