Infinitives and the shape of an action
Your goal: distinguish a verb’s dictionary form from the form used in a construction.
An infinitive names an action without independently specifying who performs it or fixing its tense. Its shape depends on the verb class. A final t can belong to an infinitive; it does not automatically identify an ordinary feminine noun.
| Dictionary form | Infinitive | Action |
|---|---|---|
| sḏm | sḏm | hearing |
| prj | pr.t | going out |
| mrj | mr.t | loving |
| rdj | rdj.t | giving |
The dots make the analysis visible. Other publications may join these endings to the stem, or use i instead of j.
The construction supplies the meaning
jw.f ḥr sḏm
“He is listening.” The subject is expressed in jw.f; ḥr + infinitive supplies the ongoing action. The infinitive itself has not acquired a present-tense ending.
Compare jw.f r sḏm, a prospective construction that can be translated “He will listen” or “He is going to listen”. Read r with the infinitive as part of the construction, rather than translating it mechanically as “to”. The larger context determines the time frame.
Put it into practice
Compare jw.j ḥr sḏm and jw.j r sḏm. What changes? In pr.t, derived from prj, what does the t indicate?
Reveal the model answer
The first presents listening as ongoing; the second presents it prospectively. The subject remains “I”, and sḏm remains an infinitive. In pr.t, t is part of the infinitive formation of this weak verb. It is not a past-tense marker.
Study sources
Continue exploring with the dictionary or return to the hieroglyphic studio.