Questions & Answers about יש לי שאלה נוספת על השיעור.
Why does Hebrew use יש לי for I have?
Hebrew usually does not use a verb meaning to have the way English does. Instead, it uses a possession structure:
- יש = there is / there exists
- לי = to me / for me
So יש לי שאלה נוספת literally means something like There is to me an additional question.
That sounds strange in English, but it is the normal Hebrew way to say I have an additional question.
A very useful contrast is:
- יש לי... = I have...
- אין לי... = I don’t have...
What exactly is לי?
לי means to me or for me.
It comes from the preposition ל־ meaning to / for, combined with the first-person singular pronoun.
With יש, these forms are extremely common:
- לי = to me
- לך = to you
- לו = to him
- לה = to her
- לנו = to us
- לכם / לכן = to you plural
- להם / להן = to them
So:
- יש לי שאלה = I have a question
- יש לו שאלה = He has a question
Why is there no word for a in a question?
Hebrew has no indefinite article. In other words, there is no separate word for a or an.
So:
- שאלה can mean a question or just question
- השאלה means the question
In your sentence, שאלה נוספת is indefinite, so English translates it as an additional question or another question, even though Hebrew does not add a separate word for a/an.
Why is it שאלה נוספת and not נוספת שאלה?
In Hebrew, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe.
So:
- שאלה נוספת = an additional question
- literally: question additional
This is the normal Hebrew word order.
A related rule: the adjective must also match the noun in:
- gender
- number
- definiteness
So if the noun were definite, the adjective would be definite too:
- השאלה הנוספת = the additional question
Why is the adjective נוספת and not נוסף?
Because שאלה is a feminine singular noun, and the adjective has to agree with it.
The adjective נוסף changes form:
- נוסף = masculine singular
- נוספת = feminine singular
- נוספים = masculine plural
- נוספות = feminine plural
Since שאלה is feminine singular, you need:
- שאלה נוספת
A good habit in Hebrew is to learn nouns together with their gender, because adjective agreement depends on it.
Does נוספת mean the same thing as עוד?
They are close, but not always identical in feel.
In this sentence:
- שאלה נוספת = an additional question / another question
- עוד שאלה = another question / one more question
Both are natural. But the nuance can be slightly different:
- נוספת often sounds a bit more formal or written
- עוד is very common and conversational
So these are both fine:
- יש לי שאלה נוספת על השיעור
- יש לי עוד שאלה על השיעור
Both mean roughly the same thing here.
What is the difference between נוספת and אחרת?
This is a common point of confusion.
- נוספת = additional / another one more
- אחרת = different / another in the sense of a different one
So:
- שאלה נוספת = an extra question
- שאלה אחרת = a different question
In your sentence, נוספת fits because the speaker already asked something and now has one more question.
What does על mean here?
Here, על means about / regarding / concerning.
So:
- על השיעור = about the lesson / about the class
The preposition על has several meanings in Hebrew, depending on context. It can also mean things like on, over, or about.
In this sentence, the meaning is clearly about.
You could sometimes use other expressions too, such as:
- לגבי השיעור = regarding the lesson
- בקשר לשיעור = concerning the lesson
But על השיעור is very natural.
Why is it השיעור and not just שיעור?
Because the sentence is talking about a specific lesson or class — one that the speaker and listener both know about.
- שיעור = a lesson / lesson / class
- השיעור = the lesson / the class
So:
- על השיעור = about the lesson
- not just about a lesson in general
In context, this often means something like:
- the lesson we just had
- the class we are discussing
- the specific lesson from earlier
Also, שיעור can mean different things depending on context:
- lesson
- class
- lecture
- even a school period
Why isn’t אני used here?
Because לי already tells you who has the question.
Hebrew does not say אני יש לי שאלה. That is not correct.
The normal pattern is simply:
- יש לי שאלה = I have a question
If you want emphasis, Hebrew might move things around, for example:
- לי יש שאלה = I have a question / As for me, I have a question
But in a normal neutral sentence, יש לי is enough, and אני is not needed.
Can the word order change, or is this fixed?
The sentence as written is very natural and neutral:
- יש לי שאלה נוספת על השיעור
But Hebrew does allow some variation, especially for emphasis.
For example:
- יש לי עוד שאלה על השיעור = very natural, conversational
- על השיעור יש לי שאלה נוספת = puts focus on about the lesson
- יש לי על השיעור שאלה נוספת = possible in some contexts, but less neutral
So the original order is the safest one for learners.
Could this sentence also mean I have another question about the class, not just about the lesson?
Yes. שיעור can mean either lesson or class, depending on context.
So על השיעור could be understood as:
- about the lesson
- about the class
If this is in a school or course context, both are possible. The exact translation depends on what kind of שיעור is being talked about.
That is very normal in Hebrew: one word can cover several English words, and context decides which one sounds best.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning HebrewMaster Hebrew — from יש לי שאלה נוספת על השיעור to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ 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