Questions & Answers about יש שאלה לגבי השופט.
יש is a very common Hebrew word used to express there is / there are / has / have, depending on context.
In this sentence, יש שאלה means there is a question.
A key point for English speakers:
Hebrew often does not use a verb like to be in the present tense the way English does. Instead, יש is used to express existence.
Examples:
- יש ספר. — There is a book.
- יש בעיה. — There is a problem.
- יש לי זמן. — I have time.
(Literally: There is to me time.)
So in יש שאלה לגבי השופט, יש introduces the existence of a question.
Because שאלה here is indefinite: a question, not the question.
Hebrew uses the prefix ה־ to make a noun definite:
- שאלה — a question
- השאלה — the question
So:
- יש שאלה = there is a question
- יש השאלה would generally not be the natural way to say there is the question
If you wanted to say There is the question regarding the judge, you would usually need a different structure, depending on context. In this sentence, the idea is simply that some question exists, so the indefinite שאלה is the natural choice.