English - Modern Greek

• The end «-ν» in the accusative masculine and feminine of the definite and indefinite articles is always in front of the vowels and mostly in front of the following consonants and combinations: «κ, ξ, π, τ, ψ,μπ, ντ, γκ, τζ and τσ», e.g. in the accusative of «η αγάπη» is «την αγάπη» - the lover. The «-ν» can be ommited in front of: «β, γ, δ, ζ, θ, μ, ν, λ, ρ, σ, χ en φ» e.g. the accusative of «το νησί» is «το(ν) νησί» - island
• Sometimes the last vowel of the definite article or the beginning vowel of the next word can optionally be omitted, e.g. «το όνομα» becomes «τ'όνομα» - the name. This happens in the nominative and accusative of the neuter singular and plural.
• When describing situations with the prepositions on, in, at and to, the preposition «σε» is shortened to «σ'» and merged with the definite article into «στον», «στην», «στα» etc.
• The prepositions are indeclinable in Greek as well as in English. They can be placed in the genitive and accusative in front of nouns or personal pronouns, eventual in combination with an article or adjective. The most important prepositions are: «από» and «σε»:
• The regular verbs consist of two groups, viz. group A. the first conjugation with active verbs ending in «-ω» (present tense) and passive verbs the ending in «-ομαι» and group B. the second conjugation with active verbs ending in «-ώ» or «-άω» and the passive verbs ending in«-ιέμαι» inclusive active verbs ending in «-ώ» or «-έω» and the passive verbs ending in «-ούμαι». Look at verbs - first conjugation and verbs - second conjugation.
• Because verbs are a very complex part of Modern Greek morphology, it is essential that when conjugating the verb, the stem or stems of it also are learned. It is important that we can make a distinction between the ending of the verb and the stem. Look at the stem.

Some daily used expressions in Greek:

Some exclamations:

Grammar

Adjectives

An adjective is a word that qualifies the noun or the pronoun in a sentence, (usually the noun). They occur in two different ways, viz:

• As an adjectival complement of the noun. In this case it corresponds in gender, form and number to the noun it belongs to.
• As a nominal predicate (also called subject complement). In this case, it is used as a predicate and corresponds to the subject in gender and number.

In the latter case the subject is always in the nominative

The adjectives in Greek are declined and must match in gender, case, singular and plural with the noun or pronoun they belong to.

The accent remains the entire declension on the same syllable, with the exception of a few cases in the genitive plural whereby the accent shifts from the third syllable from the end to the second last syllable.

Adjectives are the basis for the formation of the degrees of comparison and a large number of adverbs.

Some sentences:

Greek	English
01.Τα παλιά δρομάκια της Αθήνας είναι στενά	The old streets of Athens are narrow
02. Η ελληνική γλώσσα είναι δύσκολη.	The greek language is difficult.
03. Ο όμορφος κήπος είναι πίσω από το σπίτι.	The beautiful garden is behind the house.
04. Ο κήπος πίσω από το σπίτι είναι όμορφος.	The garden behind the house is beautiful.
05. Ο καιρός στον Ιανουάριο είναι κρύος.	The weather is January is cold.
06.Είναι παιδί με καλή καρδιά.	He is a child with a good heart.
07. Τα αυγά για πρωινό είναι βραστά.	The eggs for breakfast are boiled.
08. Είναι η τελευταία μας ελπίδα.	It's our last hope.
09. Ο αέρας περνάει από τα ανοιχτά παράθυρα.	The wind comes through the open windows.
10. Ο ουρανός είναι γαλάζιος εδώ το καλοκαίρι.	The sky is blue here in summer.

Explanation about the sentences:

Adverbs

Adverbs can modify adjectives, other adverbs, nouns, numbers and quantities. Adverbs give extra information about concepts as place, time, manner, quantity or number, denial of confirmation, doubt or hesitation, or even about a whole sentence.

Adverbs are indeclinable and also have degrees of comparison just like the adjctives.

There are adverbs:

type	greek	english
of place	απέναντι	opposite
	ανάμεσα	between
	δίπλα	next
	εδώ	here
	εκεί	there
	μακριά	far
of time	αμέσως	immediately
	αργά	late
	αύριο	tomorrow
	κιόλας	already
	νωρίς	early
	σήμερα	today
of manner	αλλιώς	otherwise
	γρήγορα	fast
	έτσι	so, thus
	μαζί	together
of quantity	αρκετά	enough, whole
	λίγο	litle
	πολύ	much
of confirmation	ναι	yes
	μάλιστα	certainly, even
of doubt and hesitation	ίσως	perhaps
	μη(ν)	don't
of denial	δε(ν)	not
	όχι	no

An example of each type of adverb:

Greek	English
1. Το μαγαζί είναι εκεί.	The shop is there.
2. Έλα εδώ αμέσως.	Come here immediately.
3. Μιλούν μαζί.	They speak together.
4. Διαβάζει πολλά βιβλία.	He/she reads many book.
5. Μάλιστα, αυτό είναι θετικό.	Certainly that's definite.
6. Ίσως θα έρθω στις οκτώ	Perhaps I will come at eight.
7. Δεν το παίρνεις.	You don't get it.

