היא יושבת על הספה, והטלפון שלה על השולחן לידה.

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Breakdown of היא יושבת על הספה, והטלפון שלה על השולחן לידה.

• היא: she
• ו: and
• לשבת: to sit

Questions & Answers about היא יושבת על הספה, והטלפון שלה על השולחן לידה.

Why is it יושבת and not some form meaning is sitting?

In Modern Hebrew, יושבת is the present-tense form, and it already covers what English expresses as sits or is sitting, depending on context.

So:

• היא יושבת = she sits / she is sitting

Hebrew present-tense forms are built like adjectives/participles and agree with gender and number:

• יושב = masculine singular
• יושבת = feminine singular
• יושבים = masculine plural
• יושבות = feminine plural

Because the subject is היא (she), the sentence uses the feminine singular form יושבת.

Why is there no Hebrew word for is in the sentence?

In the present tense, Hebrew usually does not use a separate word for am / is / are.

So instead of saying something literally like she is sitting with a separate verb is, Hebrew simply says:

• היא יושבת = She is sitting
• הטלפון שלה על השולחן = Her phone is on the table

This is especially common in sentences that describe location, identity, or state.

Compare:

• הוא בבית = He is at home
• הספר על השולחן = The book is on the table

But in past and future, Hebrew does use normal verb forms.