Learn Hardcore Hebrew: מחר בערב אנחנו אוכלים אצל סבא וסבתא, לא אצלנו בבית. - Tomorrow evening we are eating at Grandpa and Grandma’s, not at our place.

In Hebrew, the present tense is often used for a planned future event, especially in everyday speech. So מחר בערב אנחנו אוכלים... is like English Tomorrow evening we’re eating... It sounds natural for arrangements and scheduled plans. A more explicitly future form would be נאכל, but אנחנו אוכלים is very common here.

Does אוכלים mean eat or are eating?

It can mean either one, depending on context. Hebrew does not usually separate simple present and progressive the way English does. So אוכלים can mean eat, are eating, or, in a sentence like this, are going to eat / are eating tomorrow because the time expression makes the meaning clear.

Why is אנחנו included? Could Hebrew leave it out?

In the present tense, Hebrew verbs do not show person clearly. אוכלים can mean we eat, you all eat, or they eat, depending on context. Because of that, אנחנו is helpful and often necessary to show that the subject is we.

Why is it אוכלים and not אוכלות?