הכלב התרחק מהרעש.

In Hebrew, the definite article ה־ means the and is attached directly to the noun.

• כלב = dog
• הכלב = the dog

So Hebrew does not write the as a separate word the way English does.

התרחק is past tense, 3rd person masculine singular.

That matches הכלב, which is a masculine singular noun. So the verb agrees with the subject.

In other words, the grammar is like:

• הכלב = the dog
• התרחק = moved away / distanced itself

No. In התרחק, the ה is not the definite article.

Here it is part of the verb’s pattern, called a binyan. The verb התרחק belongs to the התפעל (Hitpa'el) pattern.

So:

• הכלב: the ה־ means the
• התרחק: the ה is just part of the verb form

They look similar in writing, but they are doing completely different jobs.

The root is ר־ח־ק, which has to do with distance or being far.

Related words include:

• רחוק = far
• מרחק = distance

The verb התרחק is in התפעל (Hitpa'el), which often gives a reflexive or intransitive sense. Here it means something like:

• distanced itself
• moved away
• got farther away

So the idea is not that someone moved the dog away, but that the dog itself moved away from the noise.

Because the preposition מ־ (from) attaches directly to the next word.

So:

• רעש = noise
• הרעש = the noise
• מהרעש = from the noise

Historically, this מ־ comes from מן. In everyday Hebrew, it is very common for it to appear attached like this.

So מהרעש is basically:

• מ־
  • הרעש

It can be written that way, but מהרעש is the more natural everyday form.

These are related:

• מן הרעש = from the noise
• מהרעש = from the noise

The shorter attached form is very common in modern Hebrew.

Because הרעש is not a direct object here.

In this sentence, מהרעש is a prepositional phrase meaning from the noise. The word את is only used before a definite direct object.

Compare:

• הכלב שמע את הרעש = The dog heard the noise
  Here הרעש is a direct object, so את appears.

But in your sentence:

• הכלב התרחק מהרעש = The dog moved away from the noise
  Here הרעש comes after the preposition מ־, so there is no את.

Yes, Hebrew can sometimes put the verb first, but הכלב התרחק מהרעש is a very normal, neutral modern word order.

This sentence is:

• subject: הכלב
• verb: התרחק
• prepositional phrase: מהרעש

You could also hear:

• התרחק הכלב מהרעש

But that can sound more literary, formal, or stylistically marked. For everyday Hebrew, הכלב התרחק מהרעש is very natural.

Hebrew verbs in the past tense agree with the subject in gender and number.

Since כלב is masculine singular, the verb is התרחק.

If you changed the subject, the verb would change too:

• הכלבה התרחקה מהרעש = The female dog moved away from the noise
• הכלבים התרחקו מהרעש = The dogs moved away from the noise
• הכלבות התרחקו מהרעש = The female dogs moved away from the noise

So Hebrew gives you extra information through verb agreement.

רעש usually means noise, but depending on context it can also mean:

• racket
• commotion
• loud disturbance
• sometimes even uproar

So מהרעש can feel like away from the noise, away from the racket, or away from the commotion, depending on the situation.