English - Modern Greek

• A semicolon is used as a question mark in Modern Greek.
• Some personal pronouns are «εγώ» and «εσύ» - I and you. They are only used to emphasize something. In all other cases, the ending of the verb indicates the person. The personal pronouns are declined for case and singular and plural.
• Some possessive pronouns are «μου» and «σου» - mine and yours and «μας» and «σας» - ours and yours (also polite). Possessive pronouns are not declined.
• Some conjunctions are «κι» or «και», which means and and also or too.
• The forms of the definite article the are in the nominative (1st case) masculine, feminine and neuter resp. «ο», «η» and «το». They are declined for case and singular and plural. The three forms of the indefinite article one are «ένας», «μία, μια» and «ένα». They are declined for case and singular. For proper names the definite article is used in Modern Greek.
• Adverbs like «πού» and «παντού» - where and everywhere are indeclinable.
• Nouns can be of the masculine, feminine and neuter grammatical gender. They are declined for case and singular and plural.
• Adjectives can be of the masculine, feminine and neuter grammatical gender. They are declined for case and singular and plural.

Grammar

The strong form of the personal pronouns

Singular - Ενικός Αριθμός

cases	1st person	2nd person	3rd pers.masculine	3rd pers.feminine	3rd pers.neuter
1st case	εγώ	εσύ	αυτός	αυτή	αυτό
2nd case	μού/μου	σού/σου	αυτού	αυτής	αυτού
4th case	εμένα/με	εσένα/σε	αυτόν	αυτήν	αυτό

Plural - Πληθυντικός Αριθμός

cases	1st person	2nd person	3rd pers.masculine	3rd pers.feminine	3rd pers.neuter
1st case	εμείς	εσείς	αυτοί	αυτές	αυτά
2nd case	μάς/μας	σάς/σας	αυτών	αυτών	αυτών
4th case	εμάς/μας	εσάς/σας	αυτούς	αυτές	αυτά

As mentioned, the personal pronouns are usually omitted in Modern Greek but it will be obvious by the ending of the verb which person we are dealing with, e.g.«(εγώ) αγοράζω» - «(εσύ) αγοράζεις» - I buy - you buy.

The strong form of the personal pronouns is used in case there is a clear distinction between the persons, a.f:

• When the person is emphasized.
• When the contrast between one person and nobody else is indicated.
• When they function as subject, object or indirect object of the verb.
• When they function as direct- or indirect object in a sentence with a preposition. (After the below-mentioned prepositions «από» and «σε» inclusive, «με, για, χωρίς» - with, for, without always the strong form wil be used.
• When they operate on their own.
• When the personal pronoun is not mentioned.

Some examples are:

The possessive pronoun

Singular - ενικός αριθμός		Plural - πληθυντικός αριθμός
μου	my	μας	our
σου	your	σας	your
του	his	τους	their
της	her	τους	their

This possessive pronoun is formed by using the genitive (2nd case) of the weak personal pronoun. (see lesson 2 )

The second form possessive pronouns is the emphasized form.(see lesson 2)

Some examples with this form of the possesive pronouns are:

Sometimes the possessive pronoun is placed between the adjective and noun, as in: «το ωραίο μου κήπο» - my nice garden.

Nouns with three syllables and the accent on the third syllable from the end of the word, get an extra stress on the syllable before the possessive pronoun:

The articles

Modern Greek has two types of articles, the definite and the indefinite type. Both are declined by case and gender. In addition, it is of course also important whether the noun is singular or plural. The definite article indicates a specific item, in contrast to the indefinite article, which is used for non-specific elements.

The definite article

Singular - ενικός αριθμός

Cases	Masculine	Feminine	euter
1st case	ο	η	το
2nd case	του	της	του
4th case	το(ν)	τη(ν)	το

Plural - πληθυντικός αριθμός

Cases	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
1st case	οι	οι	τα
2nd case	των	των	των
4the case	τους	τις	τα

The indefinite article

Singular - ενικός αριθμός

Cases	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
1st case	ένας	μια, μία	ένα
2nd case	ενός	μιας, μίας	ενός
4th case	ένα(ν)	μια(ν), μία(ν)	ένα

One is used for the indefinite article singular. It is compatible in all gender forms with the number one, but not in meaning.

In this lesson the following verbs, nouns, prepositions, articles, adverbs and adjectives, personal and possessive pronouns are used in sentences, including above-mentioned notes:

Greek	English
	meaning	part of speech
αγοράζω	to buy	regular verb with active and passive voices
είμαι	to be	irregular verb, link verb, auxiliary verb
έχω	to have	irregular verb, auxiliary verb
πηγαίνω/πάω	to go	irregular verb in the active voice
η δασκάλα	the (female) teacher	feminine noun
ο δάσκαλος	the teacher	masculine noun
η οικογένεια	the family	onzijdig noun
η αδελφή	the sister	feminine noun
ο αδελφός	the brother	masculine noun
η δουλειά	the job, work	feminine noun
το σπίτι	het huis	neuter noun
το σχολείο	the school	neuter noun
το μάθημα	the lesson	neuter noun
ο φίλος	the friend	masculine noun
η φίλη	the girlfriend	feminine noun
ο κήπος	the garden	masculine noun
ο δρόμος	the street	masculine noun
ο άντρας	the man	masculine noun
η γυναίκα	the woman	feminine feminine noun
η μητέρα	the mother	feminine noun
ο πατέρας	the father	masculine noun
το μαγαζί	the shop	neuter noun
η χώρα	the country	feminine noun
η Ελλάδα	Greece	feminine noun/proper name
η Ολλανδία	Holland	feminine noun/proper name
ο Γιάννης	John	masculine noun/proper name
από	van, vanaf, sinds etc	preposition
σε	naar	preposition
του	his	possessive pronoun
της	her	possessive pronoun
αυτός	he	personal pronoun
αυτή	she	personal pronoun
μπροστά	in front	adverb
πολύ	zeer, erg	adverb
εδώ	here	adverb
εκεί	there	adverb
ωραίος, α, -ο	nice, lovely	adjective
όμορφος, -η, -ο	beautiful, handsome	adjective
μεγάλος, -η, -ο	large, big, great	adjective
δύσκολος, -η, -ο	difficult, hard	adjective
καλός, ή, -ό	good	adjective

