Breakdown of אם אתם רואים אותם ליד הכספומט, אתם יכולים לחכות שם.
Questions & Answers about אם אתם רואים אותם ליד הכספומט, אתם יכולים לחכות שם.
Why does the sentence start with אם?
אם means if. It introduces the condition: if you see them near the ATM...
The part after the comma is the result or main clause: you can wait there.
Why is אתם used here?
אתם means you when speaking to more than one person in the masculine plural. In modern Hebrew, that also includes a mixed group of men and women.
If you were speaking to an all-female group, you would use אתן instead.
What form is רואים?
רואים is the masculine plural present-tense form of לראות (to see).
A useful thing to know is that Hebrew present-tense forms show gender and number, but not person very clearly. So רואים can mean:
- you (plural) see / are seeing
- they see / are seeing
- we see / are seeing
That is one reason Hebrew often includes the subject pronoun, like אתם, for clarity.
Why is אותם used instead of הם?
Because אותם means them as a direct object, while הם means they as a subject.
So:
- הם רואים = they see
- רואים אותם = see them
In this sentence, them is the thing being seen, so Hebrew uses אותם.
Also, אותם is masculine or mixed plural. If the group being referred to were all female, it would be אותן.
Why is אתם repeated before יכולים?
Hebrew often repeats the subject pronoun in a new clause, especially when the verb form does not clearly show person.
Here, יכולים by itself could mean:
- you (plural) can
- they can
- we can
So repeating אתם makes the sentence clearer and more natural:
אם אתם רואים אותם..., אתם יכולים...
In casual speech, Hebrew sometimes leaves pronouns out when the meaning is obvious, but the repeated אתם is completely normal.
Why are רואים and יכולים in the present tense instead of future forms?
This sentence uses present forms to describe an immediate or situational condition, something like: if you happen to see them there, you can wait there.
Hebrew can also express a future condition more explicitly with future forms:
אם תראו אותם ליד הכספומט, תוכלו לחכות שם.
That version feels more clearly future-oriented. The sentence you have is still natural; it just sounds a bit more immediate or conversational.
What does ליד mean exactly?
ליד means near, by, or next to.
It is a preposition, and it is followed directly by the noun:
- ליד הבית = near the house
- ליד הכספומט = near the ATM
So in this sentence, ליד הכספומט means by the ATM / next to the ATM.
Why is it הכספומט and not just כספומט?
The ה־ is the definite article, meaning the.
So:
- כספומט = an ATM / ATM
- הכספומט = the ATM
In this sentence, it refers to a specific ATM that both speaker and listener can identify from the context.
How does יכולים לחכות work?
This is a very common Hebrew structure:
יכול / יכולה / יכולים / יכולות + infinitive
It means can / be able to do something.
So here:
- יכולים = can / are able to
- לחכות = to wait
Together: יכולים לחכות = can wait
The ל־ at the start of לחכות is the normal infinitive marker, similar to English to in to wait.
Does יכולים mean ability here, or permission?
It can mean either, depending on context.
Hebrew יכול often covers several English ideas:
- can
- be able to
- may in some contexts
In this sentence, אתם יכולים לחכות שם most likely means something like you can wait there in the sense of possibility or permission, not just physical ability.
What does שם mean here?
Here, שם means there.
A good thing to notice is that the same spelling, שם, can also mean name, but the pronunciation is different:
- שָם = there (sham)
- שֵם = name (shem)
In this sentence, the meaning is clearly there: you can wait there.
How would the sentence change if I were speaking to a group of women?
You would change the forms so they agree with a feminine plural subject:
אם אתן רואות אותם ליד הכספומט, אתן יכולות לחכות שם.
The main changes are:
- אתם → אתן
- רואים → רואות
- יכולים → יכולות
The rest can stay the same if them still refers to a masculine or mixed group.
More from this lesson
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning HebrewMaster Hebrew — from אם אתם רואים אותם ליד הכספומט, אתם יכולים לחכות שם to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions