אסור לשוכר להפר את ההסכם.

direct object marker

Breakdown of אסור לשוכר להפר את ההסכם.

• אסור: forbidden
• הסכם: agreement
• שוכר: renter; lessee

Questions & Answers about אסור לשוכר להפר את ההסכם.

Why is there no word for is in this sentence?

Because Hebrew usually omits to be in the present tense.

So אסור לשוכר להפר את ההסכם is literally something like:

• forbidden
• for/to the tenant
• to violate
• the agreement

But natural English adds is: The tenant is not allowed to violate the agreement.

What does אסור mean here?

אסור means forbidden, not allowed, or prohibited.

In this kind of sentence, אסור + ל־ + person + infinitive means:

• someone is not allowed to do something
• or it is forbidden for someone to do something

So:

• אסור לשוכר להפר... = The tenant is not allowed to violate...

A useful thing to know: אסור is very commonly used in everyday Hebrew for rules and prohibitions, for example:

• אסור לעשן = Smoking is forbidden / You must not smoke
• אסור להיכנס = Entry is forbidden / Do not enter

Why is לשוכר used? Why not just השוכר?