דלת הסתרים סגורה במנעול תלייה.

The secret door is closed with a padlock.

Breakdown of דלת הסתרים סגורה במנעול תלייה.

• סגור: closed
• מנעול תלייה: padlock
• דלת סתרים: secret door

Questions & Answers about דלת הסתרים סגורה במנעול תלייה.

Why is there no word for is in this sentence?

In Hebrew, the verb to be is usually omitted in the present tense.

So:

• דלת הסתרים סגורה = The secret door is closed
• literally, Hebrew just says something like The secret door closed

This is very normal in Hebrew nominal sentences.

If you wanted past or future, Hebrew would use a form of היה:

• דלת הסתרים הייתה סגורה = The secret door was closed
• דלת הסתרים תהיה סגורה = The secret door will be closed

Why does דלת הסתרים mean the secret door even though דלת does not have ה־?

Because this is a construct chain (in Hebrew: סמיכות).

In a construct chain:

• the first noun is in a linked form
• the definiteness is usually shown on the second noun

So:

• דלת הסתרים literally looks like door of the secrets/hidden things
• but as a phrase it means the secret door

This is why Hebrew does not say הדלת הסתרים here.

A similar pattern is:

• בית הספר = the school
  literally: house of the book

So דלת הסתרים is following a very common Hebrew pattern.

Could you also say הדלת הסודית instead?