התינוק בעגלה ליד הגינה, והאמא מדברת עם השכנה.

mother

Breakdown of התינוק בעגלה ליד הגינה, והאמא מדברת עם השכנה.

• ו: and
• ב: in
• עם: with

Questions & Answers about התינוק בעגלה ליד הגינה, והאמא מדברת עם השכנה.

Why is there no word for is in התינוק בעגלה ליד הגינה?

Because Hebrew often leaves out the verb to be in the present tense.

So התינוק בעגלה ליד הגינה literally looks like the baby in the stroller near the garden, but it means The baby is in the stroller near the garden.

This kind of sentence is called a nominal sentence. In the present tense, Hebrew usually does this:

• הילד בבית = The boy is at home
• הספר על השולחן = The book is on the table

But in the past or future, Hebrew does use a form of to be:

• התינוק היה בעגלה = The baby was in the stroller
• התינוק יהיה בעגלה = The baby will be in the stroller

Does בעגלה mean in a stroller or in the stroller?

It can be either, because unpointed Hebrew spelling does not show the difference clearly.

• בעגלה can be read as be’agala = in a stroller
• בעגלה can also be read as ba’agala = in the stroller

Why? Because when ב + ה combine, they contract:

• ב + העגלה → בעגלה

So without vowel marks, both forms are written the same way. Usually the context tells you which one is meant.