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# verb

noun (a verb, verbs)

«verb» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A verb is a word that tells what someone or something does, like «run», «eat» or «think». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/verb/#m1)
2. A verb can also tell what someone or something is or has, like «is», «seem» or «have». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/verb/#m2)
3. Every full sentence needs a verb; it is the word that changes for time, like «walk», «walked». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/verb/#m3)

### In the lessons

In English grammar lessons pupils find the verb in a sentence, change its tense (past, present, future) and match it to the subject («she runs», «they run»). Teachers call verbs «doing words» and «being words». Phrases: «action verb», «helping verb» (also «auxiliary verb», like «is», «have», «will»), «irregular verb» («go – went»), «verb tense», «modal verb» («can», «must»). In stories, strong verbs («dashed», «whispered») make writing lively.

### Examples

- «Jump» is a verb because it is something you can do. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/verb/#x1)
- In «The dog barked», the verb is «barked». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/verb/#x2)
- Underline the verb in each sentence. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/verb/#x3)
- «Is» is a verb too, even though nothing moves. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/verb/#x4)
- Choose a stronger verb than «went», like «raced» or «crept». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/verb/#x5)
- Irregular verbs change in odd ways: «swim, swam, swum». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/verb/#x6)
- A sentence without a verb is not a full sentence. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/verb/#x7)
- In «She can sing», «can» is a helping verb and «sing» is the main verb. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/verb/#x8)
- The verb okostenyet', to grow numb, describes the state into which a skazka represents the realm of the "Sleeping Beauty," as being thrown by Koshchei. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/verb/#x9)

### Note

Countable: one verb, two verbs. Some words can be a verb or a noun: «a run» (noun), «I run» (verb) — look at the job the word does in the sentence. Regular verbs make the past with «-ed» (walked); irregular ones do not (ran, ate, went). A verb must agree with its subject: «he plays», «they play». The adjective is «verbal», which also means «spoken» («a verbal warning»).

## In Jewish tradition

Interpretation: Hebrew verbs grow from three-letter roots. The Sefer Yetzirah plays with the root s-f-r, "count, tell, write," to describe how God made the world. In the primary lessons: In English grammar lessons pupils find the verb in a sentence, change its tense (past, present, future) and match it to the subject («she runs», «they run»). Teachers call verbs «doing words» and «being words». Phrases: «action verb», «helping verb» (also «auxiliary verb», like «is», «have», «will»), «irregular verb» («go – went»), «verb tense», «modal verb» («can», «must»). In stories, strong verbs («dashed», «whispered») make writing lively.

### Examples

- The word סָפַר safar is technically a finite verb, and not a noun as the syntax requires. (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/V/verb/#x1)
- Hebrew has of course several verb roots relating to one or more of each of these three facets of language. (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/V/verb/#x2)
- HVI is the imperative form of the verb to he, meaning he thou; HIV is the infinitive; and VIH is future. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/V/verb/#x3)

### Note

Countable: one verb, two verbs. Some words can be a verb or a noun: «a run» (noun), «I run» (verb) — look at the job the word does in the sentence. Regular verbs make the past with «-ed» (walked); irregular ones do not (ran, ate, went). A verb must agree with its subject: «he plays», «they play». The adjective is «verbal», which also means «spoken» («a verbal warning»).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «verb» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/verb/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«verb» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/verb.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «verb» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/V/verb/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«verb» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/verb.html) on Mova free.