המכונאי מחכה בחוץ.

ה־ is the Hebrew definite article, meaning the.

So:

• מכונאי = a mechanic / mechanic
• המכונאי = the mechanic

In this sentence, the noun is definite, just like the mechanic in English.

It is pronounced roughly ha-mekhona-I, with the stress at the end.

A helpful breakdown:

• ה = ha
• מכו = mekho
• נאי = na-i

The כ here sounds like the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach, not like English k.

In normal Hebrew present-tense sentences, the verb to be is usually not stated.

So Hebrew says, literally:

• המכונאי מחכה בחוץ
• The mechanic waiting outside

But in natural English, you translate it as The mechanic is waiting outside.

This is very common in Hebrew. In the present tense, Hebrew usually leaves out is / am / are.

מחכה is the present tense form of the verb לחכות, which means to wait.

So מחכה means waiting or is waiting, depending on how you translate it into English.

Hebrew present-tense verb forms often behave a bit like participles in English, but for learners it is usually easiest to think of מחכה here as is waiting.

It comes from the root ח־כ־ה, which is the root connected with waiting.

Related forms include:

• לחכות = to wait
• חיכה = he waited
• מחכה = waiting / is waiting
• יחכה = he will wait

Learning the root can help you recognize related words more easily.

Because Hebrew can use מחכה by itself, just like English can say is waiting without adding an object.

If you do want to say who or what someone is waiting for, Hebrew normally uses the preposition ל־:

• המכונאי מחכה ללקוח = The mechanic is waiting for the customer
• המכונאי מחכה לי = The mechanic is waiting for me

So in your sentence, the idea is simply that the mechanic is waiting, and his location is outside.

בחוץ means outside.

It is made from:

• ב־ = in / at
• חוץ = outside / the outside

Together, they form בחוץ, which is commonly used to mean outside or outdoors.

So this is completely normal Hebrew spelling: one word, not two.

It is pronounced roughly ba-CHUTS.

A few sound notes:

• ב here sounds like b
• ח is the throaty sound like the ch in Bach
• ץ at the end sounds like ts

The stress is on the last syllable: ba-CHUTS.

Yes. המכונאי מחכה בחוץ is a very normal modern Hebrew sentence.

The order is:

• subject: המכונאי
• verb: מחכה
• adverb/location: בחוץ

So it follows a common subject–verb–other information pattern, much like English.

That is a good observation. Hebrew can put the verb first, especially in more formal, literary, or older styles. But in everyday modern Hebrew, subject first is very common.

So:

• המכונאי מחכה בחוץ = the most neutral, everyday way
• A verb-first version would sound less basic or would need a different context

For a learner, this sentence is a great example of standard modern spoken/written Hebrew word order.

Yes, you can, but it changes the emphasis.

For example:

• בחוץ המכונאי מחכה

This puts extra focus on outside, as if you are contrasting locations. But the neutral, most straightforward version is still:

• המכונאי מחכה בחוץ

So beginners should usually stick with the original order unless they want special emphasis.

Yes, the present tense verb changes to match gender and number.

Here are the main forms:

• מחכה = masculine singular, pronounced mekhake
• מחכה = feminine singular, pronounced mekhaka
  
  • Notice: in normal unpointed writing, masculine and feminine singular look the same
• מחכים = masculine plural
• מחכות = feminine plural

Examples:

• המכונאי מחכה בחוץ = The male mechanic is waiting outside
• המכונאית מחכה בחוץ = The female mechanic is waiting outside
• המכונאים מחכים בחוץ = The mechanics are waiting outside (masculine or mixed group)

You would say:

• המכונאית מחכה בחוץ

That means The female mechanic is waiting outside.

Two things change:

• המכונאי becomes המכונאית
• the verb in everyday spelling stays מחכה, though its pronunciation is feminine here

This is a useful reminder that Hebrew nouns and verbs often reflect gender.