Questions & Answers about חוץ מהעוגה, הכול כבר מוכן לארוחה.
What does חוץ מהעוגה mean as a chunk?
חוץ מ־ is a very common Hebrew expression meaning except for, apart from, or besides.
So חוץ מהעוגה means except for the cake.
It is best to learn חוץ מ־ as a fixed expression, rather than trying to translate each part separately every time.
You may also hear other expressions like מלבד or פרט ל־, but חוץ מ־ is very everyday and natural.
Why is it מהעוגה and not just עוגה?
The מ־ is part of the expression חוץ מ־.
When the noun is definite, as in העוגה (the cake), the preposition attaches to it:
- העוגה = the cake
- מהעוגה = from the cake / of the cake, or in this sentence simply the מ־ required by חוץ מ־
So:
- חוץ מעוגה = except for cake / except for a cake
- חוץ מהעוגה = except for the cake
A more formal alternative is חוץ מן העוגה.
Why does the sentence use הכול and not כל?