אני עושה קניות במכולת ליד הבית.

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Breakdown of אני עושה קניות במכולת ליד הבית.

• אני: I
• ב: at
• ליד: near

Questions & Answers about אני עושה קניות במכולת ליד הבית.

Why does Hebrew say עושה קניות instead of using a verb that directly means shop?

עושה קניות is a very common Hebrew expression meaning to do shopping or to go shopping.

Literally:

• עושה = doing / making
• קניות = purchases / shopping

So Hebrew often expresses this idea as do shopping, much like English can say do the shopping.

You can also sometimes hear קונה (buying), but עושה קניות is the more natural general expression for shopping.

What does קניות mean exactly, and why is it plural?

קניות is the plural of קנייה, which means purchase or buying.

So literally, קניות means purchases. Hebrew often uses the plural here to express the general activity of shopping, similar to how English sometimes uses plural-like ideas such as groceries or errands.

So:

• קנייה = one purchase
• קניות = purchases / shopping

In this sentence, it does not mean several separate grammatically counted items in a strict sense; it is just the normal way to say shopping.

What tense is עושה here?