מפעיל חדר הבריחה מתחיל את הספירה לאחור.

Here מפעיל means operator or person who runs/hosts something.

It can also look like a verb form meaning operates or activates, so that can confuse learners. In this sentence, though, it is being used as a noun:

• מפעיל חדר הבריחה = the escape room operator

So the subject of the sentence is not he operates; it is the operator.

This is a very common Hebrew structure called construct state (סמיכות).

• חדר הבריחה literally looks like room of the escape
• but it means escape room

In this structure, the first noun usually does not take ה־, and the second noun carries the definiteness:

• חדר בריחה = an escape room
• חדר הבריחה = the escape room

So even though חדר has no ה־, the whole phrase is definite because הבריחה is definite.

את marks a definite direct object.

Here, the verb is מתחיל = starts/begins, and what is being started is הספירה לאחור = the countdown.

So:

• מתחיל ספירה = starts a count / starts counting
• מתחיל את הספירה לאחור = starts the countdown

Because the object is definite (the countdown), Hebrew uses את.

Literally, it means the counting backward/backwards.

Parts:

• ספירה = counting / count
• לאחור = backward, backwards

Together, ספירה לאחור is the normal Hebrew expression for countdown.

So the sentence is literally something like:

• The escape room operator starts the backward count

But natural English is simply starts the countdown.

לאחור means backward or backwards.

In this sentence it is part of the fixed expression ספירה לאחור = countdown.

You may also see it in other contexts involving movement or direction, where it keeps the sense of backward/back.

להתחיל is the dictionary form / infinitive, meaning to begin or to start.

In the sentence, you need the present-tense form, so Hebrew uses מתחיל:

• להתחיל = to start
• מתחיל = starts / is starting

So:

• מפעיל חדר הבריחה מתחיל... = The escape room operator starts...

The form מתחיל is masculine singular in the present tense.

It matches the subject מפעיל, which is also masculine singular.

If the subject were feminine, you would normally get:

• מפעילת חדר הבריחה מתחילה את הספירה לאחור

So the agreement helps show that the subject is one masculine person.

This sentence uses the very common Hebrew order:

• Subject + Verb + Direct Object

So:

• מפעיל חדר הבריחה = subject
• מתחיל = verb
• את הספירה לאחור = object

Hebrew word order can sometimes be flexible, but this version is straightforward and natural.

Because Hebrew often prefers a construct relationship instead of של when two nouns are closely connected.

So:

• מפעיל חדר הבריחה = the operator of the escape room

Using של here would usually sound less natural for this kind of tight noun relationship.

In other words, Hebrew often packs noun relationships more tightly than English does.

A common pronunciation guide is:

maf'il cheder ha-briḥa matḥil et ha-sfira le-aḥor

A few notes:

• ח is a throaty sound, not an English h
• בריחה sounds roughly like bri-kha
• מתחיל sounds roughly like mat-kheel or matḥil, depending on how precisely you pronounce ח
• הספירה is often pronounced ha-sfira, with the s cluster right after the article

Yes, depending on context.

מפעיל literally suggests someone who operates/runs something, but in natural English for an escape room, possible translations include:

• operator
• host
• staff member running the room
• game master (in some contexts)

So the exact English word can change, even though the Hebrew stays the same.

Hebrew handles definiteness differently from English in noun chains.

Even though there is no ה־ on מפעיל, the phrase can still be understood as definite from the full context, especially because חדר הבריחה is definite.

In practice, מפעיל חדר הבריחה naturally means:

• the escape room operator
• or an escape room operator, depending on context

If Hebrew wanted to make operator itself clearly definite in a simpler, non-construct way, it might use a different phrasing. But as written, this expression is perfectly natural and commonly understood.