היא חכמה, אבל היא לא אומרת את זה כל הזמן.

she

Breakdown of היא חכמה, אבל היא לא אומרת את זה כל הזמן.

• אבל: but
• לא: not
• את: direct object marker
• כל: all
• זמן: time
• לומר: to say
• זה: it
• חכם: smart

Questions & Answers about היא חכמה, אבל היא לא אומרת את זה כל הזמן.

Why is חכמה written in the feminine form?

Because it describes היא (she), so the adjective has to match the subject’s gender.

• חכם = smart, wise (masculine)
• חכמה = smart, wise (feminine)

So:

• הוא חכם = he is smart
• היא חכמה = she is smart

Hebrew adjectives usually agree with the noun or pronoun they describe in gender and number.

Why is אומרת also feminine?

Because the subject is היא (she), and in the present tense Hebrew verbs look like participle forms and agree with the subject in gender and number.

Here are the present-tense forms of לומר (to say):

• אומר = saying / says (masculine singular)
• אומרת = saying / says (feminine singular)
• אומרים = saying / say (masculine plural or mixed group)
• אומרות = saying / say (feminine plural)

So היא לא אומרת means she does not say or she isn’t saying.

What does את mean in את זה?

את here is the Hebrew direct object marker. It does not have its own English translation in this sentence.

It appears before a definite direct object, such as:

• a noun with ה־
• a name
• a pronoun-like object such as זה

So:

• היא אומרת את זה = she says that / it
• אני רואה את הילד = I see the boy
• אני מכיר את דנה = I know Dana

You do not translate את as with here. That is a different word that just happens to be spelled the same way in unpointed Hebrew.

Why does the sentence use זה? What exactly does את זה mean?

זה literally means this or that, depending on context. In a sentence like this, את זה often means that or it in natural English.

So:

• היא לא אומרת את זה כל הזמן = she doesn’t say that all the time / she doesn’t say it all the time

Even though זה is grammatically masculine, it is often used very generally to refer to an idea, statement, or fact.

Why is זה masculine if we are talking about she?

Because זה is not referring to she. It refers to the thing being said—some idea, statement, or fact.

The subject is היא (she), but the object is את זה (that / it).

So the sentence structure is:

• היא = she
• אומרת = says
• את זה = that / it

The gender of זה does not need to match the gender of she.

Why is היא repeated after אבל? Could Hebrew leave it out?

Yes, Hebrew can sometimes leave out the subject pronoun in the present tense when the meaning is clear, especially in casual speech.

So these are both possible:

• היא חכמה, אבל היא לא אומרת את זה כל הזמן
• היא חכמה, אבל לא אומרת את זה כל הזמן

But repeating היא is very normal and often sounds clearer, more balanced, or slightly more explicit. In a learner sentence, repeating it is especially helpful because it makes the structure easy to follow.

Where does לא go in the sentence?

לא is the standard word for not, and it usually comes before the verb.

So:

• היא אומרת = she says
• היא לא אומרת = she does not say

This is the normal way to negate present and future tense verbs in Hebrew.

Examples:

• אני לא יודע = I do not know
• הוא לא בא = he is not coming / he does not come
• אנחנו לא רוצים = we do not want

Does אומרת mean says or is saying?

It can mean either one, depending on context.

Hebrew present tense often covers both:

• simple present: says
• present progressive: is saying

So היא לא אומרת את זה כל הזמן could be understood as:

• she doesn’t say that all the time
• she isn’t saying that all the time

In this sentence, the most natural English translation is usually she doesn’t say that all the time.

What does כל הזמן mean exactly?

Literally, כל הזמן means all the time.

It is a very common expression meaning:

• constantly
• all the time
• continually
• always, in some contexts

Examples:

• הוא מדבר כל הזמן = he talks all the time
• הילדים רבים כל הזמן = the children fight all the time

In your sentence, לא אומרת את זה כל הזמן means she does not keep saying it constantly.

Is the word order normal in Hebrew?

Yes. This sentence is very natural.

A basic breakdown is:

• היא חכמה = she is smart
• אבל = but
• היא לא אומרת את זה כל הזמן = she doesn’t say that all the time

Hebrew often uses a straightforward subject + predicate structure like this, especially in simple statements.

How would you pronounce the sentence?

A common pronunciation is:

hi khakhama, aval hi lo omeret et ze kol ha-zman

A few notes:

• היא = hi
• חכמה = khakhama or khakhama
  The ח is a throaty sound, like the ch in German Bach or Scottish loch.
• אבל = aval
• אומרת = omeret
• את זה = often pronounced et ze
• כל הזמן = kol ha-zman

In everyday Israeli speech, the exact pronunciation can vary a little, but this will be understood perfectly.

Could חכמה mean wise instead of smart?

Yes. חכם / חכמה can mean:

• smart
• clever
• wise

Which English word fits best depends on context.

In a simple sentence like this, smart is often the most natural choice, but wise is also possible in some situations.

Is there an implied is in היא חכמה?

Yes. In present-tense Hebrew, there is usually no separate word for is/am/are in simple sentences like this.

So:

• היא חכמה literally looks like she smart
• but it means she is smart

This is completely normal in Hebrew.

Compare:

• אני עייף = I am tired
• היא בבית = she is at home
• הם מוכנים = they are ready

Hebrew does use forms of to be in other tenses, but not usually in simple present-tense sentences like this.