חרטתי דפוס בדופן האגרטל.

Because Hebrew often leaves out subject pronouns when the verb already shows who is doing the action.

In חרטתי, the ending -תי means I in the past tense, so אני is unnecessary.

So:

• חרטתי = I engraved / I carved
• אני חרטתי would also be possible, but it usually adds emphasis, like I engraved it.

חרטתי is the past tense, first person singular form of the verb לחרוט.

So:

• לחרוט = to engrave, carve, inscribe
• חרטתי = I engraved / I carved / I inscribed

The -תי ending is very common in the past tense for I.

Examples:

• כתבתי = I wrote
• שמרתי = I kept
• חרטתי = I engraved

In Hebrew, one very common sign of the past tense, first person singular is the ending -תי.

So when you see a verb ending in -תי, it often means I did...

Here:

• חרטתי = I engraved

This is a very useful pattern to recognize.

Here דפוס means something like pattern, design, or imprint.

Depending on context, דפוס can have several meanings in Hebrew, including:

• pattern
• print
• mold
• template
• printing

In this sentence, the natural meaning is a pattern/design that was engraved onto the vase.

Because דפוס is indefinite here.

In Hebrew, the direct object marker את is generally used before a definite direct object.

So:

• חרטתי דפוס = I engraved a pattern
• חרטתי את הדפוס = I engraved the pattern

Since the sentence says דפוס and not הדפוס, it is indefinite, so את is not used.

בדופן is made of:

• ב־ = in / on / at
• דופן = side, wall, side surface

So בדופן means on the side, in the side, or on the wall/surface of something, depending on context.

In this sentence, it means something like:

• on the side of the vase
• into the side of the vase

Because engraving goes into a surface, English may translate it in different ways, but the Hebrew phrase is very natural.

Hebrew does not always match English prepositions exactly.

Here, ב־ is used with דופן in a natural Hebrew way to describe the place where the engraving was made. Even though English often says on the side, Hebrew can use ב in cases like this, especially when the action affects the material or surface itself.

So you should not always translate prepositions word-for-word.

It is a construct phrase: the side of the vase.

It is made of:

• דופן = side / wall
• האגרטל = the vase

Together:

• דופן האגרטל = the side of the vase

This is a very common Hebrew structure, where two nouns are linked to show possession or relationship.

Examples:

• דלת הבית = the door of the house
• חלון המכונית = the window of the car
• דופן האגרטל = the side of the vase

Because in a construct phrase, definiteness is usually shown on the second noun, but it applies to the whole phrase.

So:

• דופן אגרטל = a side of a vase
• דופן האגרטל = the side of the vase

Even though דופן itself does not have ה־, the whole phrase becomes definite because האגרטל is definite.

This is a very important Hebrew pattern.

Yes. The sentence starts with the verb:

• חרטתי = I engraved
• דפוס = a pattern
• בדופן האגרטל = on the side of the vase

This verb-first order is normal in Hebrew, especially in short written sentences.

You could also hear other orders depending on emphasis, for example:

• חרטתי דפוס בדופן האגרטל
• בדופן האגרטל חרטתי דפוס = On the side of the vase, I engraved a pattern

But the original sentence is completely natural.

אגרטל means vase.

It is generally treated as a masculine noun in Modern Hebrew.

That is why the definite form is:

• האגרטל = the vase

A simple pronunciation guide is:

kharáti dfús bedófen ha-agartál

A few notes:

• ח is pronounced like a throaty kh sound.
• חרטתי is stressed on the last syllable: kha-RA-ti
• דפוס is usually d'fus or dfus
• בדופן is be-dofen
• האגרטל is ha-agartal

Pronunciation can vary a little by speaker, but this is a good practical guide.

No. דופן is a more general word meaning side or wall of something.

It can be used for:

• the side of a container
• the wall of a structure
• the side surface of an object

So in this sentence it refers to the side wall of the vase, not only its outer appearance in a general sense.

Yes, depending on the exact meaning.

For example:

• דוגמה = pattern / example / motif
• עיטור = decoration / ornament
• ציור = drawing
• חריטה = engraving

But דפוס suggests a pattern or formed design, so it works well if that is the intended meaning. The best choice depends on what kind of mark or design was engraved.