אם יהיה זמן, ניפגש בתחנה לפני העבודה.

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Breakdown of אם יהיה זמן, ניפגש בתחנה לפני העבודה.

• לפני: before
• להיות: to be
• עבודה: work

Questions & Answers about אם יהיה זמן, ניפגש בתחנה לפני העבודה.

Why is יהיה in the future tense after אם?

In Hebrew, אם usually takes the future tense when it introduces a real future condition.

So:

• אם יהיה זמן = if there is / if there will be time

This is different from English, which often uses the present after if: If there is time. Hebrew normally uses the future here because the whole situation is still in the future.

Why doesn’t the sentence use a word like there, as in if there will be time?

Hebrew often does not use a separate word for there in existential sentences.

In the present, Hebrew uses יש and אין:

• יש זמן = there is time
• אין זמן = there isn’t time

In the future, Hebrew uses forms of להיות:

• יהיה זמן = there will be time

So יהיה זמן is the natural Hebrew way to say there will be time.

Why is יהיה masculine singular?

Because it agrees with זמן, which is a masculine singular noun.

• זמן = time
• therefore: יהיה זמן = time will be / there will be time

If the noun were feminine singular, you would usually expect a feminine form instead.