Breakdown of הילדים יושבים סביב השולחן עד שאמא תביא את הארוחה.
שולחן
table
אמא
mother
את
direct object marker
לשבת
to sit
Questions & Answers about הילדים יושבים סביב השולחן עד שאמא תביא את הארוחה.
Why is הילדים translated as the children and not just children?
Because ה־ at the beginning is the Hebrew definite article, meaning the.
- ילדים = children / boys
- הילדים = the children
So הילדים specifically refers to a known group: the children.
Why is יושבים used here, and what form is it?
יושבים is the present tense, masculine plural form of the verb לשבת (to sit / to be sitting).
Here it agrees with הילדים, which is grammatically masculine plural.
So:
- יושב = sitting (masculine singular)
- יושבת = sitting (feminine singular)
- יושבים = sitting (masculine plural)
- יושבות = sitting (feminine plural)
Because children here is treated as masculine plural, יושבים is the correct form.
Where is the word are in הילדים יושבים?