Breakdown of בין אם ליקוי הבנייה בטיח ובין אם ברובה, הוא יתוקן.
Questions & Answers about בין אם ליקוי הבנייה בטיח ובין אם ברובה, הוא יתוקן.
What does בין אם ... ובין אם ... mean, and how is it used here?
It is a set phrase meaning whether ... or ....
So here, בין אם ליקוי הבנייה בטיח ובין אם ברובה sets up two alternatives:
- the defect is in the plaster
- the defect is in the grout
This structure is quite formal and is common in written Hebrew, especially in technical, legal, or official language.
Why is there no Hebrew word for is in the first part of the sentence?
Because in Hebrew, the verb to be is usually omitted in the present tense.
So Hebrew often says things like:
- הספר על השולחן = the book is on the table
- הליקוי בטיח = the defect is in the plaster
In this sentence, ליקוי הבנייה בטיח means the construction defect is in the plaster, even though no separate word for is appears.
Why is ליקוי הבנייה written with ה־ only on הבנייה and not on ליקוי?
Because this is a construct chain (סמיכות).
- ליקוי = defect
- הבנייה = the construction
Together, ליקוי הבנייה means the construction defect or the defect in the construction.
In a construct chain, definiteness is usually marked on the second noun, but it applies to the whole phrase. So:
- ליקוי בנייה = a construction defect / construction defect
- ליקוי הבנייה = the construction defect
This is a very common Hebrew pattern.
What are בטיח and ברובה grammatically?
They are preposition + noun combinations.
- ב־ = in / at / on, depending on context
- טיח = plaster
- רובה = grout
So:
- בטיח = ב + טיח = in plaster / in the plaster
- ברובה = ב + רובה = in grout / in the grout
In context, these mean the defect is located in those parts or materials.
Why doesn’t the sentence repeat the full phrase in the second half? Why just ובין אם ברובה?
Because Hebrew often leaves out words that are already understood from the previous part.
The full underlying idea is something like:
- בין אם ליקוי הבנייה בטיח ובין אם ליקוי הבנייה ברובה
But repeating ליקוי הבנייה would sound heavy and unnecessary. So the second half is shortened to ובין אם ברובה.
English does the same kind of thing sometimes:
- whether in plaster or in grout
Why is there הוא in הוא יתוקן? Doesn’t יתוקן already mean it will be fixed?
Yes, יתוקן already tells you that the subject is third person masculine singular: it will be fixed.
The pronoun הוא is added for clarity and flow, especially after a long opening phrase. It points back to ליקוי הבנייה.
So הוא יתוקן is a bit like saying:
- it, in any case, will be fixed
In formal written Hebrew, this kind of resumptive pronoun is very common.
Why is the pronoun הוא masculine?
Because ליקוי is a masculine singular noun.
In Hebrew, pronouns and verbs agree with the grammatical gender of the noun:
- ליקוי is masculine
- so the sentence uses הוא
- and the verb is יתוקן, masculine singular
Even though English uses it, Hebrew still has to choose masculine or feminine.
What form is יתוקן?
יתוקן is:
- future tense
- third person masculine singular
- passive
It comes from the verb לתקן = to fix / repair.
Compare:
- יתקן = he will fix / repair
- יתוקן = it will be fixed / repaired
So the וּ sound helps signal the passive form here.
Is this sentence formal?
Yes, it sounds fairly formal and technical.
That feeling comes from several things:
- בין אם ... ובין אם ... is formal
- ליקוי is a technical word for defect/flaw
- יתוקן is a passive form, which is common in official or professional writing
This kind of sentence would sound natural in a building report, warranty document, contractor message, or customer-service response.
What is the job of the comma before הוא יתוקן?
The comma separates the opening whether ... or ... phrase from the main clause.
So the structure is:
- introductory alternative clause: בין אם ... ובין אם ...
- main statement: הוא יתוקן
In speech, you would usually hear a pause there as well.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning HebrewMaster Hebrew — from בין אם ליקוי הבנייה בטיח ובין אם ברובה, הוא יתוקן to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions