Questions & Answers about אפשר לנכות כסף מן הערובה.
What does אפשר mean here?
אפשר here means something like it is possible, one may, or simply can.
So אפשר לנכות... literally means it is possible to deduct..., but in natural English it is often translated as you can deduct... or money can be deducted....
A useful thing to know is that אפשר is very often used impersonally in Hebrew. It does not change for person, gender, or number in this kind of sentence.
Why is לנכות in the infinitive form?
After אפשר, Hebrew normally uses an infinitive.
So:
- אפשר לנכות = it is possible to deduct
- אפשר לשלם = it is possible to pay
- אפשר להיכנס = it is possible to enter
That is why you do not see a conjugated verb like מנכים or תנכה here. The structure is:
אפשר + infinitive
Where is the subject in this sentence? Who is doing the deducting?