Questions & Answers about אנחנו אוכלים ארוחת ערב בבית, לא במסעדה.
What is the structure of this sentence, word by word?
It breaks down like this:
- אנחנו = we
- אוכלים = eat / are eating
- ארוחת ערב = dinner, literally evening meal
- בבית = at home / in the house
- לא = not
- במסעדה = in/at a restaurant or sometimes in the restaurant, depending on context
So the basic structure is:
subject + verb + object + place + contrast
Where is the word are? Why doesn’t Hebrew say something like we are eating with a separate word for are?
In Hebrew present tense, there is usually no separate word for am / is / are before a main verb.
So אוכלים by itself can mean:
- eat
- are eating
The exact English translation depends on context. Hebrew does not force the same distinction that English does between we eat and we are eating.
Why is אנחנו included? I thought Hebrew often leaves subject pronouns out.