The herewith formed sentences are:

Greek	English
01. Εσείς πού πάτε;	Where are you going?
02. Αυτός είναι ο Γιάννης.	That (he) is John.
03. Είναι από την Αγγλία.	He is from England.
04. Έχει ένα σπίτι εδώ.	He has a house here.
05. Αυτή και ο φίλος της αγοράζουν το σπίτι.	She and her friend buy the house.
06. Έχουν πολύ καλούς φίλους.	They have very good friends.
07. Είναι δασκάλα.	She is a teacher.
08. Είναι δάσκαλος.	He is a teacher.
09. Έχουν μεγάλο κήπο.	Zij hebben een grote tuin.
10. Είναι η καλή φίλη του.	She is his good friend.
11. Ο κήπος είναι μπροστά, στο δρόμο.	The garden is in front, at the street.
12. Το μάθημα στο σχολείο είναι πολύ δύσκολο.	The lesson on school is very difficult.
13. Ο δάσκαλός της είναι από την Ελλάδα.	Her teacher is from Greece.
14. Ο πατέρας του έχει μια μεγάλη οικογένεια.	His father has a big family.
15. Η μητέρα της πηγαίνει στο μαγαζί.	Her mother goes to the shop.
16. Έχει την δουλειά της εκεί.	She has her work there.
17. Η Ελλάδα είναι μια μεγάλη χώρα.	Greece is a big country.
18. Ο πατέρας μου είναι ένας όμορφος άντρας.	My father is a handsome man.
19. Ο κήπος είναι ωραίος.	The garden is nice.
20. Ο πατέρας και η μητέρα μας έχουν ένα μαγαζί.	Our father and mother have a shop.

In above sentences 5, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, and 20 the possessive pronoun is used. All with the noun in the nominative (1st case), except in sentence 16 with the noun in the accusative (4th case) because it is the direct object.

The present tense in the indicative mood of the verb «πάω, πηγαίνω».

• In the first sentence the personal pronoun is used for extra emphasis, as well as «πάω» in the same sentence and in sentence 15 «πηγαίνω» are used. They are completely interchangeable in the present tense of the indicative mood (above). However, there are differences between «πάω» and «πηγαίνω» in their use with the particles «θα» of the 2nd future tense in the indicated mood and «να» of the aorist, in the subjunctive mood. This has to do with a one-off ended action and an ongoing action. Furthermore, there are some expressions in which one fits better than the other e.g. let's go! - «πάμε!» and not «πηγαίνουμε!». Explanation in detail of the particles is to be found here.

The present tense in the indicative mood of the verb «αγοράζω».

• «αγοράζω» is a regular verb with an active and passive voice vorm.

The present tense in the indicative mood of the verb «είμαι».

• The verb «είμαι» is also a linking-verb and an auxiliary verb.It is used to connect the subject in a sentence with a adjectival and possibly other pronouns. It has no perfect tenses, just the present tense and the imperfect.
• In sentence 2 the third person singular «είναι» is used with the personal pronoun to emphasize anew that is here about «Γιάννη», whilst in sentence 3 the personal pronoun is omitted, as a result of the remark in sentence 2 it is clear that it is still about «Γιάννη». If this sentence «Είναι από την Αγγλία» would stand on its own, the translation also could be: She is from England.
• In the sentences 7 and 8 it is obvious that the personal pronouns can be omitted because of the feminine and masculine nouns.
• In the sentences 2, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18 and 19 wordt «είναι» is used as a linking-verb

The present tense in the indicative mood of the verb «έχω».

• «έχω» is a iregular verb of which only the present tense is regular. It is, as well as «είμαι» - to be, used as an auxiliary verb to form perfect tenses. «έχω» itself does not have perfect tenses and no passive voice.
• Sentence 4 appertains to sentence 2 and 3 which both are about «Γιάννη» and consequently no personal pronoun is used here too.
• The 3rd person plural is used in sentence 9, they have. Here it is clear that no personal pronoun is required. As well as «έχουν» in sentence 20, where «Ο πατέρας και η μητέρα μας» are they.
• In sentence 14 «έχει» is used with «ο πατέρας του» his father, in the 3rd person singular.
• The using of «έχει», without personal pronoun in sentence 16 is obvious, by the phrase «την δουλειά της»
• When we parse sentence 6 «Έχουν πολύ καλούς φίλους», then the subject is they (not mentioned in Greek) - have is the predicate and very is an adverbial clause, because it says someting about the adjective good and good fiends is the direct object (this can be determined by putting who or what before the phrases, in this case what do they have?). Hence «καλούς φίλους» is the 4th case plural of the noun «φίλος» and the adjective «καλός». They end on «ος» and «ός». Both the words are in the 1st case plural «φίλοι» and «καλοί». Consequently the endings for the 4th case are «-ους» and «-ούς». Please refer the masculine nouns with the ending in «ος» hier and the adjectives ending in «ός» hier.