מישהו מחכה בחוץ, אבל אני לא מחכה לאף אחד.

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Breakdown of מישהו מחכה בחוץ, אבל אני לא מחכה לאף אחד.

• אבל: but
• לא: not
• לחכות: to wait

Questions & Answers about מישהו מחכה בחוץ, אבל אני לא מחכה לאף אחד.

What tense is מחכה, and why can it mean both is waiting and am waiting?

מחכה is the present-tense form of לחכות (to wait).

In Hebrew, present-tense verb forms do not show person the way English does. So the same form can work with different subjects:

• הוא מחכה = he is waiting
• היא מחכה = she is waiting
• אני מחכה = I am waiting

What changes the meaning is the subject, not the verb ending for person.

So in your sentence:

• מישהו מחכה בחוץ = Someone is waiting outside
• אני לא מחכה לאף אחד = I am not waiting for anyone

Hebrew present tense is often more like a participle than a fully person-marked English verb.

Why does the second clause include אני? Could Hebrew leave it out?