Questions & Answers about אפילו אם הבד עדין, קראי קודם את התווית.
What does אפילו אם mean here, and is it the same as גם אם?
אפילו אם means even if.
In many everyday sentences, אפילו אם and גם אם can both be used to mean even if, and the difference is often small.
- אפילו אם הבד עדין... = Even if the fabric is delicate...
- גם אם הבד עדין... can also mean the same thing.
A learner should mainly recognize אפילו אם as a fixed expression introducing a condition that does not change the main instruction.
Why does the sentence say הבד עדין and not include a word for is?
In present-tense Hebrew, the verb to be is usually omitted.
So:
- הבד עדין literally looks like the fabric delicate
- but it means the fabric is delicate
This is completely normal Hebrew grammar.
Compare:
- הילד עייף = the boy is tired
- המים קרים = the water is cold
- הבד עדין = the fabric is delicate
If you are an English speaker, this is one of the most important differences to get used to.
Why is it הבד with ה־? Why not just בד?