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Learn Hardcore Hebrew: הפגישה מתחילה בשש. - The meeting starts at six.

Hardcore Hebrew
/Lesson 57
/הפגישה מתחילה בשש.

הפגישה מתחילה בשש.

הפגישה מתחילה בשש.hapgisha matchila besheish.

The meeting starts at six.

Breakdown of הפגישה מתחילה בשש.

פגישהpgisha

Questions & Answers about הפגישה מתחילה בשש.

How do I pronounce הפגישה מתחילה בשש?

A common pronunciation is:

ha-pgishá matchilá be-shésh

A more detailed breakdown:

הפגישה = ha-pgishá = the meeting
מתחילה = matchilá = starts / begins
בשש = be-shésh = at six

Notes:

The stress is usually on the last syllable in פגישה and מתחילה.
The ב in בשש is the preposition ב־ attached directly to שש.

Why does מתחילה end in -ה?

Because הפגישה is a feminine singular noun, and the verb in the present tense agrees with it.

פגישה = a feminine singular noun
So the verb is מתחילה = starts / is starting for feminine singular

Compare:

הפגישה מתחילה = the meeting starts
הסרט מתחיל = the movie starts

Here הסרט is masculine singular, so the verb is מתחיל, not מתחילה.

What is the basic form of מתחילה?

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The dictionary form of the verb is להתחיל = to begin / to start.

In this sentence, מתחילה is the present tense, feminine singular form.

Useful present-tense forms:

מתחיל = masculine singular
מתחילה = feminine singular
מתחילים = masculine plural / mixed plural
מתחילות = feminine plural

So הפגישה מתחילה literally means the meeting is starting or more naturally the meeting starts.

Why is there a ה at the beginning of הפגישה?

The prefix ה־ is the Hebrew definite article, meaning the.

So:

פגישה = a meeting / meeting
הפגישה = the meeting

It works like English the, but in Hebrew it is attached directly to the noun.

Why is בשש one word?

Because Hebrew often attaches short prepositions directly to the following word.

Here:

ב־ = in / at
שש = six

So:

ב + שש → בשש

In this sentence, בשש means at six.

This is very common in Hebrew:

בבית = in the house
בבוקר = in the morning
בשש = at six

Why does ב־ mean at here if it usually means in?

Hebrew ב־ covers several meanings that English splits into different prepositions.

Depending on context, ב־ can mean:

in
at
on (in some expressions)

With clock times, it usually means at:

בשש = at six
באחת = at one
בעשר = at ten

So even though ב־ often gets introduced as in, here the natural English translation is at.

Can I also say הפגישה מתחילה בשעה שש?

Yes. That is also correct, and it means the same thing: The meeting starts at six o’clock.

בשש = at six
בשעה שש = at six o’clock

The version without שעה is very common and natural in everyday Hebrew.

So:

הפגישה מתחילה בשש = natural, concise
הפגישה מתחילה בשעה שש = a little more explicit

Does מתחילה mean starts or is starting?

It can mean either, depending on context.

Hebrew present tense often covers both:

a general present meaning
a near-future or scheduled meaning
a progressive-like meaning in some contexts

So הפגישה מתחילה בשש is most naturally understood as:

The meeting starts at six
or The meeting is starting at six

In English, starts at six is the best translation for a schedule.

Is the word order fixed here?

This word order is the most neutral and common:

הפגישה = subject
מתחילה = verb
בשש = time expression

So: הפגישה מתחילה בשש = The meeting starts at six

Hebrew can sometimes vary word order for emphasis, but this sentence is the standard, straightforward way to say it.

What exactly does פגישה mean? Is it always a meeting?

פגישה often means meeting, but it can also mean appointment or get-together, depending on context.

Examples:

יש לי פגישה בעבודה = I have a meeting at work
יש לי פגישה עם הרופא = I have an appointment with the doctor

So in your sentence, הפגישה most naturally means the meeting, but the word itself is slightly broader than just formal business meetings.

Why is it שש and not some other form of six?

Hebrew numbers can change form depending on grammar, especially when counting nouns directly. That can be confusing for learners.

But in telling time, Hebrew commonly uses forms like:

באחת = at one
בשתיים = at two
בשלוש = at three
בשש = at six

So בשש is simply the normal way to say at six.

For now, it is best to learn time expressions as set patterns:

בשעה...
or just ב...
- number

Could this sentence refer to the future, even though the verb is in the present tense?

Yes. Very often, Hebrew uses the present tense for scheduled future events.

So הפגישה מתחילה בשש is naturally understood as a future schedule:

The meeting starts at six

This is similar to English:

The train leaves at 9
The class starts tomorrow
The meeting starts at six

So even though the verb form is present, the meaning is often future because of the context.

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