Lesson 69: A Trip to Jerusalem
A short story narrated in the past tense. Read it through once for the gist, then again line by line. Notice how many verbs are in the “we” form, ending in ‑nu.
The story
בְּשַׁבָּת נָסַעְנוּ לִירוּשָׁלַיִם.
beshabbat nasanu lirushalayim.
On Saturday we traveled to Jerusalem.
קַמְנוּ מֻקְדָּם בַּבֹּקֶר וְלָקַחְנוּ אֶת הָאוֹטוֹבּוּס.
kamnu mukdam baboker ve’lakachnu et ha’otobus.
We got up early in the morning and took the bus.
בָּעִיר הָעַתִּיקָה רָאִינוּ אֶת הַכֹּתֶל.
ba’ir ha’atika ra’inu et hakotel.
In the Old City we saw the Western Wall.
אַחַר כָּךְ אָכַלְנוּ חוּמּוּס בְּמִסְעָדָה קְטַנָּה.
achar kach achalnu chumus bemis’ada ktana.
Afterwards we ate hummus in a small restaurant.
בָּעֶרֶב חָזַרְנוּ הַבַּיְתָה עֲיֵפִים אֲבָל מְאֻשָּׁרִים.
ba’erev chazarnu habaita ayefim aval me’usharim.
In the evening we returned home tired but happy.
Grammar: irregular past verbs and the “directional” ending
Most past verbs are regular (see the past tense), but a few common ones change their vowels:
| Base (he) | We form | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| קָם | קַמְנוּ | kamnu | we got up |
| רָאָה | רָאִינוּ | ra’inu | we saw |
| לָקַח | לָקַחְנוּ | lakachnu | we took |
Also notice הַבַּיְתָה (habaita, “homeward”). Adding the ending ‑a (the directional he) to a place means motion toward it: בַּיִת (bayit, home) → הַבַּיְתָה (habaita, to home). You saw the same ending in yamina / smola (in asking for directions).
Tip: אֲבָל (aval, “but”) is one of the most useful joining words for telling a story — it adds contrast and keeps the listener interested.
Vocabulary
Travel
| נָסַע | nasa | traveled, went (by vehicle) |
| אוֹטוֹבּוּס | otobus | bus |
| הָעִיר הָעַתִּיקָה | ha’ir ha’atika | the Old City |
| כֹּתֶל | kotel | the Western Wall (lit. “wall”) |
Verbs (past)
| קַם | kam | got up |
| חָזַר | chazar | returned |
Adjectives
| עָיֵף / עֲיֵפָה | ayef / ayefa | tired (m. / f.) |
| מְאֻשָּׁר / מְאֻשֶּׁרֶת | me’ushar / me’usheret | happy (m. / f.) |
| מֻקְדָּם | mukdam | early |