המוכרת אמרה שכדאי שאמדוד גם מגפיים וגם סנדלים לפני שאני מחליטה.

המוכרת means the saleswoman, the female salesperson, or the store clerk.

It comes from:

• מוכר = male seller / salesman
• מוכרת = female seller / saleswoman
• ה־ = the

So המוכרת is the saleswoman / the clerk.

Because Hebrew verbs in the past tense agree with the subject in gender and number.

Here the subject is המוכרת, which is feminine singular, so the verb is:

• אמרה = she said

Compare:

• אמר = he said
• אמרה = she said

Because each ש introduces a different clause.

• אמרה ש... = she said that...
• כדאי ש... = it is advisable / better that...

So:

• אמרה שכדאי שאמדוד literally breaks down as:
• She said [that [it would be good/advisable [that I try on...]]]

This stacking is completely normal in Hebrew.

כדאי means something like:

• it’s advisable
• it’s a good idea
• it’s worth it
• one should

In this sentence, כדאי gives a recommendation, not a strict obligation.

So כדאי שאמדוד is roughly:

• I should try on
• it would be a good idea for me to try on

It is softer than a strong necessity like must.

After כדאי, Hebrew very often uses:

• כדאי ש + future verb

So:

• כדאי שאמדוד = I should try on

Here:

• אמדוד is the 1st person singular future form of למדוד

Even though English might use should try on, Hebrew uses a future form after ש in this pattern.

Yes. Its basic meaning is to measure, but with clothes and shoes it commonly means to try on.

Examples:

• למדוד חולצה = to try on a shirt
• למדוד נעליים = to try on shoes

So in this sentence, אמדוד מגפיים וסנדלים means I try on boots and sandals, not literally measuring them with a ruler.

גם ... וגם ... means both ... and ...

So:

• גם מגפיים וגם סנדלים = both boots and sandals

It emphasizes that the speaker should try on both kinds, not just one.

Because את is used before a definite direct object.

Here the nouns are indefinite/general:

• מגפיים = boots
• סנדלים = sandals

So no את is needed.

Compare:

• אמדוד מגפיים וסנדלים = I’ll try on boots and sandals
• אמדוד את המגפיים ואת הסנדלים = I’ll try on the boots and the sandals

Not necessarily. With footwear, Hebrew often uses plural forms when talking about what in English may be understood as a pair.

So:

• מגפיים can mean boots / a pair of boots
• סנדלים can mean sandals / a pair of sandals

If you want to be very explicit about one pair, you can say:

• זוג מגפיים = a pair of boots
• זוג סנדלים = a pair of sandals

Also, מגפיים has the ending ־יים, which looks like a dual form, but for learners the important thing is that it functions as a normal plural noun in everyday use.

לפני ש... means before... followed by a full clause.

So:

• לפני שאני מחליטה = before I decide

This structure is very common in Hebrew:

• לפני שאני הולכת = before I go
• לפני שאני קונה = before I buy

It is natural here because the sentence is talking about what should happen before the decision is made.

Hebrew often uses the present tense in clauses after time words like לפני in places where English also uses a non-future form.

So:

• לפני שאני מחליטה literally looks like before I am deciding / before I decide
• but naturally it means before I decide

You could also hear לפני שאחליט, which is more explicitly future. Both are possible, but לפני שאני מחליטה is very natural Hebrew.

Because of מחליטה.

With אני in the present tense, Hebrew shows gender:

• אני מחליט = I decide / am deciding (male speaker)
• אני מחליטה = I decide / am deciding (female speaker)

So the sentence implies that the speaker/customer is female.

Interestingly, אמדוד does not show gender, because in the 1st person future Hebrew uses the same form for male and female:

• אני אמדוד = I will try on

So the clue comes from מחליטה, not from אמדוד.