The sḏm=f is stem + subject (The sḏm=f). Slip one more sign between them and you have the second great form of the suffix conjugation.
Key idea
The sḏm.n=f is stem + .n + subject: sḏm.n=f "he heard", ḏd.n=j "I said", sḏm.n nsw "the king heard". Third-weak verbs use their short stem: jr.n=f "he did", mr.n=s "she loved"; rdj keeps its r: rdj.n=f "he gave".
Why it works
The .n is an old ending, probably related to the preposition n long before Middle Egyptian, but in the classical language it is simply part of the verb form. What matters for reading is where it stands: between the verb stem and the subject, a place where no preposition could be, since a preposition needs a word after it to point to, and here the subject follows directly.
| Verb | sḏm.n=f | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| sḏm "hear" | sḏm.n=f | he heard |
| ḏd "say" | ḏd.n=s | she said |
| jrj "do" | jr.n=j | I did |
| gmj "find" | gm.n=sn | they found |
| rdj "give" | rdj.n=f | he gave |
| jj "come" | jj.n=j | I came |
| jnj "bring" | jn.n=k | you brought |
Worked example: Write it
Write "we did" with jrj "do".
- jrj is third-weak: the stem is jr.
- Add .n, then the suffix for "we", =n.
Answer: jr.n=n
Worked example: A noun subject
Translate rdj.n nsw nbw.
- rdj.n is the sḏm.n=f of rdj "give".
- The noun after .n is the subject: nsw "the king".
- nbw "gold" is the object.
Answer: "The king gave gold."
Worked example: Reading the signs
An inscription has the eye, the water sign and the horned viper. Read it.
- The eye writes jr, the stem of jrj "do".
- The water sign is .n; the horned viper is =f.
Answer: jr.n=f "he did".
With a noun subject the form is just as regular: ḏd.n zꜣ=f "his son said", jj.n ḥm=f "His Majesty came". The .n sticks to the verb, and the noun follows as a separate word.
Common mistake
Reading the .n as the preposition n "to, for". Students turn sḏm.n=f into "he hears for him" or "hear for him". A preposition needs an object after it, and here the next word is the subject of the verb. Check where the n stands: right after the verb stem and before the subject, it is the .n of the sḏm.n=f. Note also jr.n=n "we did": the first n is the ending, the second the suffix "we".
When =n "we" follows the .n, scribes sometimes wrote the water sign only once. The context tells you whether "we did" or just "he did" is meant; transliterations restore both, jr.n=n.