מהירות המכונית גבוהה.

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

So instead of saying something like The speed of the car is high, Hebrew simply says:

• מהירות המכונית גבוהה
• literally: speed of-the-car high

This is called a nominal sentence. It is completely normal in Hebrew.

If you add היא or another pronoun, it can sound more emphatic or formal in some contexts, but in ordinary present-tense statements, leaving out is is the standard pattern.

מהירות המכונית uses a very common Hebrew structure called סמיכות (construct state).

It works like this:

• מהירות = speed
• המכונית = the car
• מהירות המכונית = the speed of the car

Hebrew often prefers this compact noun + noun structure instead of using של.

So:

• מהירות המכונית = the car’s speed / the speed of the car
• המהירות של המכונית = also possible, but less compact

Both can be correct, but סמיכות is extremely common and important to recognize.

Because in a construct phrase (סמיכות), the first noun normally does not take ה־.

So Hebrew says:

• מהירות המכונית

not:

• המהירות המכונית

Even though the whole phrase is definite, the definiteness is shown on the second noun:

• מכונית = a car
• המכונית = the car

So:

• מהירות מכונית = speed of a car
• מהירות המכונית = speed of the car

The whole phrase becomes definite because the second noun is definite.

In Hebrew, adjectives normally come after the noun they describe.

Here, גבוהה describes מהירות:

• מהירות ... גבוהה
• speed ... high

That is the normal Hebrew order.

So Hebrew structure here is:

• [noun phrase] + [adjective]

namely:

• מהירות המכונית = the speed of the car
• גבוהה = high

Because it agrees with מהירות, which is a feminine singular noun.

In Hebrew, adjectives must match the noun in:

• gender
• number
• definiteness in some contexts

Here:

• מהירות is feminine singular
• so the adjective must also be feminine singular: גבוהה

This agreement is with מהירות (speed), not with מכונית just because it is the closer word.

The main noun of the whole phrase is מהירות, and that is what the adjective describes.

Yes, גבוהה is exactly the normal word here.

Hebrew, like English, often talks about speed as being high or low:

• מהירות גבוהה = high speed
• מהירות נמוכה = low speed

If you want to say the car is fast, you would use מהירה:

• המכונית מהירה = the car is fast

So there is an important difference:

• מהירות המכונית גבוהה = the car’s speed is high
• המכונית מהירה = the car is fast

Both are natural, but they are built differently.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

mehirút hamekhonít gvohá

More roughly, syllable by syllable:

• מהירות = meh-hee-ROOT
• המכונית = ha-me-kho-NEET
• גבוהה = gvo-HA

A few notes:

• The stress is on the last syllable in all three words.
• The כ in מכונית sounds like kh in the German Bach or Scottish loch.
• גבוהה begins with a cluster that sounds roughly like gv.

Yes, you can.

That version means the same thing:

• המהירות של המכונית גבוהה

This uses the של pattern instead of the construct pattern.

Compare:

• מהירות המכונית גבוהה = more compact, very natural
• המהירות של המכונית גבוהה = also correct, a little more explicit

Both are useful. Hebrew often uses both patterns, though the construct form is especially common in written and formal-style Hebrew.

מהירות is a noun meaning speed.

It is related to the adjective:

• מהיר = fast (masculine)
• מהירה = fast (feminine)

So you can think of מהירות as an abstract noun built from the idea of being fast.

This is useful to compare:

• המכונית מהירה = the car is fast
• מהירות המכונית גבוהה = the car’s speed is high

Usually, this order is the natural one:

• מהירות המכונית גבוהה

Changing it would usually sound marked, poetic, or unnatural to a learner.

For a basic statement, stick with:

• subject/topic first
• description after

So this sentence is the standard and safest order to use.

In the past and future, Hebrew does use forms of היה (to be).

For example:

• מהירות המכונית הייתה גבוהה = the speed of the car was high
• מהירות המכונית תהיה גבוהה = the speed of the car will be high

So the present tense is special because Hebrew usually leaves out is/am/are, but in past and future, a verb appears normally.