המס משנה את המחיר.

The prefix ה־ is the Hebrew definite article, the equivalent of the in English.

So in this sentence:

• המס = the tax
• המחיר = the price

Unlike English, Hebrew usually attaches the directly to the noun instead of writing it as a separate word.

את is the direct object marker. It usually does not get translated into English, but it tells you that the next word is the direct object of the verb.

Here, את המחיר shows that the price is the thing being changed.

A very important rule:

• use את before a definite direct object
• do not use את before an indefinite direct object

So:

• המס משנה את המחיר = the object is the price
• המס משנה מחיר would mean the object is a price / price and would not take את

There are two main clues:

1. Word order: the sentence is in a very common subject–verb–object order:

   • המס = subject
   • משנה = verb
   • את המחיר = object

2. את marks the object:

   • because המחיר comes after את, it is clearly the direct object

So the sentence means that the tax is doing the changing, and the price is what gets changed.

משנה is in the present tense.

In Hebrew, the present tense often covers both:

• simple present: changes
• present progressive: is changing

So depending on context, משנה could correspond to either one in English.

The dictionary form is לשנות, meaning to change.

So the pattern is:

• dictionary form: לשנות
• present tense, masculine singular: משנה

This verb comes from the root ש-נ-ה.

In the present tense, Hebrew verbs agree with the subject in gender and number.

Here the subject is המס, and מס is masculine singular, so the verb appears in the matching present-tense form: משנה.

One useful thing to know: in normal unpointed Hebrew spelling, some masculine and feminine singular present-tense forms can look the same. So the context helps you understand the form.

Here it is pronounced roughly me-sha-neh.

This matters because Hebrew is usually written without vowel marks in everyday texts, so the same spelling can sometimes be read in different ways. In this sentence, the context makes it clear that משנה is the verb changes / is changing.

Because this is how most modern Hebrew is normally written. Everyday Hebrew usually appears without ניקוד (vowel marks).

Native readers rely on:

• context
• familiar word patterns
• grammar

So even though משנה could be ambiguous by itself, the full sentence makes the intended reading clear.

Yes, Hebrew word order is somewhat flexible, but המס משנה את המחיר is the most neutral and straightforward way to say it.

This order is very common in modern Hebrew:

• subject
• verb
• object

Because את marks the object, Hebrew can sometimes move parts of the sentence around for emphasis, but the basic version here is the most natural for a learner to use first.

No. את is normally used only before a definite direct object.

So:

• המס משנה את המחיר = the price → definite, so את is used
• המס משנה מחיר = a price / price → indefinite, so את is not used

That is one of the most important uses of את in Hebrew grammar.