שאל

See also: שאַל

Aramaic

Etymology

From root ש-א-ל.

Verb

שאל • (transliteration needed)

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

Related terms

• שאול

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
שׁ־א־ל (sh-ʾ-l)

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

Pronunciation

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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		to-infinitive: לשאול / לִשְׁאֹל action noun: שְׁאִילָה passive participle: שָׁאוּל
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		Pronounced שָׁאַלְתֶּם and שָׁאַלְתֶּן in informal Modern Hebrew. Rare in Modern Hebrew.

Derived terms

• שָׁאַל אֶת עַצְמוֹ (sha'ál et atsmó)
• שְׁאַל בְּנִי וַנַּעַן (sh'al b'ni vaná'an)

Related terms

• שְׁאֵלָה
• הִשְׁאִיל

Yiddish

Noun

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

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