Questions & Answers about אם את רוצה מרק טוב, צריך גם מלח.
Why does the sentence start with אם?
אם means if here. It introduces a condition:
- אם את רוצה... = If you want...
A learner may know that אם can also mean whether in other contexts, but in this sentence it clearly means if because it sets up a condition followed by a result.
Why is it את רוצה and not את רוצהּ or some other form?
את is the pronoun you for one female person.
רוצה is the present tense, feminine singular form of to want.
So:
- את רוצה = you (feminine) want
- אתה רוצה = you (masculine) want
Hebrew present-tense verbs agree with gender and number, so because the sentence is addressed to a woman, it uses את רוצה.
Why is the verb רוצה in the present tense after אם? Shouldn't it be something like if you will want?