Breakdown of יש הודעה ברמקול של התחנה, ולכן אנחנו מחכים עוד כמה דקות.
Questions & Answers about יש הודעה ברמקול של התחנה, ולכן אנחנו מחכים עוד כמה דקות.
What does יש mean here?
יש is the standard Hebrew way to say there is or there are. It introduces the existence of something.
So יש הודעה means there is an announcement.
A useful point: יש does not change for singular or plural:
יש הודעה = there is an announcement
יש הודעות = there are announcements
Why is it הודעה and not ההודעה?
Because the sentence is introducing something as new information: there is an announcement, not there is the announcement.
In this kind of sentence, Hebrew usually uses an indefinite noun when you are just saying that something exists or is happening. So יש הודעה sounds natural.
If you were talking about a specific, already known announcement, the phrasing would usually be different and the context would make it definite.
Why is ב־ used in ברמקול if the meaning is over the loudspeaker?
Because Hebrew ב־ does not only mean in. Depending on context, it can also mean something like on, through, or via.
With devices or communication channels, ב־ is very common:
ברדיו = on the radio
בטלפון = on the phone / by phone
ברמקול = over the loudspeaker / through the loudspeaker
So even though the most literal translation might seem like in the loudspeaker, the natural English meaning is over the loudspeaker.
What does של התחנה mean, and why is התחנה definite?
של means of or belonging to.
So רמקול של התחנה means the station’s loudspeaker or a loudspeaker of the station, depending on context.
התחנה has ה־ because it refers to a specific station: the one relevant in the situation, such as the station where the speakers are.
Modern Hebrew very often uses של to show possession, where English might use ’s:
הספר של דני = Danny’s book
הרמקול של התחנה = the station’s loudspeaker
Does ברמקול include the word the?
In normal Hebrew spelling without vowel marks, ברמקול can be ambiguous.
It can represent:
בְּרמקול = in/through a loudspeaker
or
בָּרמקול = in/through the loudspeaker
The writing looks the same. In actual speech, the vowels would show the difference.
In this sentence, the meaning is clearly something like over the station loudspeaker, so the definite sense is very likely intended.
What does ולכן mean? Could I use אז instead?
ולכן means and therefore, and so, or therefore.
It connects the first part of the sentence to the result: There is an announcement over the loudspeaker, therefore we are waiting a few more minutes.
You could often use אז in casual speech: יש הודעה ברמקול של התחנה, אז אנחנו מחכים עוד כמה דקות.
That sounds a bit more conversational. ולכן is a little more formal or more explicitly logical.
Why does the sentence say אנחנו? Doesn’t מחכים already mean we wait?
In the present tense, Hebrew verbs do not clearly mark person the way English verbs do. They mainly show gender and number.
מחכים means waiting in the masculine plural form, so it could mean:
we are waiting
or
they are waiting
Adding אנחנו makes it clear that the subject is we.
So אנחנו מחכים is very natural and often helpful, even though English learners may expect the verb alone to be enough.
What form is מחכים?
מחכים is the present-tense masculine plural form of לחכות, which means to wait.
Here are the basic present-tense forms:
מחכה = waiting, masculine singular
מחכה = waiting, feminine singular in unpointed spelling too, but pronounced differently in careful speech/context
מחכים = waiting, masculine plural
מחכות = waiting, feminine plural
Because אנחנו can refer to a mixed group or an all-male group, מחכים is the default form here. If the speakers were all female, you would normally say אנחנו מחכות.
Does כמה mean how many or a few here?
It can mean both, depending on context.
In a question: כמה דקות? = how many minutes?
In a statement like this one: כמה דקות = a few minutes or some minutes
So in עוד כמה דקות, כמה means a few.
This is very common in Hebrew, and context usually makes the meaning clear.
What does עוד add in עוד כמה דקות?
Here עוד means more or additional.
So:
כמה דקות = a few minutes
עוד כמה דקות = a few more minutes
That is why the phrase means we are waiting a few more minutes.
A common learner confusion is that עוד can also mean still in other contexts: אני עוד כאן = I am still here
So עוד is a flexible word, and you have to read it from context.
Could the word order be different?
Yes. Hebrew word order is fairly flexible, especially with connectors like לכן and אז.
This sentence is natural: יש הודעה ברמקול של התחנה, ולכן אנחנו מחכים עוד כמה דקות.
But you could also hear:
יש הודעה ברמקול של התחנה, לכן אנחנו מחכים עוד כמה דקות.
יש הודעה ברמקול של התחנה, אז אנחנו מחכים עוד כמה דקות.
The version with ולכן is smooth and standard. The meaning stays basically the same.
Is הודעה ברמקול natural Hebrew, or is there another common way to say it?
Yes, הודעה ברמקול is natural and understandable.
Another very common expression is הודעה בכריזה, where כריזה means a public-address announcement system: יש הודעה בכריזה = there is an announcement on the PA system
So the sentence you have is good Hebrew, but learners may also encounter כריזה in similar situations, especially in stations, airports, and other public places.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning HebrewMaster Hebrew — from יש הודעה ברמקול של התחנה, ולכן אנחנו מחכים עוד כמה דקות to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions