עשה

Hebrew[edit]

Root
ע־שׂ־ה (ʿ-ś-h)

Compare Ugaritic 𐎓𐎌𐎊 (ʿšy, “to make, work”).

עָשָׂה • (asá) third-singular masculine past (pa'al construction, present עוֹשֶׂה, future יַעֲשֶׂה, passive participle עָשׂוּי, passive counterpart נַעֲשָׂה)

(transitive) To do (to perform an action, to accomplish a thing).
- Tanach, Genesis 32:10, with Young's Literal Translation:
  קָטֹנְתִּי מִכֹּל הַחֲסָדִים וּמִכָּל־הָאֱמֶת אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ אֶת־עַבְדֶּךָ
  katónti mikól hakhasadím umikol-ha'emét 'ashér 'asíta 'et-'avdékha
  qāṭṓntī mikkōl haḥăsāḏīm ūmikkol-hāʾĕmeṯ ʾăšer ʿāśī́ṯā ʾeṯ-ʿaḇdéḵā
  I have been unworthy of all the kind acts, and of all the truth which Thou hast done with thy servant
(transitive) To make; to create.
עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל
He who makes peace in his high places, may he make peace upon us and upon all Israel.
(transitive) To make (to cause to be).
(slang, transitive) To say (to utter).
(slang, transitive) To do (to have sex with).

Unlike English do, עָשָׂה never introduces a bare infinitive; however, it does frequently act as a “light” verb, with the main verbal force being carried by its direct object; hence עשה קניות (asá k'niyót, “to do shopping”), עשה כביסה (asá k'visá, “to do laundry”), and so on.

Conjugation of עָשָׂה (see also Appendix:Hebrew verbs)

finite forms		singular		plural
non-finite forms		to-infinitive: לַעֲשׂוֹת action noun: עֲשִׂיָּה passive participle: עָשׂוּי
finite forms		m.	f.	m.	f.
past	first	עָשִׂיתִי		עָשִׂינוּ
	second	עָשִׂיתָ	עָשִׂית	עֲשִׂיתֶם¹	עֲשִׂיתֶן¹
	third	עָשָׂה	עָשְׂתָה	עָשׂוּ
present		עוֹשֶׂה	עוֹשָׂה	עוֹשִׂים	עוֹשׂוֹת
future	first	אֶעֱשֶׂה		נַעֲשֶׂה
	second	תַּעֲשֶׂה	תַּעֲשִׂי	תַּעֲשׂוּ	תַּעֲשֶׂינָה²
	third	יַעֲשֶׂה	תַּעֲשֶׂה	יַעֲשׂוּ	תַּעֲשֶׂינָה²
imperative		עֲשֵׂה	עֲשִׂי	עֲשׂוּ	עֲשֶׂינָה²
notes		Pronounced עָשִׂיתֶם and עָשִׂיתֶן in informal Modern Hebrew. Rare in Modern Hebrew.