Questions & Answers about אתמול הכלב היה בבית בלילה.
Why is אתמול at the beginning of the sentence?
Hebrew often puts time expressions near the beginning to set the scene first. So starting with אתמול is like saying Yesterday, ... in English.
That said, Hebrew word order is fairly flexible. You could also hear:
- הכלב היה בבית אתמול בלילה
- אתמול בלילה הכלב היה בבית
These all mean roughly the same thing, but the emphasis changes a little.
Is אתמול related to the direct-object marker את?
No. אתמול is a single word meaning yesterday. It is not the object marker את plus another word.
This is a common thing for learners to wonder about, because it starts with the same letters.
What does הכלב break down into?
הכלב consists of:
- כלב = dog
- ה־ = the
So הכלב means the dog.
In Hebrew, the definite article the is usually attached directly to the noun as a prefix, instead of being a separate word.
Why is the verb היה used here?