אני חושבת שסבא יבחר את הספר, וסבתא תבחר את התיק.

I think Grandpa will choose the book, and Grandma will choose the bag.

Breakdown of אני חושבת שסבא יבחר את הספר, וסבתא תבחר את התיק.

• ספר: book
• אני: I
• ו: and
• את: direct object marker
• ש: that
• תיק: bag
• סבא: grandpa
• סבתא: grandma
• לחשוב: to think
• לבחור: to choose

Questions & Answers about אני חושבת שסבא יבחר את הספר, וסבתא תבחר את התיק.

Why is it אני חושבת and not אני חושב?

Because חושבת is the feminine singular present-tense form of to think.

• אני חושבת = I think / I am thinking said by a woman
• אני חושב = I think / I am thinking said by a man

In Hebrew, present-tense verb forms usually agree with gender and number.

Why do we need אני if חושבת already looks like a verb?

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

So חושבת can mean something like:

• I think (if the speaker is female)
• you think (to one female)
• she thinks

That is why אני is important here: it tells you the subject is I.

What does the ש mean in שסבא?

The prefix ש־ means that here.

So:

• אני חושבת שסבא יבחר... = I think that Grandpa will choose...

In modern Hebrew, ש־ is usually written attached directly to the following word, so שסבא is normal spelling.

In other sentences, ש־ can also mean who, which, or that, depending on context.

Why is it יבחר for Grandpa but תבחר for Grandma?

Because Hebrew future-tense verbs agree with the subject’s person, gender, and number.

Here:

• סבא יבחר = Grandpa will choose
  (יבחר = 3rd person masculine singular)
• סבתא תבחר = Grandma will choose
  (תבחר = 3rd person feminine singular)

So the beginning of the future verb changes depending on who is doing the action.

Why is there no separate word for will?

Hebrew usually builds future meaning into the verb itself instead of using a separate word like English will.

So:

• יבחר already means will choose
• תבחר already means will choose

English uses will + verb. Hebrew often uses just one future form of the verb.

What does את do in את הספר and את התיק?

את marks a definite direct object. It does not get translated into English.

So:

• יבחר את הספר = literally something like will choose [marker] the book
• natural English: will choose the book

Hebrew uses את when the direct object is definite, usually with the, a name, or something otherwise specific.

Compare:

• יבחר את הספר = he will choose the book
• יבחר ספר = he will choose a book

Also, את is not used for the subject. That is why you do not see את before סבא or סבתא.

Why do הספר and התיק have ה־, but סבא and סבתא do not?

The prefix ה־ means the.

So:

• הספר = the book
• התיק = the bag

But סבא and סבתא here are being used more like family titles, similar to Grandpa and Grandma in English. In that use, Hebrew often leaves off ה־.

So:

• סבא = Grandpa
• סבתא = Grandma

If you said הסבא or הסבתא, that would more likely mean the grandfather / the grandmother in a more descriptive sense.

What does the ו mean in וסבתא?

The prefix ו־ means and.

So:

• וסבתא = and Grandma

In Hebrew, and is usually attached directly to the next word, not written as a separate word.

What is the basic structure of this sentence?

The sentence has two parts:

• אני חושבת ש... = I think that...
• then two coordinated clauses:
  • סבא יבחר את הספר
  • וסבתא תבחר את התיק

So the pattern is roughly:

I think that + subject + future verb + object, and + subject + future verb + object

This is very normal Hebrew word order.

How would you pronounce the whole sentence?

A common rough transliteration is:

Ani khoshevet she-saba yivkhar et ha-sefer, ve-savta tivkhar et ha-tik.

A few pronunciation notes:

• ח and כ without a dot are often pronounced like the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach
• ש here sounds like English sh
• ו־ in וסבתא is pronounced like ve- here

Transliterations vary, so you may also see slightly different spellings in English letters.