הוא אומר: "לכי ישר, ובפנייה הראשונה תפני שמאלה."

He says, “Go straight, and at the first turn, turn left.”

Breakdown of הוא אומר: "לכי ישר, ובפנייה הראשונה תפני שמאלה."

• הוא: he
• ו: and
• ללכת: to go
• ב: at

Questions & Answers about הוא אומר: "לכי ישר, ובפנייה הראשונה תפני שמאלה."

Why are לכי and תפני in feminine singular forms?

Because the speaker is giving directions to one female.

In Hebrew, verbs often show:

• person
• number
• gender

So here:

• לכי = go! said to one woman
• תפני = you will turn / turn said to one woman

If he were speaking to one man, the forms would be different.

Why is לכי the form for go?

לכי is the feminine singular imperative of הלך / ללכת (to go).

This verb is a little irregular, so learners often notice it early. The common imperative forms are:

• masculine singular: לך
• feminine singular: לכי
• plural: לכו

So לכי ישר means go straight when speaking to one woman.

Why does the sentence use תפני instead of the imperative פני?