Questions & Answers about איפה השירותים בדירה החדשה?
Why is there no word for is in this sentence?
Hebrew often leaves out the present-tense form of to be.
So instead of saying something like Where is the bathroom?, Hebrew simply says:
איפה השירותים?
literally: Where the bathroom/toilet?
This is completely normal in everyday Hebrew.
If you translated word-for-word, the full sentence is more like:
Where [are/is] the bathroom facilities in the new apartment?
The missing is is understood from context.
Why does השירותים end in -ים if it means one bathroom or toilet?
Great question. שירותים is one of those Hebrew words that is plural in form but often refers to a single place: the toilet, restroom, or bathroom.
So:
- שירותים = toilet/restroom/bathroom
- even though it looks plural, it is commonly used as one unit
This is similar to English words like pants or scissors, which are plural in form but can refer to one thing.
In everyday Hebrew, איפה השירותים? is the normal way to ask Where is the bathroom/restroom?
Why is there a ה at the beginning of השירותים?