אני בודקת את הכפתור, אבל המסך עדיין שחור.

I

Breakdown of אני בודקת את הכפתור, אבל המסך עדיין שחור.

• אבל: but
• את: direct object marker
• לבדוק: to check

Questions & Answers about אני בודקת את הכפתור, אבל המסך עדיין שחור.

Why is the verb בודקת and not בודק?

Because the speaker is feminine singular.

In Hebrew present tense, verbs agree with the subject in gender and number. With אני (I), the pronoun itself does not show gender, so the verb form tells you whether the speaker is male or female.

• אני בודקת = I am checking / I check, said by a female
• אני בודק = I am checking / I check, said by a male

So בודקת shows that the speaker is female.

Does אני itself mean a female I here?

No. אני always means I, whether the speaker is male or female.

What changes is usually the verb or adjective connected to it, especially in the present tense.

For example:

• אני עייף = I am tired, said by a male
• אני עייפה = I am tired, said by a female

So in this sentence, אני is neutral, but בודקת tells you the speaker is female.

What does את do in את הכפתור?