זה רק השלב הראשון בתהליך, ולכן לא צריך למהר.

this

Breakdown of זה רק השלב הראשון בתהליך, ולכן לא צריך למהר.

• ו: and
• לא: not
• ב: in

Questions & Answers about זה רק השלב הראשון בתהליך, ולכן לא צריך למהר.

Why does the sentence begin with זה?

זה literally means this or it, and in sentences like this it often works like this is or it is.

So זה רק השלב הראשון בתהליך is structurally like:

• זה = this / it
• רק = only / just
• השלב הראשון = the first stage
• בתהליך = in the process

A very natural English equivalent is This is only the first stage in the process.

What does רק mean here, and where does it go in the sentence?

רק means only or just.

In this sentence, זה רק השלב הראשון means This is only the first stage.

Hebrew often places רק directly before the word or phrase it is limiting. Here it limits השלב הראשון, so the sense is only the first stage, not something else.

You could move רק in some sentences, but that can slightly change emphasis.

Why is it השלב הראשון and not just שלב ראשון?