הפגישה שלנו מתחילה ב-4, אבל אני עוד בבית.

Our meeting starts at 4, but I am still at home.

Breakdown of הפגישה שלנו מתחילה ב-4, אבל אני עוד בבית.

• אני: I
• אבל: but
• בית: home
• ב: at
• עוד: still
• פגישה: meeting
• שלנו: our
• להתחיל: to start
• 4: four

Questions & Answers about הפגישה שלנו מתחילה ב-4, אבל אני עוד בבית.

Why is it הפגישה שלנו and not just פגישה שלנו?

Because our meeting is definite: it refers to a specific meeting that both speakers know about.

In Hebrew, a noun followed by שלי / שלך / שלנו etc. often still takes the definite article ה־ when it means the ... of mine / yours / ours.

So:

• הפגישה שלנו = our meeting / the meeting of ours
• פגישה שלנו can sound less definite, more like a meeting of ours

In this sentence, the specific meeting is meant, so הפגישה שלנו is the natural choice.

Why does שלנו come after the noun?

That is the normal Hebrew pattern for this kind of possession.

Hebrew usually says:

• הפגישה שלנו = literally the meeting our
• הבית שלי = my house
• המורה שלהם = their teacher

So unlike English, where the possessive word comes first (our meeting), Hebrew often puts the noun first and the possessive word after it.

Why is it מתחילה and not מתחיל?

Because פגישה is a feminine singular noun, and the present-tense verb form agrees with it.

• פגישה = feminine singular
• therefore: מתחילה = feminine singular

Compare:

• הספר מתחיל = the book begins / starts
• הפגישה מתחילה = the meeting begins / starts

So the ending ־ה here shows feminine singular agreement.

Isn't מתחילה present tense? Why is it translated like starts in the future?

Yes, מתחילה is formally a present-tense form, but Hebrew often uses the present tense for scheduled future events, just like English does.

Compare English:

• The meeting starts at 4 tomorrow.

That is present in form, but future in meaning.

Hebrew works similarly:

• הפגישה מתחילה ב-4 = The meeting starts at 4

It sounds natural for timetables, plans, and scheduled events.

What does ב-4 mean exactly, and why is there a hyphen?

ב־ means at / in / on, depending on context. Here it means at:

• ב-4 = at 4

The hyphen is commonly used when a Hebrew prefix like ב־ is attached to a numeral written in digits. It helps show that the prefix belongs with the number.

So:

• ב-4 = at 4
• If the number were written as a word, you could write בארבע

What does עוד mean here?

Here עוד means still.

So:

• אני עוד בבית = I’m still at home

This word is very common, but its meaning depends on context. It can also mean:

• more / another
• yet / still

In this sentence, the idea is: the meeting starts at 4, but I am still at home, so there is a sense of delay or concern.

Why is it בבית and not בהבית?

Because when the preposition ב־ joins a noun that already has ה־, they combine.

So:

• ב + הבית → בבית

This is very common in Hebrew with the prepositions ב־, ל־, and כ־.

Examples:

• בבית = in the house / at home
• לבית = to the house / home
• כמלך = as a king

In this sentence, בבית means at home.

Why is there no word for am in אני עוד בבית?

Because in Hebrew, the verb to be is usually omitted in the present tense.

So Hebrew says:

• אני בבית = literally I at home
• natural English: I am at home

This is completely normal.

Compare:

• אני עייף = I am tired
• היא פה = She is here
• אנחנו מוכנים = We are ready

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

• הייתי בבית = I was at home
• אהיה בבית = I will be at home

How do you pronounce הפגישה שלנו מתחילה ב-4, אבל אני עוד בבית?

A common pronunciation would be:

ha-pgishá shelánu matchilá be-arba, avál aní od ba-báyit

A few helpful notes:

• הפגישה = ha-pgishá
• שלנו = shelánu
• מתחילה = matchilá
• אבל = avál
• אני = aní
• עוד = od
• בבית = ba-báyit

In normal speech, the stress is usually near the end of these words, especially in:

• פגישה
• שלנו
• מתחילה
• אבל
• אני

Does בבית mean in the house or at home?

In this sentence, it most naturally means at home.

Hebrew often uses בבית where English prefers at home:

• אני בבית = I’m at home

Literally, it can also mean in the house, depending on context. But when someone is talking about where they are, בבית very often means at home.

Why is אבל used here? Is it exactly the same as but?

Yes, אבל is the normal word for but.

Here it connects two ideas in contrast:

• הפגישה שלנו מתחילה ב-4 = Our meeting starts at 4
• אבל אני עוד בבית = but I’m still at home

So the speaker is contrasting the planned time with their current situation. It has the same basic function as English but.

Could Hebrew also say this with the future tense instead of מתחילה?

Yes. You could say:

• הפגישה שלנו תתחיל ב-4

That also means our meeting will start at 4.

The difference is mostly one of style and context:

• מתחילה ב-4 sounds very natural for a scheduled event
• תתחיל ב-4 is also correct, but can sound a bit more explicitly future-oriented

For meetings, trains, classes, and appointments, Hebrew very often prefers the present form for fixed schedules.