לפני שהאורחים באים, אני רוצה להכין להם קפה.

לפני means before.
When Hebrew wants to say before [something happens], it often uses לפני ש־, literally before that...

So:

• לפני = before
• ש = that / when introducing a clause

In this sentence:

• לפני שהאורחים באים = before the guests come / before the guests are coming

The ש connects לפני to the full clause האורחים באים.

Because האורחים means the guests, not just guests.

Breakdown:

• אורחים = guests
• האורחים = the guests

The ה־ is the Hebrew definite article, like the in English.
Since the sentence is talking about specific guests, Hebrew uses האורחים.

Also, after ש־, the ה stays:

• ש + האורחים → שהאורחים

That is completely normal in Hebrew spelling.

Yes, באים is formally the present tense (coming / come), but Hebrew often uses the present tense for near-future or scheduled events, especially in everyday speech.

So:

• לפני שהאורחים באים can mean before the guests come
• even though literally it looks like before the guests are coming

This is very natural in Hebrew.

A more explicitly future version would be:

• לפני שהאורחים יגיעו = before the guests arrive

But your original sentence is common and idiomatic.

באים comes from the verb לבוא = to come.

Here is the connection:

• infinitive: לבוא = to come
• masculine plural present: באים = coming / come

Because האורחים is masculine plural, the verb also appears in masculine plural form:

• האורחים באים = the guests come / are coming

If the subject were feminine plural, you would use באות.

אני רוצה means I want.
להכין is the infinitive to prepare / to make ready.

So:

• אני רוצה להכין = I want to prepare

In this sentence, להכין להם קפה means to prepare coffee for them.

The verb להכין is often used where English might say:

• prepare
• make
• sometimes even fix

So להכין קפה is a natural way to say make coffee.

להם means to them / for them.

In this sentence:

• להכין להם קפה = to prepare coffee for them

Hebrew uses ל־ for meanings like to or for, depending on context.

Breakdown:

• ל = to / for
• הם = they (masculine or mixed group)
• להם = to them / for them

Since האורחים is a plural group, להם refers back to the guests.

Because Hebrew usually expresses to/for someone with the prefix ל־ attached directly to a pronoun or noun.

So instead of two separate words like English for them, Hebrew often has one combined form:

• להם = to them / for them
• לי = to me / for me
• לך = to you / for you
• לה = to her / for her

So להם קפה in this context naturally means coffee for them.

Yes, Hebrew word order is somewhat flexible, but this order is very natural.

The sentence begins with a time clause:

• לפני שהאורחים באים = before the guests come

Then comes the main clause:

• אני רוצה להכין להם קפה = I want to make them coffee

This is similar to English:

• Before the guests come, I want to make them coffee.

You could also say:

• אני רוצה להכין להם קפה לפני שהאורחים באים.

That would also be correct and natural.
The meaning stays basically the same, but the emphasis shifts slightly.

The comma separates the introductory time clause from the main clause.

So:

• לפני שהאורחים באים = introductory clause
• אני רוצה להכין להם קפה = main statement

This is similar to English punctuation in:

• Before the guests come, I want to make them coffee.

In modern Hebrew, commas are often used this way, especially when a subordinate clause comes first.

רוצה here is the masculine singular form.

So:

• אני רוצה = I want (said by a man)

If a woman were speaking, it would be:

• אני רוצה? No—actually for a woman it is אני רוצה in pronunciation? Let's clarify carefully:

In writing:

• masculine singular: רוצה
• feminine singular: רוצה

They are spelled the same.

But in pronunciation they differ:

• masculine: rotze
• feminine: rotza

So the written sentence does not change, but the pronunciation does.

The noun אורח means guest (masculine singular).

Its plural is:

• אורחים = guests

The ending ־ים is a very common masculine plural ending in Hebrew.

So:

• אורח = guest
• אורחים = guests
• האורחים = the guests

Because the subject is masculine plural, the verb matches it:

• האורחים באים

If you had feminine guests, you would say:

• האורחות באות

Sometimes yes, but להכין קפה is the more natural choice here.

• להכין = to prepare / make ready
• לעשות = to do / make

Hebrew often prefers להכין when talking about preparing food or drinks in a practical sense.
So:

• להכין קפה = very natural
• לעשות קפה = understandable, and sometimes used in speech, but less standard in this context

If you are learning, להכין קפה is the safer and more idiomatic phrase.

Not necessarily better—just a little different.

• לפני שהאורחים באים = before the guests come

  • very natural in spoken Hebrew
  • uses present tense for a future event

• לפני שהאורחים יגיעו = before the guests arrive

  • more explicitly future
  • sometimes sounds slightly more formal or more precise

Both are correct, but they use different verbs:

• לבוא = to come
• להגיע = to arrive

So the original sentence is perfectly good Hebrew.