נרתיק המשקפיים מחזיק את משקפי הקריאה.

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

In Hebrew, two nouns are often put together directly to mean X of Y or Y X:

• נרתיק המשקפיים = the glasses case / literally the case of the glasses

In a construct chain:

• the first noun usually does not take ה
• the second noun shows whether the whole phrase is definite

So:

• נרתיק המשקפיים = the glasses case
• נרתיק משקפיים = a glasses case

You can also say הנרתיק של המשקפיים, but that sounds more like the case of the glasses in a more explicit of structure. The construct form is shorter and very common.

Because in construct state, definiteness is usually marked on the last noun, not the first one.

So in:

• נרתיק המשקפיים

the ה on המשקפיים makes the whole phrase definite.

This is one of the things that often feels strange to English speakers. In English, we usually expect the to appear right before the main noun: the case. In Hebrew construct chains, that is not how it works.

A useful way to think about it:

• נרתיק משקפיים = a glasses case
• נרתיק המשקפיים = the glasses case

Because משקפיים is normally a plural-only noun in Modern Hebrew, much like English glasses.

This is common for things that come in pairs.

So:

• משקפיים = glasses / eyeglasses

There is a singular-looking form משקף, but that usually means something else, such as a lens, visor, or another related object depending on context. For ordinary eyeglasses, Hebrew normally uses משקפיים.

That is another result of construct state.

When משקפיים comes before another noun in a construct chain, it changes form:

• משקפיים = glasses
• משקפי... = glasses of...

So:

• משקפי הקריאה = the reading glasses
• literally: glasses of reading

This kind of change is very normal in Hebrew. The first noun in a construct chain often changes shape.

Because משקפי הקריאה here is a definite phrase: the reading glasses.

Again, in a construct chain, the definiteness is usually marked on the last noun:

• משקפי קריאה = reading glasses / glasses for reading
• משקפי הקריאה = the reading glasses

So the ה on הקריאה makes the whole object definite.

This is also why the sentence uses את before it.

את marks a definite direct object.

In:

• נרתיק המשקפיים מחזיק את משקפי הקריאה

the thing being held is משקפי הקריאה, and that phrase is definite, so Hebrew uses את before it.

A quick comparison:

• הוא מחזיק ספר = he is holding a book
  no את
• הוא מחזיק את הספר = he is holding the book
  את is required

So here:

• את משקפי הקריאה = the reading glasses as a definite direct object

מחזיק is the masculine singular present-tense form of the verb להחזיק.

Here it agrees with נרתיק, which is a masculine singular noun.

So:

• נרתיק ... מחזיק = the case holds / is holding

In Modern Hebrew, the present tense often works like both:

• holds
• is holding

depending on context.

It can cover several related ideas:

• hold
• keep
• support
• sometimes contain, depending on context

In this sentence, with a glasses case, מחזיק suggests that the case holds or keeps the reading glasses inside it.

Other verbs might also be possible in different contexts, for example:

• מכיל = contains
• שומר על = keeps/protects

But מחזיק is understandable and natural enough for the basic idea of physically holding something.

Hebrew often uses a noun + noun structure where English uses an adjective-like modifier.

So:

• משקפי הקריאה
• literally: glasses of reading

Here קריאה is a noun meaning reading.

This is very common in Hebrew. English learners often expect an adjective, but Hebrew frequently prefers:

• a construct chain
• or sometimes ל־
  • noun

For example, you may also hear:

• משקפיים לקריאה = glasses for reading

That is also natural, though it is a slightly different structure.

A simple transliteration is:

nartik ha-mishkafáyim makhzík et mishkaféi ha-kri'á

A few pronunciation notes:

• ח in מחזיק is the throaty sound like ch in Scottish loch or German Bach
• משקפיים is stressed near the end: mishkafáyim
• משקפי sounds like mishkaféi
• קריאה is kri'á, with a small break before the last syllable

This sentence uses a very straightforward Hebrew word order:

• subject: נרתיק המשקפיים
• verb: מחזיק
• object: את משקפי הקריאה

So it is basically Subject–Verb–Object, just like English:

• The glasses case holds the reading glasses

Hebrew word order can be more flexible than English, but this is the most neutral and beginner-friendly order.