Learn Hardcore Hebrew: אתה מדבר עברית?

In everyday Israeli Hebrew, the ע at the start of עברית is often not strongly pronounced by learners, and many native speakers pronounce it very lightly too.

What does each word in the sentence do?

Word by word:

אתה = you (addressing one male)
מדבר = speak / speaking
עברית = Hebrew

So the structure is basically:

you + speak + Hebrew?

Even though the meaning is already known, this breakdown helps show how Hebrew builds the sentence.

Why is there no word for do, like in Do you speak Hebrew?

Hebrew does not use a helping verb like do for simple present questions.

English:

You speak Hebrew.
Do you speak Hebrew?

Hebrew:

אתה מדבר עברית. = You speak Hebrew.
אתה מדבר עברית? = Do you speak Hebrew?

The sentence becomes a question mainly through:

intonation in speech
a question mark in writing

So Hebrew does not need a separate word matching English do here.

Why does מדבר mean speak when it looks like speaking?

In Hebrew, the present tense often uses a form that historically behaves like a participle, so it can feel a bit like speaking to an English speaker.

But in normal modern Hebrew, מדבר is simply the regular present-tense form for:

he speaks
you speak (masculine singular)
sometimes speaking depending on context

So in this sentence, אתה מדבר עברית?, מדבר is just the normal way to say speak in the present.

Why is אתה included? Can Hebrew leave out you?

Yes, Hebrew can sometimes omit the subject pronoun because the verb form already gives information.

So you may hear:

אתה מדבר עברית?
מדבר עברית?

Both can mean Do you speak Hebrew? when the context is clear.

However, including אתה is very common and often sounds clearer, especially for learners.

Does this sentence change if I am talking to a woman?

Yes. Hebrew marks gender in the present tense, and the pronoun also changes.

To a man:

אתה מדבר עברית?

To a woman:

את מדברת עברית?

Changes:

אתה → את
מדבר → מדברת

This is one of the first big grammar differences English speakers notice in Hebrew.

Can this sentence also mean Are you speaking Hebrew?

Yes, potentially.

Hebrew present tense does not make the same clear distinction that English makes between:

Do you speak Hebrew?
Are you speaking Hebrew?

So אתה מדבר עברית? usually means Do you speak Hebrew?, but in the right context it could also be understood as Are you speaking Hebrew?

Context usually makes the intended meaning obvious.

Why is עברית written without the, like not the Hebrew?

When talking about languages, Hebrew usually uses the language name by itself.

So:

עברית = Hebrew
אנגלית = English
צרפתית = French

After verbs like speak, you normally do not add the.

So:

מדבר עברית = speak Hebrew

That works much like English.

Is the word order always אתה מדבר עברית?

This is the most straightforward and standard order for beginners.

Hebrew word order is often flexible, but not every order sounds equally natural in every context.

Most normal version:

אתה מדבר עברית?

You might also hear:

מדבר עברית? = Speak Hebrew? / Do you speak Hebrew?
עברית אתה מדבר? = Hebrew, do you speak? — this sounds more marked, like emphasizing Hebrew

So for everyday use, אתה מדבר עברית? is the safest pattern.

Why are there no vowel marks?

Most everyday Hebrew is written without vowel marks (called nikud).

So learners see:

אתה מדבר עברית

instead of a fully pointed version.

Native speakers usually read this easily from familiarity and context. For learners, this can be challenging at first, but it becomes easier with exposure.

Why does מדבר sometimes mean desert in other places?

Because Hebrew writing without vowel marks can produce the same spelling for different words.

מְדַבֵּר = speaking / speaks
מִדְבָּר = desert

Without vowel marks, both can appear as:

מדבר

In אתה מדבר עברית?, the meaning is clearly speak, because the context is about language.

This is very common in Hebrew: context tells you which word is meant.

How would I answer this question?

Some simple answers:

כן. = Yes.
לא. = No.
כן, אני מדבר עברית. = Yes, I speak Hebrew. (said by a male)
כן, אני מדברת עברית. = Yes, I speak Hebrew. (said by a female)
קצת. = A little.
לא כל כך. = Not so much / Not really

A very common learner answer is:

כן, קצת. = Yes, a little.

What is the dictionary form of מדבר?

The dictionary form is the infinitive:

לדבר = to speak

From that verb, present-tense forms include:

מדבר = masculine singular
מדברת = feminine singular
מדברים = masculine plural / mixed plural
מדברות = feminine plural

So מדבר is one present-tense form of the verb לדבר.

Is this sentence formal or informal?

It is neutral and very common in everyday speech.

אתה is singular masculine you
It is not especially formal or especially slangy

If you wanted to be more formal in some situations, you would usually change your overall wording or tone rather than use a special formal you like English once had with thou. Modern Hebrew does not have that kind of distinction in the same way.

So אתה מדבר עברית? is perfectly normal for everyday conversation.