אפילו אם התפר קטן, החייט יבדוק את המכפלת.

small

Breakdown of אפילו אם התפר קטן, החייט יבדוק את המכפלת.

• את: direct object marker
• אם: if
• לבדוק: to check

Questions & Answers about אפילו אם התפר קטן, החייט יבדוק את המכפלת.

What does אפילו אם mean, and how is it different from just אם?

אפילו אם means even if.

• אם = if
• אפילו אם = even if

So אפילו אם adds a stronger sense: the main action will still happen despite that condition.

In this sentence, it means the tailor will check the hem even if the seam is small.

You can think of it as:

• אם התפר קטן... = If the seam is small...
• אפילו אם התפר קטן... = Even if the seam is small...

Why is there no word for is in התפר קטן?

In Hebrew, the verb to be is usually omitted in the present tense.

So:

• התפר קטן literally looks like the seam small
• but it means the seam is small

This is completely normal Hebrew.

Compare:

• הילד עייף = the boy is tired
• הדלת פתוחה = the door is open

In past and future, Hebrew does use forms of to be much more explicitly:

• התפר היה קטן = the seam was small
• התפר יהיה קטן = the seam will be small