כף הרגל כואבת.

to hurt

Breakdown of כף הרגל כואבת.

• כף רגל: paw

Questions & Answers about כף הרגל כואבת.

Why does only הרגל have ה־ and not כף?

Because כף הרגל is a construct phrase (called סמיכות in Hebrew).

In a construct phrase, the first noun is linked to the second noun, and the whole phrase is made definite by the second noun. So:

• כף רגל = a foot / sole of a foot
• כף הרגל = the foot / the sole of the foot

So even though כף does not have ה־, the whole expression is definite because הרגל is definite.

What does כף הרגל literally mean?

Literally, it means something like the sole of the leg/foot.

The word כף can mean palm or sole, depending on context:

• כף יד = palm of the hand
• כף רגל = sole of the foot / foot

So כף הרגל is the standard Hebrew expression for the foot.

Why is כואבת feminine?