בין אם אנחנו צופים בבית ובין אם אנחנו הולכים לקולנוע, אמא תמיד קוראת קודם ביקורת קצרה.

It means whether ... or ....

So:

• בין אם אנחנו צופים בבית
• ובין אם אנחנו הולכים לקולנוע

together mean whether we watch at home or go to the cinema.

This is a fixed Hebrew pattern. Even though בין usually means between, in this expression the whole phrase functions like whether ... or ....

Because בין אם ... ובין אם ... is a set expression.

You should learn it as one chunk:

• בין אם X ובין אם Y = whether X or Y

The אם here does not mean a normal conditional if in the English sense. It is just part of this standard structure.

Yes, Hebrew often allows subject pronouns to be omitted when the meaning is clear. So a shorter version could be:

בין אם צופים בבית ובין אם הולכים לקולנוע...

However, keeping אנחנו in both parts makes the sentence clearer and more balanced, especially in a whether ... or ... structure.

So the repeated אנחנו is not strange. It adds clarity and symmetry.

Because אנחנו takes:

• masculine plural verb/adjective forms for a mixed group or a group of males
• feminine plural forms for an all-female group

So:

• אנחנו צופים = we watch for a mixed group / male group
• אנחנו צופות = we watch for an all-female group

This is normal Hebrew agreement.

Not necessarily. Hebrew can leave the object unstated if it is obvious from context.

Here, because the other option is going to the cinema, צופים בבית naturally means something like:

• watching at home
• watching a movie at home
• watching TV / a film at home

So the missing object is understood from the situation.

These are prepositions attached directly to the noun:

• ב־ = in / at
• ל־ = to

So:

• בבית = at home / in the house
• לקולנוע = to the cinema

Also, in Hebrew, prepositions often combine with the definite article ה־. In unpointed text, forms like these are written as one word, so this is completely normal.

Because the subject is אמא, which is feminine singular.

So the present-tense verb must also be feminine singular:

• אמא קוראת = Mom reads
• אבא קורא = Dad reads

This is basic subject-verb agreement in Hebrew present tense.

Because Hebrew present tense is also used for habitual actions, not just actions happening right now.

So:

• אמא תמיד קוראת קודם ביקורת קצרה

means something like:

• Mom always reads a short review first
• Mom habitually reads a short review first

The word תמיד already shows that this is something she does regularly.

Here קודם means first or beforehand.

So:

• אמא תמיד קוראת קודם ביקורת קצרה

means that before watching or going out, she first reads a short review.

You can think of קודם here as very close to:

• first
• earlier
• before that

Because in Hebrew, adjectives usually come after the noun.

So:

• ביקורת קצרה = a short review

Also, the adjective must agree with the noun:

• ביקורת is feminine singular
• so the adjective is קצרה, also feminine singular

Compare:

• ספר קצר = a short book
• ביקורת קצרה = a short review

It can mean both, depending on context.

In this sentence, ביקורת קצרה clearly means a short review, probably of a movie.

That is very common in Hebrew:

• ביקורת סרט = movie review
• ביקורת can also mean criticism in other contexts

So this is a word whose exact meaning depends on what is being talked about.

Because Hebrew often puts this kind of clause first to set up the situation:

• Whether we watch at home or go to the cinema, Mom always...

This word order sounds natural and emphasizes that the next statement is true in either case.

You could rearrange the sentence, but the given version is smooth and very typical.