בלילה קר, והנעליים ליד המיטה.

and

Breakdown of בלילה קר, והנעליים ליד המיטה.

• ב: at
• לילה: night
• ליד: next to

Questions & Answers about בלילה קר, והנעליים ליד המיטה.

Why is there no Hebrew word here for is in בלילה קר and הנעליים ליד המיטה?

In Hebrew, the verb to be is usually not stated in the present tense in simple sentences like these.

So:

• בלילה קר = At night, (it) is cold
• הנעליים ליד המיטה = The shoes are ליד המיטה / next to the bed

This is very normal Hebrew.

But in the past or future, Hebrew does use forms of to be:

• בלילה היה קר = At night it was cold
• הנעליים היו ליד המיטה = The shoes were next to the bed

So the missing is/are is not an omission or mistake; it is standard Hebrew grammar.

What exactly does בלילה mean, and how is it built?

בלילה is built from:

• ב־ = in / at
• לילה = night

So בלילה means at night or during the night.

In pointed Hebrew, this is often understood as a form that includes the definite article in pronunciation, but in normal unpointed writing you simply see בלילה.

For a learner, the main thing to remember is:

• לילה = night
• בלילה = at night