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:github_url: https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_uhg/src/branch/master/content/infinitive_construct.rst
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.. _infinitive_construct:
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Infinitive Construct
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====================
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Summary
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-------
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The infinitive construct is a non-finite verbal form that usually functions as a verbal complement, providing extra
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information regarding the purpose, result, or temporal frame of the
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verbal action of the main verb. In rare cases, the infinitive construct
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functions independently as a noun.
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Article
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-------
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The infinitive construct generally functions as a verbal complement to a
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:ref:`finite verb<verb-finite>`,
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but in rare cases it also functions independently as a :ref:`noun<noun>`.
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The infinitive construct is described as being in the construct state
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because it can occur in various constructions with prepositions,
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:ref:`suffixes<suffix>`,
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and other
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:ref:`nouns<noun>`
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in a construct chain. The infinitive construct generally has only one
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form in each
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:ref:`stem formation<stem>`
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(Qal, Niphal, Piel, etc.), and it does not conjugate according to
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person, gender, or number as do the finite verb forms.
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Form
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----
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.. csv-table:: Infinitive Construct Paradigm
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:header-rows: 1
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Parsing,Hebrew,Transliteration,Gloss
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Qal,קְטֹל,qetol,kill
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Niphal,הִקָּטֵל,hiqqatel,be killed
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Hiphil,הַקְטִיל,haqtil,cause to kill
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Piel,קַטֵּל,qattel,slaughter
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Hithpael,הִתְקַטֵּל,hitqattel,kill oneself
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The infinitive construct is not found in the :ref:`Hophal<stem_hophal>` or :ref:`Pual<stem_pual>` stems in
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Biblical Hebrew.
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Function
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--------
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The infinitive construct can carry the following range of meanings.
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Expresses purpose, result, or complementary action of a main verb (with preposition לְ)
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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This is by far the most common use of the infinitive construct, as a
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standard grammatical infinitive.
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.. note:: The infinitive construct can also
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be used with other prepositions to complement the main verb (such as the
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preposition עַל in the example below).
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In the following example, the infinitive construct is expressing
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purpose for the action of the main verb.
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.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 11:5
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וַיֵּ֣רֶד יְהוָ֔ה **לִרְאֹ֥ת** אֶת־הָעִ֖יר וְאֶת־הַמִּגְדָּ֑ל
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wayyered yehwah **lir'oth** 'eth-ha'ir we'eth-hammigdal
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"and-he-came-down Yahweh **to-see** [dir.obj]\_the-city
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and-[dir.obj]\_the-tower"
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So Yahweh came down **to see** the city and the tower
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In the following example, the infinitive construct is expressing
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the result of the action of the main verb.
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.. csv-table:: Example: EXO 3:4
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וַיַּ֥רְא יְהוָ֖ה כִּ֣י סָ֣ר לִרְא֑וֹת
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wayyar yehwah ki sar **lir'oth**
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and-he-saw Yahweh that he-had-turned-aside **to-see**
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When Yahweh saw that he had turned aside **to look**
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In the following example, the infinitive construct is expressing
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the complementary action of the main verb.
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.. csv-table:: Example: EXO 3:8
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וָאֵרֵ֞ד **לְהַצִּיל֣וֹ**\ ׀ מִיַּ֣ד מִצְרַ֗יִם **וּֽלְהַעֲלֹתוֹ֮** מִן־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַהִוא֒
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"wa'ered **lehatsilo** miyyad mitsrayim **uleha'alotho** min-ha'arets hahiw'"
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"and-I-have-come-down **to-deliver-them** from-hand-of Egypt
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**and-to-bring-them-up** from-the-land the-that"
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"I have come down **to free them** from the Egyptians' power and **to bring them up** from that land"
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In the following example, the infinitive construct is expressing
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complementary action, but with a more nuanced meaning.
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.. csv-table:: Example: 1SA 14:33
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הִנֵּ֥ה הָעָ֛ם חֹטִ֥אים לַֽיהוָ֖ה **לֶאֱכֹ֣ל** עַל־הַדָּ֑ם
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hinneh ha'am hotiym layhwah **le'ekhol** 'al-haddam
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behold the-people are-sinning to-Yahweh **to-eat** on\_the-blood
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"Look, the people are sinning against Yahweh **by eating** with the
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blood."
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In the following example, the infinitive construct with preposition עַל to
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express purpose for the action of the main verb.
