Breakdown of תעבירי הלאה בגד לביש.
Questions & Answers about תעבירי הלאה בגד לביש.
Why does תעבירי end with -י?
Because the command is addressed to one female.
- תעבירי = you (female, singular), pass / transfer / pass on
- If you were speaking to one male, it would be תעביר
- To several people, it would be תעבירו
So this sentence is specifically directed at a woman or girl.
What exactly does תעבירי mean here?
Here תעבירי comes from the verb להעביר, which often means to transfer, to pass, or to move something along.
In this sentence, with הלאה, it means something like:
- pass on
- hand along
- give onward
In context, it can sound like pass along / donate / give to someone else.
What does הלאה add to the sentence?
הלאה means onward, along, or further on.
So:
- תעבירי = pass / transfer
- תעבירי הלאה = pass on, pass along
Without הלאה, the verb could sound more general. Adding הלאה makes it clearer that the item should continue to someone else.
Why isn’t there an את before בגד?
Because בגד here is indefinite: a garment, not the garment.
In Hebrew, the direct object marker את is normally used only before a definite direct object.
So:
- תעבירי בגד לביש = pass on a wearable garment
- תעבירי את הבגד הלביש = pass on the wearable garment
Since the sentence is talking about any suitable garment, את is not used.
What does בגד mean here? Is it singular?
Yes, בגד is singular and means a garment or an item of clothing.
It does not mean clothes in general here. It refers to one piece of clothing.
Examples:
- בגד = a garment
- בגדים = clothes / garments
So the sentence is asking for one wearable item of clothing.
Why is לביש אחרי בגד instead of before it?
Because in Hebrew, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe.
So:
- בגד לביש = a wearable garment
- בגד = garment
- לביש = wearable
This is the normal Hebrew word order for noun + adjective.
Compare:
- ילד קטן = a small boy
- בית גדול = a big house
- בגד לביש = a wearable garment
Why is it לביש and not some other form?
Because לביש agrees with בגד, which is masculine singular.
Hebrew adjectives must match the noun in:
- gender
- number
- definiteness
Since בגד is masculine singular, the adjective is also masculine singular:
- בגד לביש = a wearable garment
Other forms would be:
- חולצה לבישה = a wearable shirt/blouse (feminine singular)
- בגדים לבישים = wearable clothes (masculine plural)
Is לביש a common word?
Yes, but especially in practical contexts like clothing, donations, laundry, resale, or sorting items.
It means wearable, as in:
- still in good enough condition to wear
- not torn beyond use
- usable as clothing
So בגד לביש means not just a garment, but a garment that can actually still be worn.
How would you pronounce the whole sentence?
A simple pronunciation guide is:
ta-a-vi-ri ha-la-a be-ged la-vish
More smoothly: ta'aviri hala'a beged lavish
A few notes:
- תעבירי = ta'aviri
- הלאה = hala'a
- בגד = beged
- לביש = lavish
Is this a natural sentence in modern Hebrew?
Yes, especially in a donation, recycling, or community-sharing context.
It sounds like an instruction such as:
- Pass on a wearable garment
- Donate a wearable item
- Hand along a garment that can still be worn
It is a bit slogan-like or campaign-like, which is probably why it is short and direct.
How would this change if I were talking to a man or to a group?
Here are the main forms:
- to one woman: תעבירי הלאה בגד לביש
- to one man: תעביר הלאה בגד לביש
- to a group: תעבירו הלאה בגד לביש
If you wanted to address everyone in a more inclusive way in writing, Hebrew often uses the plural:
- תעבירו הלאה בגד לביש
Could בגד לביש also be translated more freely?
Yes. Depending on context, English might say:
- a wearable garment
- an item of clothing in wearable condition
- a garment that can still be worn
- a usable item of clothing
So while the Hebrew is short, the natural English translation may vary based on tone and context.
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