אין מים.

water

Breakdown of אין מים.

• אין: there is no

Questions & Answers about אין מים.

What does אין mean in this sentence?

In אין מים, אין is the standard Hebrew word for saying that something does not exist or is not available.

So the pattern is:

• יש מים = there is water
• אין מים = there is no water / there isn’t any water

It is not just a general not. It specifically works for there is/there are not.

Why is there no separate word for is or are?

Hebrew usually does not use a present-tense verb meaning to be in simple sentences.

So where English says:

• There is no water

Hebrew simply says:

• אין מים

This is very normal Hebrew. You do not need a separate word for is or are here.

Why can’t I say לא מים?

Because לא and אין do different jobs.

• לא usually negates verbs:
  אני לא שותה מים = I am not drinking water
• אין is used for absence or non-existence:
  אין מים = there is no water

So לא מים would not be the normal way to say there is no water.