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.. csv-table:: Example: AMO 1:11
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לֹ֣א אֲשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ עַל־\ **רָדְפ֨וֹ** בַחֶ֤רֶב אָחִיו֙
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lo 'ashivennu 'al-**rodfo** vaherev 'ahiw
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"not I-will-revoke-it on\_\ **his-pursuing** with-the-sword
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his-brother"
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"I will not turn away punishment, because **he pursued** his brother
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with the sword"
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Provides temporal reference for the action of the main verb (with various prepositions)
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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The infinitive construct can be used with other prepositions (besides
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those included below) to provide temporal reference. In those cases, the
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context and the meaning of the preposition generally make clear the
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specific temporal nuance being indicated.
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Infinitive construct with preposition בְּ to express simultaneous action:
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.. csv-table:: Example: 1SA 2:27
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הֲנִגְלֹ֤ה נִגְלֵ֙יתִי֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֔יךָ **בִּֽהְיוֹתָ֥ם** בְּמִצְרַ֖יִם
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hanigloh niglethiy 'el-beth 'avikha **biheyotham** bemitsrayim
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"[quest.]-indeed I-revealed-myself to\_house-of your-father
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**while-they-were** in-Egypt"
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"Did I not reveal myself to the house of your ancestor,
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**when they were** in Egypt?"
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Infinitive construct with preposition כְּ to express commencing action:
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.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 12:14
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וַיְהִ֕י **כְּב֥וֹא** אַבְרָ֖ם מִצְרָ֑יְמָה
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wayhi **kevo** 'avram mitsraymah
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and-it-happened **as-coming** Abram to-Egypt
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It came about that **when** Abram **entered** into Egypt
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Infinitive construct with preposition עַד to express durative action (until a
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specified time of ending):
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.. csv-table:: Example: JDG 6:18
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וַיֹּאמַ֕ר אָנֹכִ֥י אֵשֵׁ֖ב עַ֥ד שׁוּבֶֽךָ
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wayyomar 'anokhi 'eshev 'ad **shuvekha**
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and-he-said myself I-will-remain until **you-return**
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"Yahweh said, ""I will wait until **you return**"""
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Functions as a :ref:`noun<noun>`
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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The infinitive construct sometimes functions as an independent noun.
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.. csv-table:: Example: 1SA 15:22
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שְׁמֹ֙עַ֙ מִזֶּ֣בַח ט֔וֹב
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**shemo'a** mizzevah tov
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**obeying** from-sacrifice good
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**Obedience** is better than sacrifice
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The infinitive construct may also introduce an entire clause that functions
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as a noun.
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.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 2:17
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כִּ֗י בְּי֛וֹם **אֲכָלְךָ֥** מִמֶּ֖נּוּ מ֥וֹת תָּמֽוּת
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ki beyom **'akholkha** mimmennu moth tamuth
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for in-day-of **your-eating** from-it dying you-will-die
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"for on the day that **you eat** from it, you will surely die"
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Introduces direct speech (אמר + לְ)
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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The infinitive construct of אמר with preposition לְ is used to introduce direct speech.
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.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 1:22
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וַיְבָ֧רֶךְ אֹתָ֛ם אֱלֹהִ֖ים לֵאמֹ֑ר
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wayvarekh 'otham 'elohim **lemor**
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and-he-blessed [dir.obj]-them God **to-say**
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"God blessed them, **saying**"
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Regarding use with a :ref:`pronominal suffix<suffix_pronominal>`
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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When the infinitive construct takes a pronominal suffix, that suffix can
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be either the subject or the object of the infinitive itself (not the
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main verb), as determined by the context.
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The following example is an infinitive construct with suffix as *subject*
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of the action.
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.. csv-table:: JER 2:17
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הֲלוֹא־זֹ֖את תַּעֲשֶׂה־לָּ֑ךְ **עָזְבֵךְ֙** אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהַ֔יִךְ
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halo-zoth ta'aseh-llakh **'ozvekh** 'eth-yehwah 'elohayikh
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"[quest.]-not\_this you-have-done\_to-yourself **your-forsaking**
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[dir.obj]\_Yahweh your-God"
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"Did you not do this to yourselves when **you abandoned** Yahweh your
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God?"
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The following example is an infinitive construct with suffix as *object*
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of the action.
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.. csv-table:: Example: RUT 1:16
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וַתֹּ֤אמֶר רוּת֙ אַל־תִּפְגְּעִי־בִ֔י לְעָזְבֵ֖ךְ
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wattomer ruth 'al-tifge'i-vi **le'ozvekh**
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and-she-said Ruth not\_you-press\_on-me **to-forsake-you**
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"But Ruth said, ""Do not make me **go away from you**"
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