Breakdown of ליד המעבר עומדת שוטרת, כי יש הרבה אנשים ליד תחנת המשטרה היום.
Questions & Answers about ליד המעבר עומדת שוטרת, כי יש הרבה אנשים ליד תחנת המשטרה היום.
Why is it עומדת and not עומד?
Because שוטרת is a feminine singular noun, and in the present tense Hebrew verbs agree with gender and number.
- עומד = standing (masculine singular)
- עומדת = standing (feminine singular)
So:
- שוטר עומד = a policeman is standing
- שוטרת עומדת = a policewoman is standing
In this sentence, the subject is שוטרת, so the verb has to be feminine singular: עומדת.
Why does the verb come before שוטרת? Shouldn’t it be שוטרת עומדת?
Both word orders are possible in Hebrew.
- שוטרת עומדת ליד המעבר = a policewoman is standing near the crossing
- ליד המעבר עומדת שוטרת = near the crossing stands a policewoman
The version in your sentence sounds a bit more descriptive or scene-setting. Hebrew often puts a location first and then the verb, especially when introducing what is there.
So ליד המעבר עומדת שוטרת is natural and means something like:
- Near the crossing, a policewoman is standing
What does ליד mean, and why is it used twice?
ליד means next to, by, or near.
It appears twice because the sentence gives two different locations:
- ליד המעבר = near the crossing
- ליד תחנת המשטרה = near the police station
This repetition is completely normal in Hebrew, just like in English you might say:
- near the crossing
- near the police station
What exactly does המעבר mean here?
מעבר literally means passage, crossing, or transition, depending on context.
In a sentence like this, המעבר most likely means some kind of crossing or passageway. Without more context, it could be understood as:
- a crossing
- a passage
- a walkway
The ה at the beginning means the, so:
- מעבר = crossing / passage
- המעבר = the crossing / the passage
Why is it תחנת המשטרה and not תחנה המשטרה?
Because this is a construct phrase in Hebrew, called סמיכות.
- תחנה = station
- משטרה = police
But when Hebrew says police station, it usually uses the construct form:
- תחנת משטרה = a police station
- תחנת המשטרה = the police station
So תחנת is the construct form of תחנה.
This is very common in Hebrew:
- בית ספר = school
- חדר מורים = teachers’ room
- תחנת רכבת = train station
Why is there ה only on המשטרה and not also on תחנת?
In a construct phrase, definiteness is usually marked on the second word, but the whole phrase becomes definite.
So:
- תחנת משטרה = a police station
- תחנת המשטרה = the police station
Even though תחנת itself does not get ה, the whole phrase is definite because המשטרה is definite.
This is an important Hebrew pattern:
- ספר תלמיד = a student’s book
- ספר התלמיד = the student’s book
Likewise:
- תחנת המשטרה = the police station
What does יש do in this sentence?
יש means there is or there are.
So:
- יש הרבה אנשים = there are many people
Hebrew uses יש very often to express existence:
- יש מים = there is water
- יש זמן = there is time
- יש הרבה אנשים = there are many people
It does not change for singular or plural:
- יש אדם אחד = there is one person
- יש הרבה אנשים = there are many people
Why is it הרבה אנשים and not something like אנשים רבים?
Both are possible, but they feel a little different.
- הרבה אנשים = many people / a lot of people
- אנשים רבים = many people
הרבה אנשים is very common in everyday speech and sounds natural and conversational.
אנשים רבים is also correct, but it can sound a bit more formal or written.
So in normal spoken Hebrew, יש הרבה אנשים is exactly what you would expect.
Why is הרבה not changing for gender or number here?
Because הרבה often works like a lot of / many and stays the same in this kind of structure.
So you get:
- הרבה אנשים = many people
- הרבה נשים = many women
- הרבה זמן = a lot of time
It does not have to match the noun the way a regular adjective usually would.
What tense is עומדת? Is it really a verb?
Yes. In modern Hebrew, עומדת is the present-tense form of the verb לעמוד = to stand.
Hebrew present-tense forms originally come from participles, so they sometimes feel adjective-like, but they function as normal present-tense verbs.
Here are some forms of לעמוד:
- עומד = he is standing
- עומדת = she is standing
- עומדים = they are standing (masculine/mixed)
- עומדות = they are standing (feminine)
So in this sentence, עומדת simply means is standing.
What is the role of כי here?
כי means because here.
It introduces the reason:
- ליד המעבר עומדת שוטרת = a policewoman is standing near the crossing
- כי יש הרבה אנשים ליד תחנת המשטרה היום = because there are many people near the police station today
So the second part explains the first part.
In some contexts, כי can also mean that, especially in more formal or biblical-style Hebrew, but in everyday modern Hebrew here it clearly means because.
Why is היום at the end of the sentence?
Hebrew often places time expressions like היום (today) near the end, though other positions are also possible.
Your sentence says:
- כי יש הרבה אנשים ליד תחנת המשטרה היום
This is natural Hebrew and means:
- because there are many people near the police station today
You could also move היום earlier for emphasis:
- כי היום יש הרבה אנשים ליד תחנת המשטרה
That would put more focus on today.
So the end position is normal and unremarkable.
Is שוטרת the regular feminine form of שוטר?
Yes.
- שוטר = policeman / police officer (masculine)
- שוטרת = policewoman / female police officer
This is a common masculine–feminine pattern in Hebrew:
- מורה can be masculine or feminine depending on context
- but with many nouns:
- זמר = male singer
- זמרת = female singer
- שוטר = policeman
- שוטרת = policewoman
The ending ־ת is a common marker of feminine nouns.
How would this sentence sound if the subject came first in a more basic word order?
A more straightforward version would be:
- שוטרת עומדת ליד המעבר, כי יש הרבה אנשים ליד תחנת המשטרה היום.
This is easier for many learners to process because it follows a more familiar order:
- subject + verb + location
Your original sentence:
- ליד המעבר עומדת שוטרת...
is still completely correct; it just starts with the location for emphasis or style.
How is this sentence pronounced?
A simple pronunciation guide would be:
leyad ha-ma'avar omedet shoteret, ki yesh harbe anashim leyad tachanat ha-mishtara hayom
A few notes:
- ליד = leyad
- המעבר = ha-ma'avar
- עומדת = omedet
- שוטרת = shoteret
- יש = yesh
- הרבה = harbe
- תחנת = tachanat
- המשטרה = ha-mishtara
Depending on accent, some pronunciations may vary slightly, but this is a good standard modern Israeli pronunciation.
More from this lesson
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning HebrewMaster Hebrew — from ליד המעבר עומדת שוטרת, כי יש הרבה אנשים ליד תחנת המשטרה היום 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