אני מנסה למרכז את החימר על האובניים.

I am trying to center the clay on the potter's wheel.

Breakdown of אני מנסה למרכז את החימר על האובניים.

• אני: I
• את: direct object marker
• על: on
• לנסות: to try

Questions & Answers about אני מנסה למרכז את החימר על האובניים.

Why is מנסה translated as am trying? Can it also mean try?

Yes. Hebrew present tense often covers both meanings that English separates into I try and I am trying.

So אני מנסה can mean:

• I try
• I am trying

The exact English translation depends on context. In this sentence, am trying sounds more natural because it describes an action happening right now.

Why is אני included? Could you leave it out?

In present-tense Hebrew, the verb form usually does not show person clearly the way English does.

So מנסה by itself can mean something like trying / tries / am trying / is trying, depending on context. Because of that, Hebrew often includes the subject pronoun in the present tense for clarity.

So:

• אני מנסה = I am trying
• without אני, the subject would be less clear

Does מנסה tell me whether the speaker is male or female?