זה ספר טוב.

This is a good book.

Breakdown of זה ספר טוב.

• זה: this
• ספר: book
• טוב: good

Questions & Answers about זה ספר טוב.

Why is there no word for is in this sentence?

In present-tense Hebrew, the verb to be is usually left out in simple sentences. So זה ספר טוב literally looks like this book good, but it means This is a good book.

Hebrew does use to be in other tenses, for example:

• זה היה ספר טוב = This was a good book
• זה יהיה ספר טוב = This will be a good book

What does each word mean and do here?

The sentence breaks down like this:

• זה = this
• ספר = book
• טוב = good

So the structure is basically:

• זה = the subject, this
• ספר טוב = a good book

Together: This is a good book.

Why does Hebrew say book good instead of good book?

Because in Hebrew, adjectives normally come after the noun, not before it.

So:

• ספר טוב = literally book good
• natural English = good book

This is one of the most basic word-order differences between Hebrew and English.

Why is טוב in that form?

Because Hebrew adjectives must agree with the noun in gender and number.

• ספר is a masculine singular noun
• so the adjective must also be masculine singular
• that form is טוב

If the noun were feminine singular, you would usually use טובה:

• מתנה טובה = a good gift

Why is there no word for a?

Hebrew does not have an indefinite article like English a or an.

So:

• ספר can mean a book
• ספר טוב can mean a good book

Context tells you whether English should use a/an when translating.

Why doesn’t ספר have ה־ at the beginning?

Because ה־ means the, and this sentence is not saying the book.

• ספר = a book / book
• הספר = the book

So:

• זה ספר טוב = This is a good book
• זה הספר הטוב would mean something like This is the good book

Why doesn’t the adjective also get ה־?

In Hebrew, if the noun is definite with ה־, the adjective also becomes definite.

So:

• ספר טוב = a good book
• הספר הטוב = the good book

Both words become definite:

• הספר = the book
• הטוב = the good

That is different from English, where only the appears once.

Does זה only mean this?

Not always. זה is a very common Hebrew word and can have different uses depending on context. In this sentence, it is best understood as this in This is a good book.

In other contexts, זה can also be translated in ways that feel more like it, that, or this one, depending on what sounds natural in English.

Is זה masculine? What if the thing is feminine?

Yes, זה is the masculine singular form.

If the thing referred to is feminine singular, Hebrew often uses:

• זאת
• or זו

For example:

• זאת מתנה טובה = This is a good gift

Since ספר is masculine, זה is the expected form here.

How do you pronounce זה ספר טוב?

With vowel marks, it is:

• זֶה סֵפֶר טוֹב

A simple transliteration is:

• ze sefer tov

Roughly:

• ze = zeh
• sefer = SEH-fer
• tov = tohv

Why are there no vowel marks written?

Because most modern Hebrew is normally written without vowel marks, which are called niqqud.

So in everyday writing you usually see:

• זה ספר טוב

rather than:

• זֶה סֵפֶר טוֹב

Learners often see vowel marks in textbooks, children’s materials, dictionaries, and some religious texts.

How would I say This book is good instead?

The most natural everyday Hebrew would usually be:

• הספר הזה טוב

Literally:

• the-book this good

Hebrew often expresses this book as the book this, not as this book before the noun.

So compare:

• זה ספר טוב = This is a good book
• הספר הזה טוב = This book is good

Can I also say זהו ספר טוב?

Yes. זהו ספר טוב is possible.

It can sound a bit more:

• formal
• literary
• emphatic

In everyday speech, זה ספר טוב is very common and natural. So both exist, but זה ספר טוב is usually the simpler, more conversational form.