Questions & Answers about ההסבר שלה היה ברור מאוד, ולכן גם החלק הקשה נעשה מובן יותר.
Why is it היה and not הייתה?
Because הסבר is a masculine singular noun in Hebrew.
So:
- ההסבר = the explanation
- היה = was for a masculine singular subject
Even though שלה means hers, the verb agrees with ההסבר, not with the person who owns it.
So the grammar is:
- ההסבר שלה היה ברור מאוד = Her explanation was very clear
If the noun were feminine, you would use הייתה instead.
Why is שלה placed after the noun? Why not before it like in English?
In Hebrew, possessive phrases like her explanation, his book, their car are very often formed with של plus a pronoun, and this comes after the noun.
So:
- ההסבר שלה = literally the explanation of hers
- natural English translation: her explanation
This is one of the most common differences from English word order.
Some examples:
- הספר שלי = my book
- המורה שלהם = their teacher
- הבית שלה = her house
So שלה after the noun is completely normal.
What exactly does ההסבר mean, and why does it start with ה?