Questions & Answers about ארגז הקרטון עלול ליפול אם נערום אותו גבוה מדי.
Why is it ארגז הקרטון and not הארגז הקרטון?
Because ארגז הקרטון is a construct chain (סמיכות) meaning the cardboard box or literally the box of the cardboard.
In this pattern, the definite article often appears on the second noun, and that makes the whole phrase definite:
- ארגז קרטון = a cardboard box
- ארגז הקרטון = the cardboard box
So Hebrew does not usually say הארגז הקרטון in this structure.
What does עלול mean here?
עלול means something like liable to, likely to, or may end up.
In this sentence, it suggests a risk or negative possibility:
- הארגז עלול ליפול = the box may fall / is liable to fall
This is a little different from יכול (can / is able to).
עלול often implies that something bad might happen.
Also, עלול is masculine singular, matching ארגז, which is a masculine singular noun.
Why is the verb ליפול in the infinitive?