אם לא נתקין את התוכנה היום, המחשב ימשיך להראות את אותה שגיאה.

Breakdown of אם לא נתקין את התוכנה היום, המחשב ימשיך להראות את אותה שגיאה.

לא
not
היום
today
את
direct object marker
אם
if
מחשב
computer
להראות
to show
להמשיך
to continue
להתקין
to install
תוכנה
software
שגיאה
error
אותו
same

Questions & Answers about אם לא נתקין את התוכנה היום, המחשב ימשיך להראות את אותה שגיאה.

What does אם לא mean at the beginning of the sentence?

אם means if, and לא means not. Together, אם לא means if not or, more naturally in English here, if we don’t.

So:

  • אם לא נתקין את התוכנה היום = If we don’t install the software today

Hebrew often uses this very direct structure for conditions.

Why is נתקין translated as we install / we will install / we don’t install?

נתקין is the 1st person plural future form of להתקין, meaning to install.

So by itself, נתקין means we will install.

But after אם (if), Hebrew commonly uses the future form where English often uses the present:

  • Hebrew: אם לא נתקין...
  • Natural English: If we don’t install...

So even though the verb is formally future in Hebrew, the whole clause is best translated as an if-clause in English.

Why is there an את before התוכנה?

את marks a definite direct object. It does not have a separate English translation here.

In this sentence:

  • נתקין את התוכנה
  • literally: install [marker] the software

Hebrew uses את when the direct object is definite, for example:

  • את התוכנה = the software
  • את המחשב = the computer

But not with an indefinite object:

  • נתקין תוכנה = we will install software
  • no את
Why is it התוכנה and not just תוכנה?

התוכנה means the software, while תוכנה means software in a more general or indefinite sense.

So:

  • נתקין את התוכנה = install the software
  • נתקין תוכנה = install software

In your sentence, it sounds like a specific piece of software is being referred to, so התוכנה is the natural choice.

Why does Hebrew use the future tense in both parts of the sentence?

In Hebrew, it is very common to use future forms in both the if-clause and the result clause when talking about a future situation.

Here:

  • אם לא נתקין... = If we don’t install...
  • המחשב ימשיך... = the computer will continue...

English usually mixes present and future in this kind of sentence:

  • If we don’t install the software today, the computer will continue...

Hebrew is more symmetrical here, and that is completely normal.

What does ימשיך להראות mean exactly?

ימשיך means he/it will continue, from להמשיך (to continue).

להראות means to show / to display.

Together:

  • ימשיך להראות = will continue to show

This is a very common Hebrew pattern:

  • להמשיך + infinitive
  • to continue + verb

Examples:

  • הוא ימשיך לעבוד = He will continue to work
  • המסך ימשיך להבהב = The screen will continue to blink

Here, המחשב is masculine singular, so ימשיך matches it.

Why is it להראות? I thought that verb could also mean something else.

Good question. להראות is the infinitive of the causative verb meaning to show or to display.

In this sentence, the meaning is clearly:

  • המחשב ימשיך להראות את אותה שגיאה
  • The computer will continue to show/display the same error

Do not confuse it with להיראות, which means to appear / to seem / to look.

So:

  • להראות = to show
  • להיראות = to appear / seem

Only להראות fits here.

Why is it אותה שגיאה and not אותו שגיאה?

Because שגיאה is a feminine singular noun.

The word אותו / אותה / אותם / אותן can mean the same when used before a noun, and it must agree in gender and number with that noun.

So:

  • אותו מחשב = the same computer (masculine singular)
  • אותה שגיאה = the same error (feminine singular)

Since שגיאה is feminine, Hebrew uses אותה.

Is אותה here the word for her?

Not in this sentence.

אותה can indeed mean her or it as a direct object pronoun in other contexts, but here it means the same.

Compare:

  • אני רואה אותה = I see her / I see it
  • אותה שגיאה = the same error

So the form is the same, but the function is different. In your sentence, it is not a pronoun; it is part of the expression אותה שגיאה.

Why is שגיאה feminine?

In Hebrew, every noun has grammatical gender, and שגיאה is feminine. That is just part of the word’s grammar and must be learned with the noun.

You can see its femininity in agreement:

  • אותה שגיאה = the same error
  • not אותו שגיאה

This gender affects adjectives, pronouns, and sometimes verb agreement if the noun is the subject.

Why is המחשב followed by ימשיך?

Because המחשב is the subject of the second clause:

  • המחשב ימשיך להראות את אותה שגיאה
  • The computer will continue to show the same error

מחשב is a masculine singular noun, so the verb must also be masculine singular future:

  • ימשיך = it/he will continue

Hebrew verbs agree with the subject in person, number, and often gender.

Could the sentence also be written with היום in a different place?

Yes. Hebrew word order is somewhat flexible.

Your sentence has:

  • אם לא נתקין את התוכנה היום...

You could also say:

  • אם לא נתקין היום את התוכנה...

Both are grammatical. The difference is mostly about emphasis or rhythm, not basic meaning.

The version with היום after את התוכנה is perfectly natural.

Is להראות את אותה שגיאה a natural way to say show the same error?

Yes, it is natural. For computers, screens, and programs, Hebrew often uses להראות in the sense of displaying something on screen.

So:

  • המחשב מראה שגיאה
  • The computer shows an error

  • המחשב ימשיך להראות את אותה שגיאה
  • The computer will continue to show the same error

Another possible verb in similar contexts is להציג (to display/present), but להראות is very common and natural here.

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