לכל תא יש מספר.

Breakdown of לכל תא יש מספר.

יש
there is
כל
all
מספר
number
תאtâ
cell; compartment

Questions & Answers about לכל תא יש מספר.

What is the word-for-word breakdown of לכל תא יש מספר?
  • לכל = ל־
    • כל, literally to every / for each
  • תא = cell
  • יש = there is / there exists
  • מספר = number

So the literal structure is roughly for each cell there is a number.

Why is לכל written as one word?

Because ל־ is a prefix preposition in Hebrew. It attaches directly to the following word.

So:

  • ל־ = to / for
  • כל = every / each / all

Together: לכל = to every / for each

With vowels, it would be לְכָל.

Why is there a ל־ at all? Why not just כל תא יש מספר?

Because Hebrew usually expresses possession with the pattern יש ל־...

Literally, Hebrew says something like:

  • יש מספר לכל תא = there is a number for each cell
  • or more naturally in this sentence order, לכל תא יש מספר

So the possessor is marked with ל־.
Without ל־, כל תא יש מספר is not standard Hebrew.

Why does Hebrew use יש here instead of a verb meaning have?

In Modern Hebrew, there is no simple present-tense verb used the way English uses have.

Instead, Hebrew usually says:

  • יש לי = I have
  • יש לך = you have
  • יש לו = he has

Literally, this is more like there is to me / to you / to him.

So לכל תא יש מספר follows the same pattern:

  • to each cell
  • there is
  • a number
Why is תא singular?

Because after כל meaning every or each, Hebrew normally uses a singular noun.

So:

  • כל תא = every cell / each cell

This is similar to English, where we also say every cell, not every cells.

Why is there no ה־ on תא?

Because כל has two common patterns with different meanings:

  • כל + singular noun without ה־ = every / each
  • כל + noun with ה־ = all the... or the whole...

So:

  • כל תא = every cell
  • כל התאים = all the cells
  • כל התא = the whole cell

In your sentence, the meaning is distributive, so תא appears without ה־.

Why is מספר not המספר?

Because מספר here is indefinite: a number, not the number.

Hebrew has no separate word for a / an, so the plain noun often carries that meaning.

  • מספר = a number
  • המספר = the number
Does לכל mean every or each?

It can often be translated as either every or each.

In this sentence:

  • every cell has a number
  • each cell has a number

Both are good English translations.
The difference is mostly about English style and nuance, not a major grammar difference in the Hebrew sentence.

What is the sentence structure here?

The basic Hebrew possession pattern is:

ל־X יש Y

which means:

X has Y

In this sentence:

  • X = כל תא
  • Y = מספר

So:

  • לכל תא יש מספר
  • literally: to each cell there is a number
  • natural English: each cell has a number

This is a very normal Hebrew structure.

How is this sentence pronounced?

With vowels, it would be:

לְכָל תָּא יֵשׁ מִסְפָּר

A rough pronunciation is:

le-khol ta yesh mis-PAR

Notes:

  • כ in לכל sounds like the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach
  • תא is pronounced ta
  • מספר is stressed on the last syllable: mis-PAR
How would I know the vowels if the sentence is written without vowel marks?

That is a very common Hebrew reading issue.

Unpointed Hebrew often leaves vowels unstated, so learners must rely on:

  • familiar vocabulary
  • grammar patterns
  • context

Here, experienced readers recognize the common words and pattern:

  • לכל = לְכָל
  • תא = תָּא
  • יש = יֵשׁ
  • מספר = מִסְפָּר

So even without vowel marks, the sentence is easy for native readers.

Can תא mean something other than a biological cell?

Yes. תא can mean several kinds of cell or compartment, depending on context.

For example, it can refer to:

  • a biological cell
  • a prison cell
  • a compartment
  • a chamber
  • a booth or cubicle in some contexts

So the grammar of the sentence stays the same, but the exact meaning of תא depends on the situation.

What are the plural forms of the nouns here?

The plurals are:

  • תא → תאים
  • מספר → מספרים

But notice:

  • כל תא = every cell
  • כל התאים = all the cells

So after כל meaning every/each, Hebrew normally keeps the noun singular.

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