אני לא ישנה טוב עד שהתרופה תתחיל לעבוד.

Because ישנה is the feminine singular form.

In this sentence, the speaker is saying I don’t sleep well..., and Hebrew present-tense verbs often agree with the speaker’s gender:

• masculine singular: אני לא ישן טוב
• feminine singular: אני לא ישנה טוב

So if a woman is speaking, ישנה is correct. If a man is speaking, it would be ישן.

Hebrew often uses the present tense to describe a current ongoing situation or habitual state, where English might also use am not sleeping or don’t sleep.

So אני לא ישנה טוב can mean something like:

• I’m not sleeping well
• I don’t sleep well

The exact English translation depends on context, but the Hebrew form itself is just the present-tense participle.

Yes, טוב literally means good, but in Hebrew it is also commonly used the way English uses well.

So:

• לישון טוב = to sleep well
• לא ישנה טוב = not sleeping well

This is very natural Hebrew. English separates good and well more sharply than Hebrew often does in everyday speech.

עד ש־ means until.

It is made from:

• עד = until / up to
• ש־ = that / when / which, but here it helps connect the clause after until

So:

• עד שהתרופה תתחיל לעבוד = until the medicine starts to work

This is a very common pattern in Hebrew:

• אני אחכה עד שהוא יגיע = I’ll wait until he arrives
• נשאר פה עד שהגשם ייפסק = We’ll stay here until the rain stops

Because after עד meaning until, Hebrew normally uses ש־ before a full clause.

So the structure is:

• עד ש־ + sentence

Here the clause is:

• התרופה תתחיל לעבוד = the medicine will start to work

Putting it together:

• עד שהתרופה תתחיל לעבוד

Without ש־, the sentence would sound ungrammatical.

Because the medicine has not started working yet. The speaker is talking about something that will happen later.

So:

• תתחיל = will start / starts
• root: התחיל = started / begin
• infinitive: להתחיל = to start

In Hebrew, after עד ש־ it is very common to use the future tense for an event that has not happened yet:

• אחכה עד שתגמור = I’ll wait until you finish
• לא נצא עד שייפסק הגשם = We won’t leave until the rain stops

Even though English often uses present tense after until (until it starts working), Hebrew usually uses future tense in this kind of situation.

In Hebrew, just like in English, לעבוד literally means to work, and it is also used for things like medicine, machines, plans, and methods.

So:

• התרופה עובדת = the medicine works / is working
• התרופה תתחיל לעבוד = the medicine will start to work

This is a completely natural way to talk about medication becoming effective.

Yes. תרופה is a feminine singular noun, so the future-tense verb agrees with it.

That is why you get:

• התרופה תתחיל = the medicine will start

If the noun were masculine singular, the form would usually be different in some tenses, though in the future 3rd person singular Hebrew often uses forms that can look similar. Still, תרופה is definitely feminine, and learners should memorize it that way.

The sentence breaks down like this:

• אני = I
• לא = not
• ישנה = sleeping / sleep (feminine singular)
• טוב = well
• עד ש־ = until
• התרופה = the medicine
• תתחיל = will start
• לעבוד = to work

So the structure is:

I + not + sleep well + until + the medicine + will start + to work

That is a very normal Hebrew sentence pattern.

Usually, no—not in this context.

Hebrew strongly prefers the future tense after עד ש־ when referring to something expected to happen later:

• עד שהתרופה תתחיל לעבוד = natural
• עד שהתרופה מתחילה לעבוד = usually not natural here

Using מתחילה would sound like is starting right now, which does not fit the idea of waiting for a future result.

So in this sentence, תתחיל is the correct and natural choice.

Yes, but it sounds more formal or literary.

• ישנה טוב = very common, everyday Hebrew
• ישנה היטב = more formal, more like sleep well in a polished style

Both are correct, but טוב is what you are much more likely to hear in normal conversation.

As written, it is for a female speaker because of ישנה.

A male speaker would say:

• אני לא ישן טוב עד שהתרופה תתחיל לעבוד

Everything else stays the same. Only the form of sleep changes to match the speaker’s gender.