הקדר מסובב את האובניים ביד.

The prefix ה־ is the Hebrew definite article, equivalent to the in English.

So:

• קדר = a potter / potter
• הקדר = the potter

That is why the noun is definite here.

מסובב is the masculine singular present-tense form of the verb לסובב, which means to turn, to rotate, or to spin something.

In this sentence it agrees with הקדר, which is a singular masculine noun.

So the match is:

• הקדר = masculine singular
• מסובב = masculine singular

If the subject were feminine, the verb form would change to מסובבת.

It can mean either one, depending on context.

Hebrew present tense often covers both:

• turns (habitual / general)
• is turning (right now)

So הקדר מסובב את האובניים ביד could mean:

• The potter turns the wheel by hand
• The potter is turning the wheel by hand

English forces you to choose more often than Hebrew does.

את marks a definite direct object.

Here, the direct object is האובניים, and it is definite because it has ה־.

So Hebrew uses:

• מסובב את האובניים

This את usually is not translated into English. It is just a grammatical marker that tells you clearly which noun is receiving the action.

A useful rule:

• use את before a definite direct object
• do not use את before an indefinite direct object

For example:

• הוא מסובב אובניים = He turns a potter's wheel
• הוא מסובב את האובניים = He turns the potter's wheel

Yes, it has the dual-looking ending ־יים, which often appears in words for things that naturally come in pairs or in certain fixed nouns.

אובניים is the normal word for potter's wheel, and it is used in this set form. So even though it looks morphologically dual/plural, it functions as the standard noun for that object.

This is similar to how some Hebrew words look plural even when they refer to one item as a unit, like:

• מספריים = scissors
• אופניים = bicycle

So you should learn אובניים as a vocabulary item, not try to break it into a simple singular-plus-ending pattern.

Usually, yes.

If אובניים were the subject of a sentence, Modern Hebrew would normally treat it as plural for agreement.

For example:

• האובניים מסתובבים = The potter's wheel is turning / the wheels are turning

So even though English thinks of potter's wheel as singular, Hebrew grammar treats אובניים as a plural/dual-form noun.

In your sentence, though, it is the object, so that agreement issue does not show up.

ביד literally means with a hand or by hand, but in this sentence the natural meaning is by hand.

The prefix ב־ means in, with, or by, depending on context.

Here it expresses the means or instrument:

• ביד = by hand / with the hand

So the sentence emphasizes that the potter is turning the wheel manually, not mechanically.

ביד is more general: by hand.

בידו specifically means with his hand.

So:

• ביד = by hand, manually
• בידו = with his hand

Both can work in the right context, but ביד is a very natural way to describe doing something manually.

Yes. Hebrew word order is somewhat flexible, although this sentence uses the very common neutral order:

• subject + verb + object + adverbial phrase

So:

• הקדר מסובב את האובניים ביד

is the straightforward, unmarked way to say it.

You could change the order for emphasis, but that would sound more marked. For example:

• ביד הקדר מסובב את האובניים would emphasize by hand
• את האובניים הקדר מסובב ביד would emphasize the wheel

For a basic learner sentence, the original order is the most natural one to focus on.

You would change both the noun and the present-tense verb form.

A natural version would be:

• הקדרית מסובבת את האובניים ביד.

Changes:

• הקדר → הקדרית = the female potter
• מסובב → מסובבת = feminine singular present

Everything else stays the same.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

ha-ka-DAR me-so-VEV et ha-ov-NA-yim be-YAD

Approximate stresses:

• הקדר → ha-ka-DAR
• מסובב → me-so-VEV
• האובניים → ha-ov-NA-yim
• ביד → be-YAD

A rough overall reading:

ha-ka-DAR me-so-VEV et ha-ov-NA-yim be-YAD

The main dictionary forms are:

• קדר = potter
• לסובב = to turn / to rotate / to spin
• אובניים = potter's wheel
• יד = hand

That can help you recognize how the sentence is built:

• הקדר = the potter
• מסובב = turns / is turning
• את האובניים = the potter's wheel
• ביד = by hand