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Learn Hardcore Hebrew: זאת אמא טובה. - This is a good mother.

Hardcore Hebrew
/Lesson 2
/זאת אמא טובה.

זאת אמא טובה.

Word

זאת אמא טובה.

Meaning

This is a good mother.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Hebrew

Lesson

Breakdown of זאת אמא טובה.

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Questions & Answers about זאת אמא טובה.

Why is there no word for is in the sentence?

Because in Hebrew, simple present-tense sentences usually do not use a separate word for is / am / are.

So זאת אמא טובה naturally means This is a good mother, even though there is no explicit word for is.

This is very normal in Hebrew:

זה ספר = This is a book
היא מורה = She is a teacher

In past or future, Hebrew does use forms of to be.

What does זאת mean here?

זאת means this in the feminine singular.

It is used here because אמא (mother) is a feminine noun. So the sentence begins with this referring to something feminine: this is ...

If the noun were masculine, you would usually use זה instead:

זה ילד טוב = This is a good boy

Can I say זו אמא טובה instead of זאת אמא טובה?

Yes. זו and זאת can both mean this for feminine singular.

So both of these are possible:

זאת אמא טובה
זו אמא טובה

In modern Hebrew, both are common, though learners will often meet both forms in different contexts and styles.

How do I know that אמא is feminine?

Because אמא means mother, and it is grammatically feminine.

In Hebrew, nouns have grammatical gender, and words that describe them must match that gender. So both:

זאת = feminine this
טובה = feminine good

match אמא.

Also, not every feminine noun has the same ending. Even though אמא ends with א, it is still feminine.

Why does טובה come after אמא instead of before it?

Because in Hebrew, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe.

So:

אמא טובה = a good mother

not the other way around.

This is different from English, where adjectives usually come before the noun:

English: good mother
Hebrew: mother good

Why is it טובה and not טוב?

Because the adjective has to agree with the noun in gender and number.

Since אמא is:

feminine
singular

the adjective must also be feminine singular:

masculine singular: טוב
feminine singular: טובה

So:

אבא טוב = a good father
אמא טובה = a good mother

Where is the word for a?

Hebrew does not have a separate word for a / an.

So אמא can mean:

mother
a mother

depending on context.

If Hebrew wants to say the mother, it usually adds ה־:

האמא = the mother

So in this sentence, אמא טובה is understood as a good mother.

Could this sentence mean This mother is good?

Usually, no. As written, זאת אמא טובה is most naturally understood as This is a good mother.

If you want to say This mother is good, Hebrew would usually make mother the thing being pointed out more directly, for example:

האמא הזאת טובה = This mother is good
more formal: אמא זו טובה

So the original sentence is structured more like This is a good mother, not This mother is good.

How is the sentence pronounced?

It is pronounced approximately:

zot iMA toVA

A fuller breakdown:

זאת = zot
אמא = iMA
טובה = toVA

You may also see אמא spelled אימא in some texts, but the meaning and pronunciation are basically the same.

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