היא עובדת היום, אבל אני לא עובד היום.

She works today, but I do not work today.

Breakdown of היא עובדת היום, אבל אני לא עובד היום.

• אני: I
• היא: she
• אבל: but
• לא: not
• לעבוד: to work
• היום: today

Questions & Answers about היא עובדת היום, אבל אני לא עובד היום.

Why is it עובדת with היא, but עובד with אני?

In Hebrew present tense, the verb agrees with gender and number, but not with person the way English does.

• היא עובדת = she works / is working
  
  • עובדת is feminine singular
• אני עובד = I work / am working
  
  • עובד is masculine singular

So in this sentence, the speaker is understood to be male. If the speaker were female, she would say:

• אני לא עובדת היום

This is a very common feature of Hebrew: even with אני (I), the verb in the present tense still shows the speaker’s gender.

Why isn’t there a word for is or am in the sentence?

Because in Hebrew, the verb to be is usually not expressed in the present tense.

So Hebrew says:

• היא עובדת literally: she working
• אני לא עובד literally: I not working

But the natural English meaning is she is working / I am not working.

This is normal Hebrew grammar. In the present tense, you usually do not say a separate word for am / is / are.

Is עובד / עובדת present tense, and can it mean both works and is working?

Yes. Hebrew present tense often covers both meanings:

• היא עובדת היום can mean:
  • She works today
  • She is working today

The exact meaning depends on context. Hebrew does not usually make the same continuous vs. simple distinction that English does here.

So עובד / עובדת is a present-tense form, and English may translate it in more than one way.

What does לא do, and why is it placed there?

לא means not. It is the standard way to negate a sentence in Hebrew.

In this sentence:

• אני לא עובד היום = I am not working today

The usual placement is:

• subject + לא
  • verb

So:

• אני לא עובד
• היא לא עובדת

That is the normal pattern for a simple present-tense negative sentence.

What does אבל mean, and how is it used?

אבל means but.

It connects two contrasting ideas:

• היא עובדת היום, אבל אני לא עובד היום.
• She is working today, but I am not working today.

This is a very common conjunction in Hebrew. It works much like English but.

Pronunciation is usually avál, with the stress on the last syllable.

Why is היום repeated? Could Hebrew leave it out the second time?

Yes, Hebrew can leave it out if the meaning is already clear.

The full sentence repeats היום for clarity and balance:

• היא עובדת היום, אבל אני לא עובד היום.

But you could also say:

• היא עובדת היום, אבל אני לא עובד.

That would still naturally mean She is working today, but I’m not.

Repeating היום is not wrong at all. In fact, it sounds very natural, especially when the speaker wants the contrast to be clear.

Can the pronouns היא and אני be omitted?

Sometimes, yes, but in the present tense Hebrew often keeps them because the verb form does not show person clearly.

For example:

• עובד can mean working for a male singular
• But by itself, it does not tell you whether the subject is I, you, or he

So Hebrew often uses the pronoun:

• היא עובדת
• אני עובד

In context, you might omit a pronoun, but in beginner sentences like this, keeping it is the clearest and most natural choice.

Could a woman say אני עובד היום?

Normally, no.

A female speaker should say:

• אני עובדת היום

A male speaker says:

• אני עובד היום

In Hebrew present tense, the speaker’s gender matters. This is one of the first things English speakers have to get used to, because English verbs do not change this way.

Is עובד only a verb, or can it also be a noun?

It can be both, depending on context.

As a noun:

• עובד = worker or employee (masculine)
• עובדת = worker / employee (feminine)

But in this sentence, it is understood as a verb because of the structure:

• אני לא עובד היום

That clearly means I am not working today, not I am not a worker today.

Context usually makes the meaning obvious.

How is this sentence pronounced?

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• היא עובדת היום, אבל אני לא עובד היום
• hi o-VE-det ha-YOM, a-VAL a-NI lo o-VED ha-YOM

A few helpful notes:

• היא = hi
• עובדת = ovédet
• היום = hayóm
• אבל = avál
• אני = aní
• לא = lo
• עובד = ovéd

The stress is usually near the end in these words:

• ovédet
• hayóm
• avál
• aní
• ovéd

Can the word order change?

Yes. Hebrew word order is somewhat flexible.

The sentence as given is very natural:

• היא עובדת היום, אבל אני לא עובד היום.

But other orders are also possible, depending on emphasis. For example:

• היום היא עובדת, אבל אני לא עובד היום.
• היום היא עובדת, אבל היום אני לא עובד.

Changing the order can shift emphasis, especially toward today. Still, for learners, the original order is an excellent basic pattern to use.

What is the base form or dictionary form of עובד / עובדת?

The dictionary form is usually the past-tense masculine singular verb:

• עָבַד = worked

From that verb, the present-tense forms are:

• עובד = masculine singular
• עובדת = feminine singular
• עובדים = masculine plural / mixed plural
• עובדות = feminine plural

So the sentence is using present-tense forms built from the verb לעבוד = to work.