Breakdown of את עייפה; שבי כאן ונוחי קצת לפני העבודה.
Questions & Answers about את עייפה; שבי כאן ונוחי קצת לפני העבודה.
Here את is the pronoun you for one female. It is pronounced at.
A common source of confusion is that Hebrew also has a different word spelled את, pronounced et, which marks a definite direct object. In this sentence, though, את is clearly the subject, so it means you and is pronounced at.
Because the person being addressed is feminine singular.
Hebrew adjectives agree with the person or thing they describe in gender and number:
- את עייפה = you (female) are tired
- אתה עייף = you (male) are tired
So עייפה matches את.
Yes—from an English point of view, it looks missing, but in Hebrew that is normal.
In the present tense, Hebrew usually does not use a word for am / is / are. So:
- את עייפה literally looks like you tired
- but it means you are tired
That is standard Hebrew grammar.
They are imperative forms—commands—addressed to one female.
- שבי = sit!
- נוחי = rest!
They come from these verbs:
- לשבת = to sit
- לנוח = to rest
So the sentence is giving two commands to a woman or girl: sit here and rest a bit.
Because they are feminine singular imperative forms.
That -י ending is very common when giving a command to one female. For example:
- שבי = sit!
- קומי = get up!
- לכי = go!
- נוחי = rest!
So the ending helps show who the command is directed to.
Because Hebrew usually does not include the subject pronoun with an imperative unless there is special emphasis.
So normally you just say:
- שבי כאן
- נוחי קצת
Adding את before the imperative would sound marked or emphatic, something like you sit here.
Yes. In everyday Hebrew, future forms are often used to give instructions or softer commands:
- שבי כאן ונוחי קצת = direct imperative
- תשבי כאן ותנוחי קצת = also natural, often a bit softer or more conversational
Both are grammatical. The version in your sentence uses the true imperative.
כאן means here.
In שבי כאן, it comes after the verb, which is a very natural word order in Hebrew:
- שבי כאן = sit here
You can sometimes move words around for emphasis, but this order is the basic, neutral one.
קצת means a little, a bit, or for a short while.
In נוחי קצת, it modifies the verb rest:
- נוחי קצת = rest a bit
Hebrew often puts קצת after the verb in this kind of sentence.
Literally, לפני העבודה means before the work.
In natural English, that is usually just before work. Hebrew often uses the definite article ה־ where English would not. Here העבודה refers to the specific work period or job the speaker and listener both have in mind.
So:
- literal Hebrew structure: before the work
- natural English meaning: before work
The semicolon separates two closely connected parts:
- את עייפה
- שבי כאן ונוחי קצת לפני העבודה
It shows a pause stronger than a comma but weaker than a period. In less formal writing, you might also see a comma or even a period instead. The semicolon simply makes the relationship between the two clauses neat and clear.
Sometimes, in context, yes—but keeping it is clearer and more neutral.
Because Hebrew has no present-tense are here, the pronoun helps make the sentence explicit:
- את עייפה = clear full sentence, you are tired
- עייפה by itself could work in conversation, but it depends more on context and tone
So in a teaching sentence, את עייפה is the most straightforward form.
You would change the feminine forms to masculine singular:
- אתה עייף; שב כאן ונוח קצת לפני העבודה.
Changes:
- את → אתה
- עייפה → עייף
- שבי → שב
- נוחי → נוח
That is a very common kind of agreement pattern in Hebrew.