Lesson 5

Zakef זָקֵף

There are two varieties of zakef: a “little” zakef and a “big” zakef.

Ready to go?

Set yourself up for success

  • Set aside at least 30 minutes. We're all busy, but shorter sessions generally limit retention.
  • Find a quiet place. Even after many years, I still need a quiet spot to practice. The great thing is you can be inside or outside.
  • Be in the right frame of mind. Reading requires focus. If you're tired or distracted or angry, you will struggle. Take a few minutes to recenter yourself before you start.

Get everything you need

  • Print out your reading if you can. It's helpful to be able to take notes when you're learning. (Bring a pencil, too!)
  • Use headphones if possible — they help you hear the melody clearly.
  • Wear a kippah — it's customary.
Remember to sing along with the audio examples.
Repetition is key to learning trop!

This is zakef qatan

זָקֵ֔ף ↓

Zakef qatan, literally “little zakef”, looks like a colon (:) above the word. It is the second-most common trop after tippeḥa.

Often paired with

In Lesson 2, we learned about munaḥ, a conjunctive trop that frequently appears with etnaḥta. It also frequently, but not always, appears with zakef qatan. It does not appear with zakef gadol.

Important note: Munaḥ’s melody will depend on the trop it is partnered with. It therefore has a different melody with zakef qatan than with etnaḥta.

מוּנַ֣ח ↑ munaḥ
זָקֵ֔ף ↓ zakef qatan

This is zakef gadol

זָקֵ֕ף ↓

Zakef gadol, literally “big zakef”, looks like a colon (:) followed by a vertical line above the word. It is less common than zakef qatan, and it appears alone with no conjunctive trop.

Important

About zakef

Zakef comes in two varieties: zakef qatan ("little zakef") and zakef gadol ("big zakef"). Zakef qatan is the second most common trop in the Tanakh after tippeḥa. Zakef gadol is less common.

First te'amim above the letters

All the te'amim we have learned so far appear below the letters. Both varieties of zakef appear above the letters — look for the colon-like shape above the accented syllable.

Zakef Qatan

Practice zakef qatan with munaḥ. Listen and repeat.

Accent on later syllable

When both words have multiple syllables, the melody flows naturally through each word.

Learn the melody

Press play to begin
Word 1 of 1

Practice with words

Press play to begin
Word 1 of 5

Accent on first syllable

When one or both words are single-syllable, compress the melody for those words.

Learn the melody

Press play to begin
Word 1 of 1

Practice with words

Press play to begin
Word 1 of 5

Zakef Gadol

Practice zakef gadol. Unlike zakef qatan, it appears alone without munaḥ.

Accent on later syllable

With multi-syllable words, the melody builds through the lead-in syllables.

Learn the melody

Press play to begin
Word 1 of 1

Practice with words

Press play to begin
Word 1 of 5

Accent on first syllable

With single-syllable words, you compress the melody into one syllable.

Learn the melody

Press play to begin
Word 1 of 1

Practice with words

Press play to begin
Word 1 of 5
You finished your fifth lesson and learned zakef qatan and zakef gadol!
✓

Great Work!

Go through your reading and practice zakef qatan and zakef gadol (if you have one). Be sure to emphasize the correct syllable.

Next up: Pashta, qadma, and yetiv — three te'amim that look similar but have different positions.