ההגנה חזקה.

A common pronunciation is:

ha-ha-ga-NA cha-za-KA

More carefully, in Modern Hebrew IPA, it is often approximately:

/hahaɡaˈna χazaˈka/

A few notes:

• ההגנה = ha-haganá
• חזקה = chazaká
• The ח sound is not like English h. It is a throaty sound, like the ch in German Bach or Scottish loch.
• The stress is usually on the last syllable of both words: hagana and chazaka.

In present-tense Hebrew, sentences like The defense is strong usually do not use a separate word for is.

So Hebrew says:

ההגנה חזקה
literally: the defense strong

This is a very normal Hebrew sentence structure in the present tense.

If you want past or future, Hebrew does use forms of to be:

• ההגנה הייתה חזקה = The defense was strong
• ההגנה תהיה חזקה = The defense will be strong

In Hebrew, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe.

So:

• הגנה חזקה = a strong defense
• literally: defense strong

This is the normal order in Hebrew, unlike English, where adjectives usually come before the noun.

In your sentence, חזקה comes after ההגנה for that reason.

Because הגנה is a feminine singular noun, the adjective must match it in gender and number.

• הגנה = feminine singular
• so the adjective must also be feminine singular: חזקה

Compare:

• הגנה חזקה = strong defense / the defense is strong
• קיר חזק = a strong wall / the wall is strong

Here:

• חזק = masculine singular
• חזקה = feminine singular

This matching is called agreement.

One strong clue is the ending ־ה. Many Hebrew feminine nouns end in ־ה or ־ת, though not all of them.

So הגנה is recognized as feminine, and that is why the adjective is חזקה rather than חזק.

Also, learners often memorize nouns together with their gender, because Hebrew agreement depends on it.

This is a very common question.

In ההגנה חזקה, the adjective חזקה is not directly attached to the noun as part of one noun phrase. It is the predicate of the sentence:

• ההגנה = the subject
• חזקה = says something about the subject

So the sentence means:

• The defense is strong

In this kind of sentence, the predicate adjective usually does not take ה־.

Compare these two patterns:

1. Predicate sentence
   ההגנה חזקה = The defense is strong

2. Noun + adjective phrase
   ההגנה החזקה = the strong defense

In the second one, the adjective is directly modifying the noun, so it also takes ה־.

This is an important difference in Hebrew.

They look similar, but they mean different things.

• ההגנה חזקה = The defense is strong
• ההגנה החזקה = the strong defense

So:

• ההגנה חזקה is a full sentence.
• ההגנה החזקה is just a noun phrase.

A good way to think about it:

• noun + adjective without ה־ on the adjective can be a sentence: The defense is strong
• noun + adjective with ה־ on both is usually a noun phrase: the strong defense

It can mean either, depending on context.

הגנה can refer to:

• defense in sports, military, strategy, debate, etc.
• protection in a more general sense

So ההגנה חזקה could mean:

• The defense is strong
• The protection is strong

If this is from a sports context, defense is likely.
If it is about safety or shielding, protection may fit better.

The basic dictionary form is usually the masculine singular form:

• חזק = strong

From that, you get:

• חזק = masculine singular
• חזקה = feminine singular
• חזקים = masculine plural
• חזקות = feminine plural

Since הגנה is feminine singular, Hebrew uses חזקה.

הגנה חזקה usually means a strong defense or strong defense.

Without ה־, the noun is indefinite:

• הגנה חזקה = a strong defense
• ההגנה חזקה = the defense is strong
• ההגנה החזקה = the strong defense

These are three very useful patterns to compare.

Yes, completely normal.

The word is built from:

• ה־ = the
• הגנה = defense / protection

So when the definite article ה־ is added to a word that already begins with ה, you get:

ה + הגנה = ההגנה

This may look unusual to English speakers, but it is standard Hebrew spelling.

It sounds natural and normal.

ההגנה חזקה is a straightforward present-tense Hebrew sentence. It works well in many contexts, for example:

• sports: The defense is strong
• military discussion: The defense is strong
• general protection/safety: The protection is strong

So this is not an overly literary or strange structure. It is basic, standard Hebrew.