Questions & Answers about אנחנו רוצים סביבה נקייה.
Why is רוצים used here instead of רוצה?
Because the subject is אנחנו (we), and we is plural.
So Hebrew uses the plural present-tense form of לרצות (to want): רוצים.
Very roughly:
- רוצה = wants / am-wanting / is wanting, singular
- רוצים = want, plural masculine or mixed
- רוצות = want, plural feminine
So אנחנו רוצים = we want.
Why is it רוצים and not רוצות?
Hebrew present-tense verbs agree with the subject in gender and number.
- רוצים is masculine plural
- רוצות is feminine plural
With אנחנו (we), Hebrew often uses the masculine plural as the default for:
- a mixed group
- a group of unknown gender
- general statements
If the speakers are all female, you could say:
אנחנו רוצות סביבה נקייה.
Why is there no את before סביבה?
Because את is only used before a definite direct object.
Here, סביבה נקייה means a clean environment / clean environment, which is indefinite, so there is no את.
Compare:
- אנחנו רוצים סביבה נקייה = We want a clean environment.
- אנחנו רוצים את הסביבה הנקייה = We want the clean environment.
So the absence of את is normal here.
Why is there no word for a in the sentence?
Hebrew does not have an indefinite article like English a or an.
So סביבה can mean:
- an environment
- environment, depending on context
That is why סביבה נקייה naturally means a clean environment even though there is no separate word for a.
Why does נקייה come after סביבה?
Because in Hebrew, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe.
So:
- סביבה נקייה = environment clean literally, but naturally a clean environment
This is the normal Hebrew pattern:
- בית גדול = a big house
- ילדה חכמה = a smart girl
- סביבה נקייה = a clean environment
Why is it נקייה and not נקי?
Because סביבה is a feminine singular noun, and Hebrew adjectives must agree with the noun in:
- gender
- number
- definiteness
So:
- נקי = clean, masculine singular
- נקייה = clean, feminine singular
Since סביבה is feminine singular, the adjective must also be feminine singular:
סביבה נקייה
If the noun were masculine, you would use נקי, for example:
מקום נקי = a clean place
How do I know that סביבה is feminine?
You usually learn the gender of a noun as part of the word itself, but סביבה also has a common feminine-looking ending, -ה.
In this sentence, the adjective helps confirm it:
- סביבה נקייה
not - סביבה נקי
Because the adjective is feminine singular, we can see that סביבה is feminine singular too.
Is the word order important here?
Yes, but this sentence uses the most normal, neutral order:
אנחנו + רוצים + סביבה נקייה
subject + verb + object
This is the standard way to say it.
Hebrew word order can be flexible for emphasis, but this version is the most straightforward and natural for a learner.
Can I leave out אנחנו?
Yes, often you can.
Because רוצים already shows plural, Hebrew speakers sometimes omit the pronoun when it is clear from context:
- אנחנו רוצים סביבה נקייה
- רוצים סביבה נקייה
Both can work, but including אנחנו makes the subject explicit and is very common, especially in clear, slogan-like, or beginner-friendly sentences.
What exactly does סביבה mean here?
סביבה can mean:
- environment
- surroundings
- setting, in some contexts
In this sentence, environment is the best fit.
So סביבה נקייה means a clean environment.
Depending on context, it could refer to:
- the natural environment
- a clean public space
- a clean living area
- clean surroundings in general
How is the sentence pronounced?
A rough pronunciation is:
a-NAKH-nu ro-TSIM svi-VA ne-ki-YA
A few notes:
- kh is the throaty sound like in Scottish loch or German Bach
- the stress is usually near the end in רוצים, סביבה, and נקייה
- אנחנו is commonly pronounced a-NAKH-nu
So the full sentence is:
אנחנו רוצים סביבה נקייה
a-NAKH-nu ro-TSIM svi-VA ne-ki-YA
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