Learn Hardcore Hebrew: יש לי ספר חדש.

In יש לי ספר חדש, it is part of the Hebrew way of expressing possession. So instead of saying I have, Hebrew says something more like there is to me.

A very literal breakdown is:

יש = there is
לי = to me
ספר חדש = a new book

So the whole sentence is literally There is to me a new book, which is how Hebrew says I have a new book.

Why doesn’t Hebrew just use a verb meaning have?

Because in everyday Hebrew, possession is usually expressed with יש plus ל־ + a person.

So:

יש לי = I have
יש לך = you have
יש לו = he has
יש לה = she has

This is one of the first big differences English speakers notice. Hebrew usually does not use a normal verb equivalent to English have in this kind of sentence.

What does לי mean exactly?