Questions & Answers about זאת הסיבה שאני לא יכולה לבוא.
Why is there no word for is in this sentence?
Because in present-tense Hebrew, sentences like X is Y often have no explicit verb.
So:
- זאת הסיבה = This is the reason
- literally: This the-reason
Hebrew usually leaves out is/are in the present tense.
If you wanted past or future, you would use a form of להיות (to be).
For example:
- זאת הסיבה = This is the reason
- זאת הייתה הסיבה = This was the reason
- זאת תהיה הסיבה = This will be the reason
Why does the sentence start with זאת?
זאת means this and is the feminine singular form.
It matches הסיבה (the reason), because סיבה is a feminine noun.
So:
- זאת הסיבה = This is the reason
If the noun were masculine, you would use זה instead.
For example:
- זה הספר = This is the book
- זאת הסיבה = This is the reason
You may also see זו הסיבה. In modern Hebrew, זאת הסיבה and זו הסיבה are both common.
Why is it הסיבה and not just סיבה?