היא שוטפת את הידיים ואת הפנים בבוקר.

She washes her hands and face in the morning.

Breakdown of היא שוטפת את הידיים ואת הפנים בבוקר.

• היא: she
• ו: and
• ב: in
• את: direct object marker
• בוקר: morning
• לשטוף: to wash
• פנים: face
• יד: hand

Questions & Answers about היא שוטפת את הידיים ואת הפנים בבוקר.

What tense is שוטפת, and does it mean washes or is washing?

שוטפת is the present-tense form.

In Hebrew, the present tense often covers both:

• she washes
• she is washing

So this sentence can mean either one, depending on context. If it is describing a habit, it is more like she washes. If it is describing what is happening right now, it can mean she is washing.

Why does the verb end in -ת?

The ending -ת in שוטפת marks feminine singular in the present tense.

It agrees with היא = she.

Compare:

• הוא שוטף = he washes / is washing
• היא שוטפת = she washes / is washing

So the verb changes to match the gender and number of the subject.

Why is היא included? Could Hebrew leave it out?

Yes, Hebrew can sometimes leave out subject pronouns, but here היא is helpful because שוטפת by itself does not tell you the person clearly.

שוטפת can mean:

• she washes
• you (feminine singular) wash

So adding היא makes it clear that the subject is she.

What does את mean here, and why is it used twice?

Here, את is the direct object marker. It does not have a separate English translation.

It is used before a definite direct object, such as:

• a noun with ה-
• a proper name
• a noun with a possessive suffix

In this sentence:

• את הידיים = the hands
• ואת הפנים = and the face

It appears twice because there are two definite direct objects being linked:

• the hands
• the face

Also, ואת is just:

• ו = and
• את = direct object marker

So ואת means and + object marker, not a separate word with a different meaning.

Is את here the same as with?

No. In this sentence, את is not the word with. It is only the direct object marker.

That is a very common point of confusion for learners.

So here:

• היא שוטפת את הידיים means she washes the hands not
• she washes with the hands

Why is הידיים written with -יים?

ידיים is the form for hands from יד = hand.

The ending -יים is historically the dual ending, often used for things that naturally come in pairs, especially body parts.

For example:

• ידיים = hands
• רגליים = legs
• עיניים = eyes
• אוזניים = ears

So הידיים means the hands.

Why is הפנים plural-looking if it means face?

פנים is one of those Hebrew nouns that looks plural in form, even when it refers to a single face.

So:

• פנים = face

This is normal Hebrew usage. Learners often expect a singular-looking form, but פנים is the standard word.

In other contexts, it also behaves like a plural-form noun:

• פנים יפות = a beautiful face / beautiful features

Why doesn’t Hebrew say her hands and her face explicitly?

Hebrew often uses the definite article with body parts when the owner is obvious from the context.

So instead of saying:

• her hands
• her face

Hebrew commonly says:

• the hands
• the face

If the subject is she, it is naturally understood that these are her hands and her face.

This is very common with body parts in Hebrew.

Why do both nouns have ה-?

The prefix ה- means the.

So:

• הידיים = the hands
• הפנים = the face

This makes both objects definite, which is also why the sentence uses את before them.

Hebrew body-part expressions often use the definite article where English would use a possessive like her.

What does בבוקר mean literally, and why is there a ב- at the front?

בבוקר means in the morning or in the morning time.

It is made from:

• ב- = in / at
• בוקר = morning

Because the noun is definite here, the idea is basically in the morning rather than just in morning.

So:

• בבוקר = in the morning

Why is בבוקר at the end? Can it go somewhere else?

Yes, it can move.

The sentence as written is completely natural:

• היא שוטפת את הידיים ואת הפנים בבוקר.

But Hebrew allows some flexibility. For example:

• בבוקר היא שוטפת את הידיים ואת הפנים.

Putting בבוקר first gives it a bit more emphasis, like In the morning, she washes...

So the end position is normal, but not the only possibility.

How is the sentence pronounced?

A simple pronunciation guide is:

hi shotefet et ha-yadayim ve-et ha-panim ba-boker

A few useful notes:

• היא = hi
• שוטפת = sho-TE-fet
• הידיים = ha-ya-DA-yim
• הפנים = ha-pa-NIM
• בבוקר = ba-BO-ker

If you want, you can think of the sentence rhythm as:

hi sho-TE-fet et ha-ya-DA-yim ve-et ha-pa-NIM ba-BO-ker