השחקן יושב על הספסל ושותה מים.

The player is sitting on the bench and drinking water.

Breakdown of השחקן יושב על הספסל ושותה מים.

• מים: water
• ו: and
• לשתות: to drink
• לשבת: to sit

Questions & Answers about השחקן יושב על הספסל ושותה מים.

What does ה- mean in השחקן and הספסל?

ה- is the Hebrew definite article, meaning the.

So:

• שחקן = actor / player
• השחקן = the actor
• ספסל = bench
• הספסל = the bench

In Hebrew, ה- is attached directly to the beginning of the noun, instead of being written as a separate word like English the.

Why is there no word for is in the sentence?

Hebrew does not use a separate auxiliary like English is in this kind of present-tense sentence.

So:

• יושב can mean sits or is sitting
• שותה can mean drinks or is drinking

Hebrew simply uses the present-tense verb form itself. English needs is sitting and is drinking, but Hebrew does not.

What form are יושב and שותה exactly?

Both are present-tense, masculine singular forms.

They match the subject השחקן, which is grammatically masculine singular.

• יושב = sitting / sits
• שותה = drinking / drinks

A learner will often hear that these forms are historically participles, but in Modern Hebrew they function as normal present-tense verb forms.