אנחנו עורמים את הארגזים על משטח עץ.

In Hebrew present tense, the verb often looks like a participle and agrees with the subject in gender and number.

So in:

• אנחנו = we
• עורמים = stacking / stack

the form עורמים is plural masculine. Hebrew uses this form for:

• a group of males
• a mixed group
• sometimes a group of unspecified gender in general contexts

If the group were entirely female, you would usually say:

• אנחנו עורמות את הארגזים על משטח עץ.

Unlike English, Hebrew present tense does not have a special unique verb ending just for we the way some other tenses do.

It can mean we stack or we are stacking, depending on context.

Hebrew present tense usually does not make a strong grammatical distinction between:

• simple present: we stack
• present progressive: we are stacking

So אנחנו עורמים את הארגזים can mean either:

• We stack the boxes
• We are stacking the boxes

The situation tells you which one is intended.

את marks a definite direct object.

Here:

• הארגזים = the boxes / the crates
• since that object is definite because of ה־ (the), Hebrew uses את

So:

• עורמים את הארגזים = stacking the boxes

But if it were indefinite, you would usually leave out את:

• אנחנו עורמים ארגזים = We are stacking boxes

A very important rule:

• את does not mean a separate English word here
• it is just a grammatical marker

Because הארגזים is definite, while משטח עץ is indefinite.

• הארגזים = the boxes
• משטח עץ = a wooden pallet / a wood surface

Hebrew often leaves a noun indefinite when English would use a or an, because Hebrew has no separate word for a/an.

So:

• הארגזים = the boxes
• משטח עץ = a wooden surface / a wooden pallet

If you wanted to say the wooden pallet, that would normally need to be made definite too.

Literally, it is something like wood surface or wooden platform/pallet.

In natural English, depending on context, it may be translated as:

• a wooden pallet
• a wooden platform
• a wood surface

This is a very common Hebrew pattern: a noun followed by another noun that describes material or type.

For example:

• שולחן עץ = a wooden table
• דלת ברזל = an iron door
• בקבוק זכוכית = a glass bottle

So משטח עץ is best understood as a wooden surface/pallet, not as two completely separate unrelated nouns.

It can correspond to either one in English, depending on the context.

• על basically means on
• but with a motion/action verb like stack, English often prefers onto

So this sentence may be understood as:

• We stack the boxes on a wooden pallet
• We are stacking the boxes onto a wooden pallet

Hebrew often uses על in places where English might choose either on or onto.

Yes. Hebrew word order is somewhat flexible, although the given order is very natural.

The basic sentence is:

• אנחנו עורמים את הארגזים על משטח עץ.

You could also move elements for emphasis, for example:

• את הארגזים אנחנו עורמים על משטח עץ.
• על משטח עץ אנחנו עורמים את הארגזים.

These alternatives can sound more marked or emphasize a specific part of the sentence. The original version is the most neutral and straightforward.

The singular is ארגז:

• ארגז = box / crate
• ארגזים = boxes / crates

With the definite article:

• הארגז = the box / the crate
• הארגזים = the boxes / the crates

The plural ending ־ים is a very common masculine plural ending in Hebrew.

The dictionary form is לערום, meaning to stack, to pile up, or to heap.

So the relationship is:

• לערום = to stack
• עורם = stacking / stacks (masculine singular)
• עורמת = stacking / stacks (feminine singular)
• עורמים = stacking / stack (masculine plural)
• עורמות = stacking / stack (feminine plural)

This is useful because Hebrew learners often need to connect the form they see in a sentence to the infinitive they would look up in a dictionary.

You would usually change the verb to the feminine plural form:

• אנחנו עורמות את הארגזים על משטח עץ.

Only the verb changes here:

• עורמים → masculine plural
• עורמות → feminine plural

The pronoun אנחנו stays the same for both masculine and feminine groups.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• אנחנו — a-NACH-nu
• עורמים — or-MIM
• את — et
• הארגזים — ha-ar-ga-ZIM
• על — al
• משטח — mish-TACH
• עץ — etz

Putting it together:

• a-NACH-nu or-MIM et ha-ar-ga-ZIM al mish-TACH etz

A few helpful notes:

• ch in a-NACH-nu and mish-TACH is the throaty sound heard in Hebrew ח / כ
• עץ ends with tz, like the end of cats
• the stress is usually near the end in words like עורמים and הארגזים