Questions & Answers about הוא סוגר את הדלת בלילה.
What does each word in the sentence do?
A word-by-word breakdown is:
- הוא = he
- סוגר = closes / is closing
- את = a marker that shows the next word is a definite direct object
- הדלת = the door
- בלילה = at night / during the night
So the structure is basically:
he + closes + [direct object marker] + the door + at night
Why is את in the sentence?
את is used before a definite direct object in Hebrew.
Here, הדלת means the door, not just a door, so Hebrew puts את before it.
Important points:
- את usually is not translated into English.
- It is a grammar marker, not a separate meaning word here.
Compare:
- הוא סוגר את הדלת = He closes the door
- הוא סוגר דלת = He closes a door / He is closing a door
So את appears because the object is specific and definite.
Why is it הדלת and not just דלת?