אחרי שהוא משלם, אנחנו הולכים הביתה.

After he pays, we go home.

Breakdown of אחרי שהוא משלם, אנחנו הולכים הביתה.

• הוא: he
• ללכת: to go
• אחרי: after
• אנחנו: we
• ש: that
• לשלם: to pay
• הביתה: home

Questions & Answers about אחרי שהוא משלם, אנחנו הולכים הביתה.

Why is there a ש־ in שהוא?

Because after אחרי when you introduce a whole clause, Hebrew normally uses ש־.

So there is a difference between:

• אחרי הארוחה = after the meal
• אחרי שהוא משלם = after he pays

The ש־ is attached to the next word in writing, so ש + הוא = שהוא.

Why are הוא and אנחנו included? Doesn’t Hebrew sometimes drop subject pronouns?

In the present tense, Hebrew verb forms usually show gender and number, but not clearly person.

For example:

• משלם can mean I pay, you pay (masculine singular), or he pays
• הולכים can mean we go, you go (masculine plural), or they go

So the pronouns הוא and אנחנו help make the subject clear. In conversation, pronouns can sometimes be left out if the context is obvious, but learners should usually include them.

Why is משלם in the present tense if English says after he pays?

As written, the sentence sounds most natural for a habitual or repeated situation:

• every time he pays, we go home

Hebrew often uses the present tense for routines and general patterns.

If you meant a specific future event, Hebrew would more naturally say:

• אחרי שהוא ישלם, נלך הביתה = after he pays, we’ll go home

If you meant a past event:

• אחרי שהוא שילם, הלכנו הביתה = after he paid, we went home

What form is משלם exactly?

משלם is the masculine singular present form of לשלם = to pay.

Related forms:

• משלם = masculine singular
• משלמת = feminine singular
• משלמים = masculine plural
• משלמות = feminine plural

So here הוא משלם literally uses the masculine singular form because the subject is he.

Why is הולכים masculine plural?

Because אנחנו here refers to a group treated as masculine plural.

In Hebrew, masculine plural is used for:

• an all-male group
• a mixed-gender group

If the group were all female, you would say:

• אנחנו הולכות הביתה

So הולכים matches the gender/number of the group.

What exactly does הביתה mean?

הביתה means home in the sense of toward home or going home.

The ending ־ה here is an old directional ending. It gives the idea of movement to a place.

That is why Hebrew says:

• הולכים הביתה = going home

Compare:

• בבית = at home / in the house
• הבית = the house
• הביתה = homeward / home

Why isn’t there a ל־ before הביתה?

Because הביתה already includes the idea of direction. The final ־ה does that job.

So Hebrew does not normally say:

• הולכים להביתה ✗

Instead it says:

• הולכים הביתה ✓

This is one of those common fixed patterns that is best learned as a whole expression.

Can I say אחרי שמשלם without הוא?

Usually not in standard Hebrew, at least not unless the context is extremely clear.

Because משלם by itself does not clearly tell you who is paying, Hebrew normally wants the subject there:

• אחרי שהוא משלם
• אחרי שדוד משלם

So for a learner, אחרי שהוא משלם is the safe and natural choice.

Can the word order be changed?

Yes. You can also say:

• אנחנו הולכים הביתה אחרי שהוא משלם

Both are correct.

The difference is mainly emphasis:

• אחרי שהוא משלם, אנחנו הולכים הביתה puts the time condition first
• אנחנו הולכים הביתה אחרי שהוא משלם starts with the main action and adds the timing afterward

Is the comma necessary?

With the time clause at the beginning, the comma is standard and recommended:

• אחרי שהוא משלם, אנחנו הולכים הביתה.

In very informal writing or texting, people may leave it out, but in normal written Hebrew the comma is the better choice.

How is שהוא pronounced?

Usually something like she-hu or smoothly shehu.

A simple transliteration of the whole sentence is:

Akharei shehu meshalem, anakhnu holkhim habayta.

The ש־ is not pronounced as a separate stressed word; it sticks closely to הוא.

Is אחרי ש־ the only way to say this?

No. A more formal alternative is לאחר ש־.

So you could also say:

• לאחר שהוא משלם, אנחנו הולכים הביתה.

But in everyday speech, אחרי ש־ is extremely common and natural.