היום חם, אבל מחר יהיה קר.

Today it is hot, but tomorrow it will be cold.

Breakdown of היום חם, אבל מחר יהיה קר.

• אבל: but
• היום: today
• מחר: tomorrow
• להיות: to be
• חם: hot
• קר: cold

Questions & Answers about היום חם, אבל מחר יהיה קר.

Why is there no Hebrew word for it in this sentence?

In Hebrew, you usually do not need a dummy subject like it in weather expressions.

So English says It is hot today, but Hebrew simply says היום חם — literally something like today hot.

This is very common in Hebrew:

• חם = hot
• קר = cold
• נעים = pleasant
• גשום = rainy

Hebrew often leaves the subject unspoken when it is general or obvious from context.

Why is there no verb in היום חם, but there is a verb in מחר יהיה קר?

This is one of the most important patterns in Hebrew.

In the present tense, Hebrew usually does not use a present-tense form of to be.

So:

• היום חם = Today is hot
• literally: today hot

But in the future, Hebrew does use a form of to be:

• מחר יהיה קר = Tomorrow it will be cold

So the contrast is:

• present: no is
• future: use יהיה = will be

This is normal Hebrew grammar, not something special about this sentence.

What exactly does יהיה mean?

יהיה is the future tense form of the verb להיות = to be.

Here it means will be.

So:

• יהיה = he will be / it will be / sometimes a general will be, depending on context

In weather-type sentences, Hebrew often uses this masculine singular form by default:

• מחר יהיה קר = Tomorrow it will be cold

Even though English uses it, Hebrew is not really matching an actual spoken subject here in the same way.

How do I pronounce יהיה?

It is usually pronounced roughly as yih-YE.

A full pronunciation of the whole sentence could be written like this:

ha-YOM kham, a-VAL ma-KHAR yih-YE kar

A few pronunciation notes:

• ח sounds like the ch in German Bach or Scottish loch
• מחר has stress on the last syllable: ma-KHAR
• יהיה also has stress near the end: yih-YE

Learners often find יהיה tricky because it has several y/h sounds close together, so it helps to practice it slowly.

Are חם and קר adjectives?

Yes. In this sentence, חם and קר are adjectives meaning hot and cold.

Hebrew uses adjectives very naturally in these weather-style statements:

• חם = hot
• קר = cold

So היום חם is structurally like saying Today, hot with the meaning Today it is hot.

These adjectives can also describe nouns:

• מרק חם = hot soup
• מים קרים = cold water

So they are ordinary adjectives, but in sentences like this they function as the main description.

Why is it מחר יהיה קר and not יהיה מחר קר?

Hebrew word order is somewhat flexible, but מחר יהיה קר is the most natural neutral order here.

It starts with the time word:

• היום = today
• מחר = tomorrow

That makes the sentence easy to follow:

• היום חם = Today it is hot
• אבל מחר יהיה קר = but tomorrow it will be cold

You can sometimes move words around in Hebrew for style, emphasis, or literary effect, but for everyday speech and learning, מחר יהיה קר is the best pattern to remember.

What is היום exactly? Is it related to יום?

Yes. היום is related to יום.

• יום = day
• היום can mean today
• in other contexts, היום can also mean the day

In this sentence, היום clearly means today.

So learners should know that היום is a very common everyday word meaning today, even though it is historically connected to day with the definite article ה־.

Context tells you which meaning is intended.

What does אבל mean, and is it the normal word for but?

Yes. אבל is the standard common word for but.

So:

• היום חם, אבל מחר יהיה קר
• Today is hot, but tomorrow will be cold

It is a very useful connector in everyday Hebrew.

You will hear it often in simple contrasts:

• אני עייף, אבל אני עובד = I’m tired, but I’m working
• הוא רוצה לבוא, אבל אין לו זמן = He wants to come, but he doesn’t have time

Why are חם, קר, and יהיה in masculine singular form?

In general statements about the weather or conditions, Hebrew often uses the masculine singular form by default.

So:

• חם
• קר
• יהיה

are the normal forms in a sentence like this.

If you were describing an actual noun, the adjective and sometimes the verb would agree with that noun:

• המרק חם = the soup is hot
• העוגה חמה = the cake is hot/warm
• המים קרים = the water is cold

But in an impersonal weather statement, Hebrew usually just uses the masculine singular default.

Could I also say היום יהיה חם?

Yes, you can.

היום חם is the normal simple present: Today it is hot.

היום יהיה חם means Today it will be hot, so it sounds more like a prediction about later today, not a description of the current situation.

So the difference is:

• היום חם = it is hot today / it’s hot today
• היום יהיה חם = it will be hot today

That is why the original sentence uses:

• no verb in the present clause
• יהיה in the future clause

Is this sentence written naturally in everyday Hebrew?

Yes. It is a completely natural and standard Hebrew sentence.

It is simple, clear, and idiomatic:

• היום חם = Today it’s hot
• אבל מחר יהיה קר = But tomorrow it will be cold

A native speaker would understand it immediately, and it sounds like normal everyday Hebrew.