בשבת אנחנו מכינים כיבוד קטן, כי יש לנו כמה אורחים.

The prefix ב־ usually means in, on, or at, depending on context.

So:

• שבת = Shabbat / Saturday
• בשבת = on Shabbat / on Saturday

In time expressions, ב־ often works like English on:

• ביום ראשון = on Sunday
• בלילה = at night
• בקיץ = in the summer

Here, בשבת means on Shabbat or on Saturday.

It can mean either, depending on context.

Hebrew often uses the same form for:

• this coming Shabbat / on Shabbat
• on Shabbat in general / on Saturdays

In this sentence, it could mean:

• On Shabbat, we prepare a small spread...
• or On Saturdays, we prepare a small spread...

If the broader context is about a particular weekend, it will sound specific. If it is talking about a habit, it can sound general.

Yes. In Hebrew, the verb form often already shows the subject, so מכינים by itself can mean we prepare.

However, אנחנו is often added for clarity, emphasis, or natural flow.

So both are possible:

• מכינים כיבוד קטן = We prepare a small spread
• אנחנו מכינים כיבוד קטן = We prepare a small spread

Adding אנחנו can make the sentence feel a little clearer or more explicit, especially for contrast or emphasis.

מכינים is the present tense masculine plural form of the verb להכין, meaning to prepare.

From the verb להכין:

• אני מכין / מכינה = I prepare / am preparing
• אתה מכין = you prepare (masculine singular)
• את מכינה = you prepare (feminine singular)
• אנחנו מכינים / מכינות = we prepare
• הם מכינים = they prepare (masculine or mixed group)
• הן מכינות = they prepare (feminine)

In this sentence, אנחנו מכינים uses the masculine plural form, which is the default if the group is male or mixed. A group of only females would usually say אנחנו מכינות.

Yes. Hebrew present tense often covers both ideas:

• we prepare
• we are preparing

So אנחנו מכינים כיבוד קטן could mean either:

• We prepare a small spread
• We are preparing a small spread

The exact meaning depends on context. Hebrew does not make this distinction in the same way English does.

כיבוד is a very common Hebrew word for refreshments, snacks, or a light spread of food served to guests.

It does not usually mean a full meal. It suggests things like:

• cake
• cookies
• fruit
• drinks
• light snacks

So כיבוד קטן is something like:

• a small refreshment spread
• some light snacks
• a small selection of refreshments

This is a very natural Hebrew expression when talking about having guests over.

Because כיבוד is a singular masculine noun, and adjectives in Hebrew must agree with the noun in gender and number.

So:

• כיבוד = singular masculine
• adjective must also be singular masculine
• therefore: קטן

Compare:

• שולחן קטן = a small table
• מתנה קטנה = a small gift
• ספרים קטנים = small books

Even though כיבוד may refer to several food items, grammatically it is still one singular noun, so the adjective stays singular too.

כי means because in this sentence.

So:

• כי יש לנו כמה אורחים = because we have several guests

It is one of the most common ways to introduce a reason in Hebrew.

For example:

• אני נשאר בבית כי אני עייף = I’m staying home because I’m tired

Very important: כי can also mean that in other contexts, so learners often notice it has more than one use. But here it clearly means because.

Hebrew expresses to have differently from English.

Instead of a direct verb like English have, Hebrew often uses:

• יש = there is / there are
• plus ל־ = to

So:

• יש לנו literally means there is to us
• natural English: we have

Examples:

• יש לי ספר = literally there is to me a book = I have a book
• יש להם ילדים = literally there are to them children = they have children

So in your sentence:

• יש לנו כמה אורחים = we have several guests

This is the normal Hebrew structure.

Hebrew often attaches prepositions to pronoun endings.

The preposition ל־ means to / for, and with pronouns it becomes one word:

• לי = to me
• לך = to you
• לו = to him
• לה = to her
• לנו = to us
• להם / להן = to them

So יש לנו is simply the standard combined form meaning there is to us, or in natural English, we have.

Here כמה means several or a few / some.

So:

• כמה אורחים = several guests

Depending on context, כמה can also mean how many in a question:

• כמה אורחים יש לכם? = How many guests do you have?

So learners should remember that כמה can be either:

• how many
• several / a few / some

In this sentence, since it is not a question, it means several.

אורחים is the masculine plural form of אורח, meaning guest.

Forms:

• אורח = male guest / guest (masculine singular)
• אורחת = female guest (feminine singular)
• אורחים = guests (masculine plural, also used for mixed groups)
• אורחות = female guests

So in this sentence, אורחים could mean:

• a group of male guests
• or a mixed group of guests

That is standard Hebrew gender usage.

Hebrew often leaves out words that English might include.

In English, we might say:

• We prepare some light refreshments
• We prepare a small spread

In Hebrew, מכינים כיבוד קטן sounds complete and natural without an extra word meaning some.

Hebrew often prefers a more direct structure, especially with mass nouns or general food-related nouns like כיבוד.

Yes. The sentence has very natural Hebrew word order:

• בשבת = time expression
• אנחנו מכינים כיבוד קטן = main statement
• כי יש לנו כמה אורחים = reason

So the structure is:

On Shabbat, we prepare a small spread, because we have several guests.

This is very normal. Hebrew is fairly flexible with word order, but this version sounds smooth and standard.

The comma separates the main clause from the reason clause:

• בשבת אנחנו מכינים כיבוד קטן
• כי יש לנו כמה אורחים

In everyday writing, punctuation in Hebrew can vary somewhat, but using a comma here is very natural and helps readability.

So the comma is not about a special grammar rule unique to this sentence; it is just marking the pause before because we have several guests.

Yes. If the speakers are all female, you would usually change מכינים to מכינות:

• בשבת אנחנו מכינות כיבוד קטן, כי יש לנו כמה אורחים.

Everything else can stay the same.

That is because the only part that must agree with the female group here is the present-tense verb form.