הזנב ארוך.

long

Breakdown of הזנב ארוך.

• זנב: tail

Questions & Answers about הזנב ארוך.

Why is there no separate word for is in הזנב ארוך?

In the present tense, Hebrew usually does not use a word for is / are / am.

So:

• הזנב ארוך = The tail is long
• literally, it is more like the tail long

This is a very normal Hebrew sentence pattern.
In past or future tense, Hebrew does use forms of to be:

• הזנב היה ארוך = The tail was long
• הזנב יהיה ארוך = The tail will be long

What does the ה at the beginning of הזנב mean?

The prefix ה־ is the Hebrew definite article, meaning the.

So:

• זנב = a tail / tail
• הזנב = the tail

It is attached directly to the noun, not written as a separate word.

Why does ארוך come after הזנב?

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

So:

• זנב ארוך = a long tail
• literally: tail long

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