החתול יושב על הכיסא, אבל הכלב עומד ליד החלון.

The cat is sitting on the chair, but the dog is standing by the window.

Breakdown of החתול יושב על הכיסא, אבל הכלב עומד ליד החלון.

• אבל: but
• חלון: window
• כיסא: chair
• ליד: next to

Questions & Answers about החתול יושב על הכיסא, אבל הכלב עומד ליד החלון.

Why do several words start with ה?

The ה at the beginning is the Hebrew definite article, equivalent to the in English.

So in this sentence:

• החתול = the cat
• הכיסא = the chair
• הכלב = the dog
• החלון = the window

Hebrew adds ה־ directly to the beginning of the noun instead of using a separate word like English the.

Why is it יושב and עומד, and not a word meaning is sitting or is standing?

In Hebrew, these are present-tense verb forms:

• יושב = sits / is sitting
• עומד = stands / is standing

Hebrew often uses the same present-tense form for both the simple present and the present progressive.

So:

• החתול יושב can mean the cat sits or the cat is sitting
• הכלב עומד can mean the dog stands or the dog is standing

The exact English translation depends on context.

Why is there no separate word for is in the sentence?