מאחורי הבית יש חצר, ומעל המטבח יש גג ישן.

house

Breakdown of מאחורי הבית יש חצר, ומעל המטבח יש גג ישן.

• יש: there is
• ו: and
• מטבח: kitchen

Questions & Answers about מאחורי הבית יש חצר, ומעל המטבח יש גג ישן.

Why does Hebrew use יש here instead of a normal verb meaning to be?

יש is the Hebrew existential word meaning there is / there are. In present-tense Hebrew, you usually do not use a present-tense form of to be the way English does. So to say that something exists in a place, Hebrew says:

• יש חצר = there is a courtyard
• יש גג ישן = there is an old roof

If you want the negative, Hebrew uses אין:

• מאחורי הבית אין חצר = There is no courtyard behind the house

Why is the location phrase first: מאחורי הבית יש חצר instead of יש חצר מאחורי הבית?

Both word orders can work, but putting the location first is very natural in Hebrew, especially when describing a place or setting the scene.

• מאחורי הבית יש חצר = Behind the house, there is a courtyard
• יש חצר מאחורי הבית = There is a courtyard behind the house

The sentence you have sounds like a description of what is where.

What exactly does מאחורי mean?