על השולחן יש כוס מים וצלחת עם לחם.

table

Breakdown of על השולחן יש כוס מים וצלחת עם לחם.

• יש: there is
• מים: water
• לחם: bread

Questions & Answers about על השולחן יש כוס מים וצלחת עם לחם.

Why does the sentence begin with על השולחן instead of starting with יש?

Hebrew often puts the location first when it wants to set the scene:

על השולחן יש כוס מים וצלחת עם לחם.
= On the table, there is a glass of water and a plate with bread.

This is very natural in Hebrew. It highlights where the things are.

You could also say:

יש על השולחן כוס מים וצלחת עם לחם.

That is also grammatical and natural. The difference is mostly about focus:

• על השולחן יש... = emphasizes the location first
• יש על השולחן... = starts with there is/there are

What does יש mean here?

יש means there is or there are.

In this sentence:

על השולחן יש כוס מים וצלחת עם לחם.
= There is / there are on the table a glass of water and a plate with bread.

A useful point: יש does not change for singular and plural.

• יש כוס = there is a glass
• יש כוסות = there are glasses

So even though English distinguishes is and are, Hebrew uses יש for both.

Why is השולחן definite, but כוס, צלחת, and are not?