Questions & Answers about המסר של הסרט ברור, אבל המסר של הספר קצת קשה יותר להסביר.
In present-tense Hebrew, the verb to be is usually omitted.
So:
- המסר של הסרט ברור literally looks like the message of the movie clear
- but it means The message of the movie is clear
The same thing happens in the second half:
- המסר של הספר קצת קשה יותר להסביר
- literally: the message of the book a bit harder to explain
- naturally: The message of the book is a bit harder to explain
In past or future tense, Hebrew does use forms of to be, but in the present it usually does not.
של means of or shows possession, like 's in English.
So:
- המסר של הסרט = the message of the movie
- המסר של הספר = the message of the book
A good way to think of של is that it links two nouns:
- thing possessed: המסר = the message
- owner/source: הסרט / הספר = the movie / the book
So X של Y often means X of Y or Y's X.