Breakdown of אם האפליקציה הזאת לא עובדת, אני אעבור לאפליקציה אחרת.
Questions & Answers about אם האפליקציה הזאת לא עובדת, אני אעבור לאפליקציה אחרת.
Why is it האפליקציה הזאת and not זאת האפליקציה?
In Hebrew, when this/that is describing a noun, it usually comes after the noun:
האפליקציה הזאת = this app
But זאת האפליקציה is a different structure. It means something like:
This is the app
So the sentence uses the normal Hebrew pattern for noun + demonstrative.
Can I say האפליקציה הזו instead of האפליקציה הזאת?
Yes. Both are correct and very common.
- האפליקציה הזאת
- האפליקציה הזו
Both mean this app.
In everyday Hebrew, both are used. הזו is a bit shorter, while הזאת can sound a little fuller or slightly more emphatic, but for a learner, both are fine.
Why does עובדת end with -ת?
Because אפליקציה is a feminine singular noun, and the present-tense form here agrees with it.
Hebrew present tense behaves a lot like an adjective or participle, so it changes for gender and number:
- masculine singular: עובד
- feminine singular: עובדת
- masculine plural: עובדים
- feminine plural: עובדות
Since האפליקציה is feminine singular, Hebrew uses עובדת.
Does לא עובדת mean doesn't work or isn't working?
It can mean both.
Hebrew present tense often covers both:
- it doesn't work
- it isn't working
So האפליקציה הזאת לא עובדת can describe either a general problem or a current one. Context tells you which is meant.
Why is the verb in the if clause present tense, but the second verb is future tense?
That is a very normal Hebrew pattern.
Hebrew often uses:
- אם + present
- then future in the result clause
So:
אם האפליקציה הזאת לא עובדת, אני אעבור...
means: if this app is not working, then I will switch...
This is a natural way to express a real or likely condition.
You could also hear:
אם האפליקציה הזאת לא תעבוד, אני אעבור...
That is also correct, but it focuses more clearly on a future situation: if the app doesn’t work.
What exactly does אעבור mean here?
The verb comes from the root עבר, whose basic idea is pass / cross / move over.
In this sentence, אעבור means:
- I will move over
- I will switch
- I will move to
So it does not mean physically walking somewhere. Here it means switching from one app to another.
Why is there a ל in לאפליקציה אחרת?
Because the verb לעבור often takes the preposition ל־ when you mean move to or switch to something.
So:
- לעבור לאפליקציה אחרת
- to switch to another app
That ל־ is the Hebrew equivalent of to in this sentence.
Why is it אחרת and not אחר?
Because אחרת has to agree with אפליקציה, which is feminine singular.
Adjectives in Hebrew usually agree with the noun in gender and number:
- masculine singular: אחר
- feminine singular: אחרת
So:
- אפליקציה אחרת = another app
- יישום אחר = another application/app, if using a masculine noun
Why does אחרת come after אפליקציה?
Because Hebrew adjectives normally come after the noun they describe.
So Hebrew says:
- אפליקציה אחרת
- literally: app another
This is the standard word order for noun + adjective in Hebrew.
Does אחרת mean other or another here?
Here it means another or a different one.
That is because the noun is indefinite:
- אפליקציה אחרת = another app / a different app
If you said:
- האפליקציה האחרת
that would usually mean:
- the other app
So Hebrew makes an important distinction here.
Why isn’t there a separate word for then in the sentence?
Because Hebrew often leaves it out.
English often says:
If X happens, then I’ll do Y
In Hebrew, the then part is usually understood automatically:
אם האפליקציה הזאת לא עובדת, אני אעבור...
You can add אז:
אם האפליקציה הזאת לא עובדת, אז אני אעבור לאפליקציה אחרת.
But it is not necessary.
How do I know לאפליקציה means to an app here, and not to the app?
In normal Hebrew spelling without vowel marks, both can look the same.
That is because:
- ל + אפליקציה = to an app
- ל + ה + אפליקציה = to the app
In writing without ניקוד, both may appear as לאפליקציה.
So how do you know which one it is?
You use context.
Here, אחרת shows that the meaning is indefinite:
- לאפליקציה אחרת = to another app
So here it clearly means to an app, not to the app.
Does the speaker’s gender affect אעבור?
No. In the first person singular future, Hebrew uses the same form for everyone:
- אני אעבור = I will switch / I will move
It does not change for masculine vs. feminine speaker.
That is different from the present tense, where gender does matter:
- אני עובר = I am moving/switching, if the speaker is male
- אני עוברת = I am moving/switching, if the speaker is female
So in this sentence, אעבור works for any speaker.
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