המאמר שקיבלנו היום קצר, אבל במחשב נייד ישן קשה לי לקרוא את האותיות הקטנות.

ש־ is a very common Hebrew relative particle. It means that, which, or who, depending on context.

So:

• המאמר = the article
• שקיבלנו היום = that we received today

Literally, שקיבלנו is that-we-received.

This is one of the most common ways to make a relative clause in modern Hebrew.

Because when the noun being described is already the object inside the relative clause, Hebrew often leaves that object unspoken.

So:

• המאמר שקיבלנו היום = the article that we received today

The word המאמר already serves as the thing received, so adding אותו would usually be unnecessary here.

In everyday Hebrew, omitting the repeated object in this kind of relative clause is very normal.

קיבלנו is past tense: we received.

The sentence is talking about an article that was received earlier today, so Hebrew uses the past tense:

• קיבלנו היום = we received today

Even though today is part of the current day, the act of receiving is viewed as already completed.

Because היום is functioning as a time word: today.

Hebrew often places time expressions after the verb:

• שקיבלנו היום = that we received today

Other word orders can exist for emphasis, but this is a very natural, neutral order.

There are two different things going on here:

1. קצר agrees with מאמר, which is a masculine singular noun.

   • So: מאמר קצר
   • Not: מאמר קצרה

2. In this sentence, קצר is a predicate adjective, not an adjective directly attached inside the noun phrase.

Compare:

• המאמר קצר = the article is short
• המאמר הקצר = the short article

When the adjective comes after the noun as part of is short, it usually does not take ה־.

Yes. In present-tense Hebrew, the verb to be is usually omitted.

So:

• המאמר קצר literally = the article short
• natural English = the article is short

This is very normal in Hebrew nominal sentences.

Hebrew ב־ covers a wider range than English in. It can mean in, on, at, or using, depending on context.

So:

• במחשב נייד ישן here means something like on an old laptop or using an old laptop

That is a normal Hebrew way to talk about reading something on a device.

Because in Hebrew, adjectives usually come after the noun.

So:

• מחשב = computer
• נייד = portable / mobile
• ישן = old

Together:

• מחשב נייד ישן = an old laptop

Hebrew often stacks adjectives after the noun without and.

Yes, נייד basically means mobile / portable. In the phrase:

• מחשב נייד

it means laptop.

This is the standard Hebrew term for a laptop, literally portable computer.

So:

• מחשב = computer
• מחשב נייד = laptop

Because Hebrew often uses a structure that literally looks like:

• קשה לי = hard for me
• לקרוא = to read

So:

• קשה לי לקרוא = it is hard for me to read

This is a very common Hebrew pattern for talking about difficulty, ease, possibility, and so on:

• קל לי להבין = it’s easy for me to understand
• קשה לי לזכור = it’s hard for me to remember

The לי is a dative pronoun, literally to me / for me.

לי means to me / for me.

In this sentence, it marks the person experiencing the difficulty:

• קשה לי = it is difficult for me
• קשה לו = it is difficult for him
• קשה להם = it is difficult for them

So לי is not the object of לקרוא. It belongs with קשה.

Yes, לקרוא can mean both to read and to call.

The meaning depends on context.

Here, because the sentence mentions:

• האותיות הקטנות = the small letters

the meaning is clearly to read.

This kind of double meaning is common in Hebrew verbs.

Because when an adjective directly describes a definite noun, the adjective is usually definite too.

So:

• אותיות קטנות = small letters
• האותיות הקטנות = the small letters

Both the noun and the adjective take ה־.

This is one of the most important adjective patterns in Hebrew.

Because אותיות is feminine plural, and the adjective must agree with it.

• singular feminine: קטנה
• plural feminine: קטנות

Since the noun is definite:

• האותיות הקטנות = the small letters

So the adjective matches in:

• gender: feminine
• number: plural
• definiteness: definite

A useful breakdown is:

• המאמר = the article
• שקיבלנו היום = that we received today
• קצר = is short

Then:

• אבל = but
• במחשב נייד ישן = on an old laptop
• קשה לי = it is hard for me
• לקרוא = to read
• את האותיות הקטנות = the small letters

So the sentence has two main parts joined by אבל:

1. The article that we received today is short
2. but on an old laptop it is hard for me to read the small letters

Because את marks a definite direct object in Hebrew.

Here, the thing being read is definite:

• האותיות הקטנות = the small letters

So Hebrew uses את:

• לקרוא את האותיות הקטנות

If the object were indefinite, את would usually not appear.

Compare:

• אני קורא ספר = I am reading a book
• אני קורא את הספר = I am reading the book

Yes. Hebrew word order is fairly flexible, especially with adverbial phrases like this one.

For example, you might also hear something like:

• אבל קשה לי לקרוא את האותיות הקטנות במחשב נייד ישן

That would still be understandable. The original version places במחשב נייד ישן earlier, which helps set the context first: when using an old laptop.