אחרי שהוא משלם, אנחנו הולכים הביתה.

he

Breakdown of אחרי שהוא משלם, אנחנו הולכים הביתה.

• ללכת: to go
• אחרי: after
• אנחנו: we

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?