אני חייבת לצאת עכשיו, כי יש לי פגישה חשובה בעיר.

I

Breakdown of אני חייבת לצאת עכשיו, כי יש לי פגישה חשובה בעיר.

• יש: there is
• לי: to me
• עכשיו: now

Questions & Answers about אני חייבת לצאת עכשיו, כי יש לי פגישה חשובה בעיר.

Why is it חייבת and not חייב?

Because חייבת is the feminine singular form. It tells you the speaker is female.

• אני חייבת = I am obligated / I have to... (female speaker)
• אני חייב = I am obligated / I have to... (male speaker)

This is very common in Hebrew: words like adjectives and participle-like forms often agree with the speaker’s gender.

---

Is חייבת actually a verb?

Not exactly in the same way English must is.

In Modern Hebrew, חייב / חייבת is often used like an adjective or participle meaning obligated or must / have to in context. Hebrew does not usually use a single modal verb exactly like English must here. Instead, it commonly uses:

• חייב / חייבת + infinitive
• צריך / צריכה + infinitive

So אני חייבת לצאת literally feels like I am obligated to leave, but in natural English it is often translated as I have to leave or I must leave.

---

Why is the next word לצאת?