Questions & Answers about הדירה בעיר גדולה, והיא חדשה.
Where is the word is in this sentence?
In Hebrew, the verb to be is usually not written in the present tense in sentences like this.
So:
- הדירה גדולה = the apartment is big
- היא חדשה = it is new
Hebrew simply puts the subject and the adjective together, and the is is understood.
In past or future tense, Hebrew does use a form of to be, for example:
- הדירה הייתה גדולה = the apartment was big
What does the ה- in הדירה mean?
The prefix ה- is the Hebrew definite article, meaning the.
So:
- דירה = apartment
- הדירה = the apartment
Unlike English, Hebrew usually does not use a separate word for the. It attaches it to the beginning of the noun.
Why are גדולה and חדשה in the feminine form?