אני לא ישנה טוב עד שהתרופה תתחיל לעבוד.

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Breakdown of אני לא ישנה טוב עד שהתרופה תתחיל לעבוד.

• לא: not
• לעבוד: to work
• ש: that

Questions & Answers about אני לא ישנה טוב עד שהתרופה תתחיל לעבוד.

Why is it ישנה and not ישן?

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.

Why is the sentence using a present-tense form for sleep?

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.

Why is טוב used here? Doesn’t it usually mean good?