Questions & Answers about את מכירה אותם מהעבודה, אבל אני רואה אותם רק היום.
Why is the first word את? I thought את was the word used before a direct object.
Hebrew has two different words spelled את in normal writing:
- אַת = you, feminine singular
- אֶת = the direct object marker
In this sentence, את מכירה... means you know..., so את is the subject pronoun you.
A useful clue is the next word:
- את מכירה = you feminine know
- אני רואה את... would be I see ... with the object marker before a noun
In speech, they sound different:
- אַת = at
- אֶת = et
Why is it מכירה and not מכיר?
Because את is feminine singular, and the present-tense verb form agrees with it.
- את מכירה = you feminine know
- אתה מכיר = you masculine know
So the sentence is being said to one woman. If you were speaking to one man, it would be:
- אתה מכיר אותם מהעבודה...
Why does Hebrew use מכירה here for know? Isn’t לדעת the verb for to know?