חבל להרוס ערב נעים בגלל ויכוח קטן.

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Breakdown of חבל להרוס ערב נעים בגלל ויכוח קטן.

• ערב: evening
• בגלל: because of
• נעים: pleasant

Questions & Answers about חבל להרוס ערב נעים בגלל ויכוח קטן.

What does חבל mean here? I thought חבל means rope.

Yes, חבל can mean rope, but in this sentence it means it’s a shame / what a pity.

Hebrew has several common words with more than one meaning, and חבל is a very common example:

• חבל = rope
• חבל ש... = it’s a shame that...
• חבל + infinitive = it’s a shame to... / no point in...

So in חבל להרוס ערב נעים בגלל ויכוח קטן, the meaning is:

• חבל = it’s a shame
• להרוס = to ruin

Together: It’s a shame to ruin...

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Why is להרוס in the infinitive form?

Because after חבל, Hebrew often uses the infinitive to express a general idea like it’s a shame to... or it would be a pity to...

So:

• חבל להרוס = it’s a shame to ruin
• חבל לבזבז זמן = it’s a shame to waste time
• חבל ללכת עכשיו = it’s a shame to go now

This is very natural Hebrew. English often uses it’s a shame to..., and Hebrew does the same with חבל + infinitive.

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