אני תמיד בודק אם התעודה בתיק לפני שאני יוצא מהבית.

In the present tense, Hebrew verbs do not show person clearly the way past and future verbs do.

So בודק by itself means something like checking or checks, but it does not tell you whether the subject is I, you, he, or they. Because of that, Hebrew usually includes the subject pronoun:

• אני בודק = I check / I am checking
• הוא בודק = he checks / he is checking

So אני is needed here.

Yes. In the present tense, Hebrew verbs agree with the subject in gender and number.

Here:

• בודק = masculine singular
• יוצא = masculine singular

So this sentence is spoken by a male speaker.

If a female speaker said it, it would be:

• אני תמיד בודקת אם התעודה בתיק לפני שאני יוצאת מהבית.

That is one of the first things English speakers notice about Hebrew: present-tense verbs act a lot like adjectives in agreeing with gender and number.

Here אם means if / whether, introducing an indirect yes-no question.

So בודק אם... means:

• I check if...
• I check whether...

In this sentence, it means the speaker checks whether the certificate is in the bag.

This is different from a conditional if like:

• אם ירד גשם, אשאר בבית = If it rains, I’ll stay home

So the same Hebrew word אם can be used both for:

• whether
• if in conditions

The meaning depends on context.

Because in Hebrew, the verb to be is usually not expressed in the present tense.

So:

• התעודה בתיק literally looks like the certificate in the bag
• but it means the certificate is in the bag

This is completely normal Hebrew.

Compare:

• הספר על השולחן = The book is on the table
• אני בבית = I am at home

But in past or future, Hebrew does use forms related to to be:

• התעודה הייתה בתיק = The certificate was in the bag
• התעודה תהיה בתיק = The certificate will be in the bag

בתיק is made of:

• ב = in
• התיק = the bag

When the preposition ב combines with ה at the start of הַתיק, they merge:

• ב + התיק → בתיק

So בתיק means in the bag.

This happens very often in Hebrew with short prepositions:

• בבית = in the house
• בספר = in the book
• לבית = to the house
• מהבית = from the house

So even though it looks like one word, it often contains both a preposition and the definite article.

מהבית is built from:

• מ = from
• הבית = the house

Together:

• מ + הבית → מהבית

So מהבית means from the house or, more naturally here, from home / out of the house.

This is another example of a Hebrew preposition attaching directly to the next word.

Also, מן הבית can also mean from the house, but מ־ is the ordinary everyday form.

Yes, תמיד can move around somewhat, but אני תמיד בודק is a very natural word order.

This part means:

• אני תמיד בודק = I always check

You may also hear:

• אני בודק תמיד
• תמיד אני בודק

But these can sound slightly different in emphasis or rhythm.

For a learner, subject + תמיד + verb is a very good and natural pattern to remember.

Hebrew very often uses לפני ש־... + a full clause.

So:

• לפני שאני יוצא מהבית = before I leave the house / before I go out of the house

Literally, it is:

• before that I go out from the house

This is a very common Hebrew structure.

English often prefers before leaving the house, but Hebrew frequently prefers a full clause with ש־:

• אחרי שאני אוכל... = after I eat...
• לפני שאני הולך לישון... = before I go to sleep...

So this structure is completely standard.

שאני is really two parts:

• ש־ = that
• אני = I

So:

• לפני ש־אני יוצא → written together as לפני שאני יוצא

In this kind of sentence, ש־ introduces the following clause. After words like לפני and אחרי, this is very common.

Examples:

• אחרי שאני קם = after I get up
• לפני שאנחנו אוכלים = before we eat

So שאני is not a special separate word with a unique meaning; it is just ש־ + אני written together in normal Hebrew spelling.

Yes, it could be תעודה, but that would change the meaning.

• התעודה = the certificate / the ID / the document
• תעודה = a certificate / an ID / a document

So the sentence as written refers to a specific certificate or document that both speaker and listener can identify from context.

Also note that in Hebrew, definiteness is marked directly on the noun with ה־:

• תיק = a bag
• התיק = the bag

But when a preposition comes before a definite noun, the article may get absorbed:

• בתיק = in the bag
• not a separate ב התיק

Not always. תעודה can mean several related things depending on context, such as:

• certificate
• document
• ID
• sometimes a report card or official paper, depending on the situation

So in real life, the exact meaning depends on context.

For example:

• תעודת זהות = identity card / ID card
• תעודת בגרות = matriculation certificate
• תעודה by itself can sometimes refer to an important document someone needs to carry

So if your translation says certificate, that is fine, but in another context it might be better understood as document or ID.

It describes a habit.

Hebrew present tense can cover both:

• habitual actions: I always check
• actions happening now: I am checking

Here the word תמיד makes it clear that this is a repeated habitual action:

• אני תמיד בודק... = I always check...

So even though the Hebrew uses present tense, English naturally translates it as a habitual present.