Rating: Summary: Good book, but confusing order Review: The book is very helpful, filled with not only the verb conjugations and meanings, but examples, as well. Five hundred and one verbs will get you pretty far in most languages. The only ding against this book, and it's an important one for anyone who has been reading Hebrew for more than a few months is that it is written English style, from left to right, opening with the binding to the left. This can really mess with your mind when you're trying to find a word! By the time you're ready for a reference like this, you're familiar with the alef bet and have probably used a few Hebrew dictionaries. So, as you're looking a a word up, you start with alef and one and and expect tav and the other and look words up in the middle according to that order. It would be helpful if the next version of the book were bound in the opposite direction.
Rating: Summary: Good book, but confusing order Review: The book is very helpful, filled with not only the verb conjugations and meanings, but examples, as well. Five hundred and one verbs will get you pretty far in most languages. The only ding against this book, and it's an important one for anyone who has been reading Hebrew for more than a few months is that it is written English style, from left to right, opening with the binding to the left. This can really mess with your mind when you're trying to find a word! By the time you're ready for a reference like this, you're familiar with the alef bet and have probably used a few Hebrew dictionaries. So, as you're looking a a word up, you start with alef and one and and expect tav and the other and look words up in the middle according to that order. It would be helpful if the next version of the book were bound in the opposite direction.
Rating: Summary: A necessary book with annoyances Review: This book has several annoyances. Rather than elaborating on the issues already reviewed (lack of pu'al for example). I have two big complaints that impact the usefulness of the book.1. A lay-flat binding! 2. Ordering the pages following Hebrew convention (right to left) particularly in the index would be an improvement. Other than these minor annoyances the book is a great resource for mastering the binyanim of the common forms. One feature I do really like is that it gives the governing preposition of the verb.
Rating: Summary: A necessary book with annoyances Review: This book has several annoyances. Rather than elaborating on the issues already reviewed (lack of pu'al for example). I have two big complaints that impact the usefulness of the book. 1. A lay-flat binding! 2. Ordering the pages following Hebrew convention (right to left) particularly in the index would be an improvement. Other than these minor annoyances the book is a great resource for mastering the binyanim of the common forms. One feature I do really like is that it gives the governing preposition of the verb.
Rating: Summary: Excellent -- more than just a reference book! Review: This is a wonderful book, and one that I use often. I am fluent in Hebrew, but I find the example sentences most useful, and the fact that the author has gathered under each root the related words belonging to that root.
Rating: Summary: A must-have for every student or speaker of Hebrew Review: This is an excellent source that I consult almost daily. Putting the biyanim all together fully declined, AND providing examples in everyday conversational Hebrew make the book an absolute joy to consult. As a study aid in the car every day, I photocopy one verb and study it for 1-2 days (I have an hour commute each way, and don't worry, I keep my eyes on the road). I go through each binyan and repeat the verb forms over and over until they stick. I then use the sentences provided with these verbs to make them more meaningful. Two small recommendation would be to add the nekudot (vowel diacriticals) to these sentences to help out beginning/intermediate students, and make a real durable cloth edition--I'm probably going to wear this out. All in all, if you love Hebrew, and you want to be fluent, BUY THIS BOOK for your Hebrew reference shelf!
Rating: Summary: Incomplete and Disappointing Review: Unfortunately, these 501 roots do not account for every root in the Hebrew language, and there is no index or table that allows for comparison of roots that do not occur in the volume to those of an identical conjugation pattern that are found in the book. I have not looked at 201 Hebrew verbs, but I have used 201 Arabic Verbs. In 201 Arabic Verbs, an index of verb patterns lists all of the various patterns of irregularity in verbal conjugations and gives example verbs that conform to these patterns that are found in the book. So if I need to find out how a verb is conjugated that is not listed in the book, I turn to the index and look up the particular form (binyan) and which type of irregularity it has (ain-yod, for example) and I get a list of verbs that follow that pattern. I can then conjugate the verb that I need like one of them. Now since the presence of pharyngials and doubled consonants do not cause irregularities of conjugation in Arabic, there are certainly many fewer irregular verbs than in Hebrew, but I can't imagine that such an organization would be impossible. If anyone can tell me of a Hebrew verbal conjugation book that is organized like 201 Arabic Verbs, please let me know.
Rating: Summary: Full Potenial not realized Review: When I first read these reviews it convinced me to buy this book. Though it is very useful the only problem it has is it's presentation. if it were presented like some of the other verb 501 books like Spanish, Italian, French, etc.. this book would be golden. Thus this book is hard to follow. don't get me wrong it is a good book but its potenial was not fully realized.
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