הבד התכווץ במכבסה.

Because ה־ is the Hebrew definite article, equivalent to the.

• בד = fabric / cloth
• הבד = the fabric

So the noun is definite here.

בד is masculine singular, and yes, that affects the verb form.

The verb התכווץ is also masculine singular past tense, so it matches הבד.

If the subject were feminine singular, you would expect:

• החולצה התכווצה = the shirt shrank

So Hebrew verbs often agree with the subject in gender and number.

התכווץ is:

• past tense
• 3rd person masculine singular
• from the dictionary form להתכווץ

So this is the form used for he shrank / it shrank when the noun is masculine singular.

Related forms:

• להתכווץ = to shrink
• מתכווץ = shrinking / shrinks
• יתכווץ = will shrink

The verb comes from the root כ־ו־ץ and appears in the התפעל pattern.

This pattern often has a reflexive, inward, or change-of-state feel. In this sentence, it works like became smaller / shrank.

So even though התפעל is often introduced as a reflexive pattern, here it is best understood as an intransitive change of state:

• the fabric shrank

not:

• the fabric shrunk itself

Because Hebrew naturally expresses this idea with an intransitive verb: the fabric underwent a change and shrank.

This is very similar to English:

• The fabric shrank

rather than:

• The fabric was shrunk

If you wanted to say that someone caused the shrinking, you would use a different construction.

מכבסה usually refers to a laundry place of some kind, depending on context:

• laundromat
• laundry room
• laundry service
• laundry shop

So במכבסה means something like in/at the laundry place. The exact English wording depends on the situation.

In unpointed Hebrew spelling, במכבסה can be ambiguous.

It may represent:

• בְּמכבסה = in a laundromat / in a laundry place
• בַּמכבסה = in the laundromat / in the laundry place

This happens because Hebrew often does not show vowels in ordinary writing.

So a learner may not be able to tell from the spelling alone whether it is definite or indefinite. You usually understand it from context.

ב־ usually means in, at, or sometimes during, depending on context.

Here it marks location:

• במכבסה = in / at the laundry place

Hebrew prepositions are often broader than their nearest English equivalents, so the best translation depends on the full context.

Yes, but it would mean something a little different.

• במכבסה = in/at the laundromat, laundry room, laundry service, etc.
  → focuses on the place
• בכביסה = in the wash / during washing
  → focuses on the washing process

So if the idea is the fabric shrank in the wash, many speakers might prefer בכביסה.
If the idea is the fabric shrank at the laundromat/laundry service, במכבסה fits better.

This is a normal, straightforward Hebrew word order:

• subject: הבד
• verb: התכווץ
• prepositional phrase: במכבסה

Hebrew word order is fairly flexible, but this version is neutral and clear.

Other orders are possible for emphasis, for example:

• במכבסה הבד התכווץ = emphasizes where
• התכווץ הבד במכבסה = more marked or literary-sounding

A natural pronunciation is approximately:

ha-BAD hit-ka-VETS be-makh-be-SA

If במכבסה is understood as definite, it may sound more like:

ha-BAD hit-ka-VETS ba-makh-be-SA

Stress falls on:

• bad
• vets
• sa

So the main rhythm is: ha-BAD hit-ka-VETS ba/be-makh-be-SA