Questions & Answers about היא סיפרה לי עליו, אבל אני לא מכירה אותו.
Why is סיפרה in a feminine form?
Because the subject is היא (she). In Hebrew past tense, the verb agrees with the subject in person, number, and gender.
- היא סיפרה = she told
- הוא סיפר = he told
So סיפרה is the correct 3rd person feminine singular past form of לספר.
Why does it say אני לא מכירה and not אני לא מכיר?
Because מכירה is feminine singular, so it shows that the speaker is female.
In the present tense, Hebrew uses forms that agree with the subject's gender and number:
- female speaker: אני מכירה
- male speaker: אני מכיר
So this sentence is being said by a woman. If a man were speaking, it would be:
היא סיפרה לי עליו, אבל אני לא מכיר אותו.
Why is the verb for know here מכירה and not יודעת?