Questions & Answers about למה את מתכוונת כשאת אומרת "אחר כך"? לפני העבודה או אחרי העבודה?
Why does the sentence use את, מתכוונת, and אומרת? Are these feminine forms?
Yes. These are all addressed to a woman.
- את = you (singular, feminine)
- מתכוונת = mean / intend (feminine singular present form)
- אומרת = say (feminine singular present form)
If you were speaking to a man, you would say:
למה אתה מתכוון כשאתה אומר "אחר כך"? לפני העבודה או אחרי העבודה?
So Hebrew often shows gender much more clearly than English does.
What does למה את מתכוונת literally mean?
Literally, it means To what are you intending? or What do you mean?
In natural English, the best translation is simply:
What do you mean...?
The verb here is להתכוון = to mean / to intend.
In Hebrew, this verb usually takes ל־ before the thing meant:
- לְמָה = to what
- למה את מתכוונת? = What do you mean?
So even though English says what do you mean?, Hebrew structures it more like to what are you referring / meaning?
Why is it למה here? Doesn’t למה usually mean why?