היחידה הזאת קטנה.

A word-by-word breakdown is:

• היחידה = the unit
  • יחידה means unit
  • ה־ is the
• הזאת = this
  • feminine singular form
• קטנה = small
  • feminine singular form of קטן / קטנה

So the structure is literally something like:

• the unit
• this
• small

Natural English: This unit is small.

In Hebrew, the verb to be is usually not stated in the present tense.

So Hebrew says:

• היחידה הזאת קטנה
• literally: this unit small

But the meaning is:

• This unit is small

This is very normal Hebrew.
Compare:

• הילד עייף = The boy is tired
• המכונית חדשה = The car is new

In the past or future, Hebrew does use forms of להיות (to be):

• היחידה הזאת הייתה קטנה = This unit was small
• היחידה הזאת תהיה קטנה = This unit will be small

יחידה is a feminine noun. In Hebrew, every noun has grammatical gender, and adjectives and demonstratives have to agree with it.

A very common sign of a feminine noun is the ending ־ה or ־ת, and יחידה ends in ־ה.

Because יחידה is feminine singular, the other words match it:

• הזאת = feminine singular this
• קטנה = feminine singular small

If the noun were masculine, the forms would change. For example:

• החדר הזה קטן = This room is small

Here:

• חדר is masculine
• so you get הזה and קטן

Because הזאת has to agree with the noun יחידה, which is feminine singular.

Hebrew forms of this include:

• זה = masculine singular
• זאת / זו = feminine singular
• אלה = plural

So:

• היחידה הזאת = this unit
  but
• הספר הזה = this book

A native English speaker often expects one word for this, but in Hebrew it changes for gender and number.

In Modern Hebrew, when you say this/that + noun, the noun usually comes first:

• היחידה הזאת = this unit
• הספר הזה = this book
• הילדה הזאת = this girl

So Hebrew often uses:

• the noun + this/that

rather than English-style:

• this + noun

This is one of the most common patterns learners need to get used to.

There is also a more formal/literary pattern with זו:

• יחידה זו

but היחידה הזאת is the everyday standard way.

In expressions like היחידה הזאת, Hebrew typically uses the noun in its definite form:

• יחידה = a unit / unit
• היחידה = the unit

Then the demonstrative follows:

• היחידה הזאת = this unit

So even though English says this unit, Hebrew uses the definite noun plus the demonstrative.

As for הזאת, that is just the normal form of the feminine singular demonstrative in this pattern. You do not analyze it as a separate the + this in the same way you would in English. It is simply the form used in expressions like:

• המכונית הזאת = this car
• השאלה הזאת = this question

Adjectives in Hebrew must agree with the noun they describe in:

• gender
• number
• often also definiteness, depending on sentence structure

Since יחידה is feminine singular, the adjective must also be feminine singular:

• masculine singular: קטן
• feminine singular: קטנה
• masculine plural: קטנים
• feminine plural: קטנות

So:

• היחידה הזאת קטנה = feminine singular
• החדר הזה קטן = masculine singular
• היחידות האלה קטנות = feminine plural

Because here קטנה is a predicate adjective, not an adjective directly attached inside the noun phrase.

Compare these two ideas:

1. היחידה הזאת קטנה
   = This unit is small
   Here קטנה is the predicate of the sentence, so it does not take ה־.

2. היחידה הקטנה הזאת
   = this small unit
   Here קטנה is directly modifying the noun inside the noun phrase, so it becomes definite too:

   • היחידה
   • הקטנה
   • הזאת

This is a very important distinction in Hebrew.

They mean different things structurally:

• היחידה הזאת קטנה = This unit is small

  • full sentence
  • קטנה is the predicate adjective

• היחידה הקטנה הזאת = this small unit

  • noun phrase only, not a complete sentence by itself
  • הקטנה is an attributive adjective, directly modifying יחידה

A useful shortcut:

• if the adjective is the main description in the sentence, it usually has no ה־
• if the adjective is part of the noun phrase, it usually does take ה־ when the noun is definite

They are closely related, and both can be feminine singular forms meaning this.

In everyday Modern Hebrew:

• היחידה הזאת is very common and natural

A more formal or written style may use:

• יחידה זו

Both can mean this unit, but they are used in different styles and structures.

Very roughly:

• היחידה הזאת = common everyday spoken/written Hebrew
• יחידה זו = more formal, concise, often seen in writing, instructions, legal language, or academic style

For learners, היחידה הזאת is the safest everyday pattern to learn first.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• ha-ye-khi-DA ha-ZOT kta-NA

More carefully:

• היחידה = ha-yekhiDA
• הזאת = haZOT
• קטנה = ktaNA

Stress is usually at the end of each of these words:

• yechiDA
• haZOT
• ktaNA

If you want a natural rhythm, say it as:

• ha-yechiDA haZOT ktaNA

In standard modern usage, הזאת normally means this.

For that, Hebrew usually uses forms like:

• ההוא = masculine singular that
• ההיא = feminine singular that
• ההם / ההן = plural those

So:

• היחידה הזאת = this unit
• היחידה ההיא = that unit

In casual speech, context can sometimes blur things a little, but for learning purposes, it is best to remember:

• הזאת = this
• ההיא = that

If the noun were masculine singular, both the demonstrative and the adjective would change.

Example:

• החדר הזה קטן = This room is small

Compare the two:

• היחידה הזאת קטנה
  feminine singular
• החדר הזה קטן
  masculine singular

The pattern is:

• feminine: הזאת ... קטנה
• masculine: הזה ... קטן

This is a good sentence pair to memorize, because it shows agreement very clearly.