אסור לך להשתמש בשקע הזה כשאין חשמל בבית.

אסור literally means forbidden or not allowed.

In sentences like this, Hebrew often uses אסור + ל־ + person + infinitive to mean someone is not allowed to do something.

So:

• אסור לך = you are not allowed
• אסור לי = I am not allowed
• אסור להם = they are not allowed

It is not a regular verb in this sentence. It works more like an impersonal expression of prohibition.

Yes. לך literally means to you, but in this structure it marks the person affected by the prohibition.

So:

• אסור לך להשתמש... = It is forbidden for you to use...
• more natural English: You are not allowed to use...

This is very common in Hebrew. The ל־ preposition often marks who something applies to.

להשתמש is the infinitive, meaning to use.

After expressions like אסור, Hebrew usually uses an infinitive:

• אסור לעשן = smoking is forbidden / it is forbidden to smoke
• אסור לך ללכת = you are not allowed to go
• אסור לך להשתמש = you are not allowed to use

So this is similar to English to use after not allowed.

Because the verb להשתמש normally takes the preposition ב־.

So Hebrew says:

• להשתמש במשהו = to use something
• literally closer to to make use of something

Examples:

• להשתמש בטלפון = to use the phone
• להשתמש במחשב = to use the computer
• להשתמש בשקע הזה = to use this outlet/socket

This is something English speakers usually just need to memorize with the verb.

בשקע is made from:

• ב־ = in / at / with
• שקע = socket / outlet

With this verb, English usually translates it simply as use this outlet, even though Hebrew uses ב־.

So:

• להשתמש בשקע = to use the outlet

Also, because the noun is definite here due to הזה, the pronunciation is effectively ba-sheka in fully pointed Hebrew, even though unpointed Hebrew writes it simply as בשקע.

That is the normal Hebrew word order for demonstratives.

Hebrew says:

• השקע הזה = this outlet
• הבית הזה = this house
• הספר הזה = this book

So the pattern is:

• noun + הזה for masculine singular
• noun + הזאת for feminine singular

Also, the presence of הזה makes the noun definite, so this means this specific outlet.

In careful grammar, a noun with הזה is definite, and with a preposition like ב־, the definite article often gets absorbed into the preposition.

So underlyingly this is like:

• ב + השקע הזה

In normal unpointed spelling, that becomes:

• בשקע הזה

The writing does not always show you clearly whether it is be- or ba-; context tells you. Since הזה makes the noun definite, the meaning is definite: this outlet.

כשאין is made of:

• כש־ = when
• אין = there is not / there is no

So:

• כשאין חשמל בבית = when there is no electricity in the house / at home

This is a very common structure in Hebrew:

• כשיש זמן = when there is time
• כשאין כסף = when there is no money
• כשאין בעיה = when there is no problem

Because אין and לא do different jobs.

Use אין to negate existence:

• יש חשמל = there is electricity
• אין חשמל = there is no electricity

Use לא mainly to negate verbs:

• אני משתמש = I use / am using
• אני לא משתמש = I do not use / am not using

So אין חשמל is the correct way to say there is no electricity.

It can mean both, depending on context.

In this sentence, אין חשמל בבית most naturally means:

• there is no electricity in the house
• or more naturally in English, the power is out at home

So learners should know that חשמל often functions the way English power does in everyday speech.

It can mean either, depending on context.

• בית = house / home
• בבית = in the house / at home

In this sentence, English might naturally say at home or in the house. Hebrew often uses בבית where English would prefer at home.

Also, just like with בשקע, the spelling בבית without vowels can represent a form with an absorbed definite article, so context matters.

Yes, but the meaning changes slightly.

• אסור להשתמש בשקע הזה... = It is forbidden to use this outlet...
• אסור לך להשתמש בשקע הזה... = You are not allowed to use this outlet...

Without לך, the statement is more general. With לך, it is directed specifically at you.

Yes. Hebrew can also say:

• כשאין חשמל בבית, אסור לך להשתמש בשקע הזה.

That means the same thing: When there is no electricity at home, you are not allowed to use this outlet.

The original sentence starts with the main prohibition and then adds the condition. Reversing them is also natural.

It is not really a normal tense-based statement in the way English works.

The sentence expresses a rule or prohibition:

• אסור לך להשתמש... = you are not allowed to use...

And the clause:

• כשאין חשמל בבית = when there is no electricity at home

So the whole sentence describes a general condition or rule, not one specific time. English often uses present forms for that too.