Memaynim, memuyan, ovdim: two ways to hide the doer
When it does not matter who acts, the doer is hidden — as English does with "people say" or "it is being checked". There are two ways here, and they are not interchangeable. For example: “את הזבל ממיינים בבית, לא ברחוב.” — Litter is sorted at home, not in the street. A rule from the Hebrew course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
When it does not matter who acts, the doer is hidden — as English does with "people say" or "it is being checked". There are two ways here, and they are not interchangeable.
The first is the plural without a pronoun: et hazevel memaynim — the litter is sorted; ovdim beshtei mishmerot — people work in two shifts. It is about a process, a rule, a custom. Translate it as "one does" or "they do".
The second is a passive pattern: hamutzar nivdak — the item is inspected. It is about a result: the pattern itself says the doer is unnamed. Like an adjective, it changes for gender and number.
To choose: a process takes the plural, a result the passive. And the simplest way out is to name the doer: hapoalim banu — the workers built.
Table
| way | example | how it reads | translation | when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| plural, no person | ממיינים את הזבל | memaynim et hazevel | the litter is sorted | a rule |
| plural, no person | עובדים בשתי משמרות | ovdim beshtei mishmerot | they work in two shifts | a process |
| plural, no person | אומרים ש… | omrim she-… | they say that… | other words |
| plural, no person | משחררים את הסחורה | meshachrerim et hasachura | the goods are released | the doer does not matter |
| nifal | המוצר נבדק | hamutzar nivdak | the item is inspected | a result |
| pual | הנחל שוקם | hanachal shukam | the stream was restored | a state |
| nifal | הבניין נבנה | habinyan nivne | the house is built | a result |
| the doer named | הפועלים בנו | hapoalim banu | the workers built | not a passive! |
By example
- את הזבל ממיינים בבית, לא ברחוב.эт ха-зэвель мемайним ба-баит, ло ба-рехов.Litter is sorted at home, not in the street.
- המוצר נבדק לפני האריזה.ха-муцар нивдэк лифней ха-ариза.The item is inspected before packing.
- אומרים שהכל בסדר.омрим ше-хаколь бэ-седер.They say everything is in order.
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Memaynim, memuyan, ovdim: how does it work in Hebrew?
When it does not matter who acts, the doer is hidden — as English does with "people say" or "it is being checked". There are two ways here, and they are not interchangeable.
What does it look like in a Hebrew example sentence?
“את הזבל ממיינים בבית, לא ברחוב.” (эт ха-зэвель мемайним ба-баит, ло ба-рехов.) — Litter is sorted at home, not in the street. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.