Breakdown of התיקייה הזאת חדשה, אבל אני לא בטוחה שכל המשתמשים יכולים לראות אותה.
Questions & Answers about התיקייה הזאת חדשה, אבל אני לא בטוחה שכל המשתמשים יכולים לראות אותה.
Why is this folder written as התיקייה הזאת and not הזאת התיקייה?
In Hebrew, the usual word order is:
noun + demonstrative
So:
- התיקייה הזאת = this folder
- הספר הזה = this book
- הילדה הזאת = this girl
Also notice that both words are definite:
- ה־ on תיקייה = the
- זאת = this (feminine)
So literally, Hebrew says something like the folder this.
Why is it הזאת and not הזה?
Because תיקייה is a feminine singular noun.
Hebrew demonstratives must agree with the noun in gender and number:
- masculine singular: הזה = this
- feminine singular: הזאת = this
- plural: האלה = these
So:
- התיקייה הזאת = this folder
- הספר הזה = this book
Since תיקייה is feminine, you need זאת.
How do I know that תיקייה is feminine?
A very common clue is the ending ־ה or ־ית, which often marks feminine nouns.
Here:
- תיקייה = folder
Because it is feminine, other words referring to it must also be feminine:
- התיקייה הזאת
- חדשה
- אותה
All of those are feminine singular forms agreeing with תיקייה.
Why is it חדשה and not חדש?
Because adjectives in Hebrew agree with the noun they describe.
Since תיקייה is feminine singular, the adjective new must also be feminine singular:
- masculine singular: חדש
- feminine singular: חדשה
So:
- תיק חדש = a new file/bag (masculine noun)
- תיקייה חדשה = a new folder (feminine noun)
In the sentence, because the noun is definite (התיקייה), the adjective does not take ה־ here:
- התיקייה הזאת חדשה = this folder is new
That is normal in predicate adjectives after to be is omitted in the present tense.
Why is there no word for is in התיקייה הזאת חדשה?
In Hebrew, the verb to be is usually not expressed in the present tense.
So English:
- The folder is new
becomes Hebrew:
- התיקייה חדשה
And with this:
- התיקייה הזאת חדשה
But in past or future, Hebrew does use forms of to be:
- התיקייה הייתה חדשה = the folder was new
- התיקייה תהיה חדשה = the folder will be new
So the missing is is completely normal.
Why is it אני לא בטוחה and not אני לא בטוח?
Because בטוחה shows that the speaker is female.
Hebrew often marks the speaker’s gender in adjectives:
- male speaker: אני לא בטוח = I’m not sure
- female speaker: אני לא בטוחה = I’m not sure
So this sentence is spoken by a woman or girl.
If a man were speaking, the sentence would be:
התיקייה הזאת חדשה, אבל אני לא בטוח שכל המשתמשים יכולים לראות אותה.
What does שכל mean exactly?
שכל is really:
- ש־ = that
- כל = all / every
So:
- שכל המשתמשים יכולים לראות אותה
= that all the users can see it
This ש־ is a very common connector in Hebrew. It introduces a subordinate clause, like English that:
- אני יודע ש... = I know that...
- אני חושב ש... = I think that...
- אני לא בטוחה ש... = I’m not sure that...
Here it is attached directly to כל, giving שכל.
Why is it כל המשתמשים and not just כל משתמשים?
After כל, Hebrew often uses a definite noun when talking about a whole group:
- כל המשתמשים = all the users
- כל הילדים = all the children
- כל הספרים = all the books
So כל המשתמשים is the natural way to say all the users.
If you said כל משתמש, that would usually mean every user in a more singular sense.
Compare:
- כל המשתמשים = all the users
- כל משתמש = every user
Both can be possible in different contexts, but here כל המשתמשים fits all the users very well.
Why is it המשתמשים יכולים?
Because המשתמשים is masculine plural, so the verb-like adjective/modal יכולים must agree with it.
