Questions & Answers about אם את עייפה, אני יכול להציע לך קפה חם.
Why is there no Hebrew word for are in את עייפה?
In the present tense, Hebrew usually leaves out the verb to be.
So את עייפה literally looks like you tired, but it means you are tired.
This is completely normal Hebrew.
Compare:
- אני עייף = I am tired
- היא שמחה = She is happy
If you want past or future, Hebrew does use forms of to be:
- היית עייפה = you were tired
- תהיי עייפה = you will be tired
Why does the sentence use את and עייפה?
Both את and עייפה show that the person being addressed is female singular.
- את = you when speaking to one woman/girl
- עייפה = tired in the feminine singular form
Hebrew often marks gender, so the adjective has to match the person it describes.
If you were speaking to a man, you would say:
אם אתה עייף, אני יכול להציע לך קפה חם.
Why is it אני יכול and not אני יכולה?