- singular masculine: יכול
- singular feminine: יכולה
- plural masculine/mixed: יכולים
- plural feminine: יכולות
So:
- המשתמש יכול לראות = the user can see
- המשתמשת יכולה לראות = the female user can see
- המשתמשים יכולים לראות = the users can see
In Hebrew, a mixed group usually takes the masculine plural form.
Why do we use לראות after יכולים?
After יכול / יכולה / יכולים / יכולות, Hebrew normally uses an infinitive:
- יכול לראות = can see
- יכולה ללכת = can go
- יכולים להבין = can understand
So:
- המשתמשים יכולים לראות אותה = the users can see it
This is similar to English can + base verb.
Hebrew uses יכול + infinitive.
Why is it translated as אותה?
Because אותה is the direct object pronoun meaning her / it for a feminine singular noun.
The object here refers back to התיקייה (folder), which is feminine.
So:
- אותו = him / it (masculine)
- אותה = her / it (feminine)
- אותם / אותן = them
Since folder is feminine:
- לראות אותה = to see it
If the noun were masculine, you would use אותו.
Can אותה mean both her and it?
Yes. Hebrew does not have a separate object pronoun specifically for it the way English does.
So:
- אותו can mean him or it (masculine noun)
- אותה can mean her or it (feminine noun)
You understand which one is meant from context.
In this sentence, it clearly means it, because it refers to the folder.
Is זאת the only way to say this here? Could I also say הזו?
Yes, in everyday Hebrew you will often also hear:
- התיקייה הזו
This is very common in spoken Hebrew and means the same thing as:
- התיקייה הזאת
In general:
- הזה / הזאת are very standard
- הזה / הזו are also common, especially colloquially
So both of these are natural:
- התיקייה הזאת חדשה
- התיקייה הזו חדשה
Why does the sentence use אבל?
אבל means but.
It connects two ideas that contrast:
- התיקייה הזאת חדשה = this folder is new
- אני לא בטוחה שכל המשתמשים יכולים לראות אותה = I’m not sure all the users can see it
So the contrast is:
- the folder is new, but
- there is uncertainty about who can access/see it
This is a very common coordinating conjunction in Hebrew.
Is the sentence formal, neutral, or conversational?
It is mostly neutral, standard Hebrew.
Nothing in it is especially literary or especially slangy. It sounds like normal modern Hebrew, suitable for speech or writing.
A slightly more conversational version might be:
התיקייה הזו חדשה, אבל אני לא בטוחה שכל המשתמשים יכולים לראות אותה.
The main difference is just הזאת vs הזו, with הזו sounding a bit more colloquial in many contexts.
How would this sentence change if the speaker were male, or if the users were all female?
Good question, because Hebrew agreement changes several words.
If the speaker were male:
- אני לא בטוח instead of אני לא בטוחה
So:
התיקייה הזאת חדשה, אבל אני לא בטוח שכל המשתמשים יכולים לראות אותה.
If the users were all female:
- המשתמשות instead of המשתמשים
- יכולות instead of יכולים
So:
התיקייה הזאת חדשה, אבל אני לא בטוחה שכל המשתמשות יכולות לראות אותה.
This shows how Hebrew keeps agreement very consistently.
What is the basic structure of the whole sentence?
It breaks down like this:
התיקייה הזאת חדשה
= This folder is newאבל
= butאני לא בטוחה
= I’m not sure (said by a female speaker)שכל המשתמשים יכולים לראות אותה
= that all the users can see it
So the full structure is:
[Statement] + אבל + [speaker’s opinion] + ש־ [subordinate clause]
This is a very useful pattern in Hebrew:
- אני חושב ש... = I think that...
- אני יודע ש... = I know that...
- אני לא בטוחה ש... = I’m not sure that...
It is a pattern worth memorizing.
More from this lesson
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning HebrewMaster Hebrew — from התיקייה הזאת חדשה, אבל אני לא בטוחה שכל המשתמשים יכולים לראות אותה 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