Full explanation of the adverbs.

There are adverbs which are derived from four different groups of adjectives. One of those adjectives group is with the endings in «-ος, -η, -ο».

Obtained adverbs ending in «-α» from adjectives ending in «-ος, -η, -ο»

adverb	english	adjective	english
αργά	late, slowly	αργός, -ή, -ό	slow
δυνατά	strongly, loudly	δυνατός, ή, -ό	strong, powerful
χωριστά	apart, separately	χωριστίος, -η, -ο	separate
φτηνά	cheaply	φτηνός, -ή, -ό	cheap, low

A few examples:

Greek	English
1. Ποτέ δεν είναι αργά.	It's never too late.
2. Μιλούν δυνατά.	They speak loudly.
3. Ζούν χωριστά.	They live separately.
4. Αυτό δεν κοστίζεις φτηνά.	That will cost you dearly.

Explanation of the adverbs derived from djectives

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

Greek	English
	meaning	part of speech
διαβάζω	to read, learn	regular verb with active and passive voices
έρχομαι	to come, arrive, get in	irregular passive verb
ζω	to live, dwell	regular verb in the active voice
κοστίζω	to cost	regular verb in the active voice
μιλάω, μιλώ	to speak, talk	regular verb with active and passive voices
περνάω, περνώ	to cross, go through, pierce, thread	regular verb with active and passive voices
παίρνω	to take, take (-away,-in, -up, -on), pick up, get, receive, steal, capture, inherit, derive, etc.	irregular verb with active and passive voices
η αγάπη	the lover	feminine noun
ο αέρας	the wind	masculine noun
η Αθήνα	Athens	feminine noun
το αυγό	the egg	neuter noun
η γλώσσα	the languge, tongue	feminine noun
το δρομάκι	the lane	neuter noun
η ελπίδα	the hope	feminine noun
ο Ιανοθάριος	January	masculine noun
ο καιρός	the weather	masculine noun
το καλοκαιρι	the summer	neuter noun
η καρδιά	the heart	feminine noun
το νησί, η νήσος	the island	feminine noun
ο ουρανός	the heaven, sky	masculine noun
το όνομα	the name	neuter noun
το παιδί	the child	neuter noun
το παράθυρο	the window	neuter noun
το πρωινό	the breakfast	neuter noun
για	for, to, about, about to, unto	preposition
μας	ours	possessive pronoun
αυτό	that, it	indicative pronoun, personal pronoun
απέναντι	opposite, acrross	adverb
πίσω	behind, back, after	adverb
ποτέ	never	adverb
πώς	how	adverb
τόσο	such, so much, so, this	adverb
ανοιχτός, -η, -ο	open, unlocked	adjective
βραστός, -η, -ο	boiled	adjective
γαλάζιος, α, -ο	blue	adjective
ελληνικός, -η, -ο	greek	adjective
κρύος, -α, -ο	cold	adjective
παλιός, -α, -ο	old	adjective
σωστός, -η, -ο	right, correct	adjective
τελευταίος, -α, -ο	last	adjective
θα	(will)	particle of the future tense

The herewith formed sentences are:

Greek	English
1. We have a house far from Athens.	Έχουμε ένα σπίτι μακριά από την Αθήνα.
2. Σήμερα είναι καλός καιρός εδώ.	Today the weather is beautiful here.
3. Παίρνουμε το ποδήλατο στο σχολεί.	We take the bicycle to school.
4. Ζουν δίπλα σε ένα μαγαζί.	They live next to a shop.
5. Δεν μιλάμε μαζί.	They don't speak together.
6. Πώς τα περνάς;	How are you doing?
7. Είμαι αρκετά καλά.	I am quite well.
8. Τα παράθυρα είναι ανοιχτά και ο αέρας περνάει.	The windows are open and the wind comes through.
9. Τώρα μάλιστα!	That's it!
10. Τον Ιανουάριο είναι πολύ κρύο στην Αγγλία.	In January it's very cold in England.
11. Έρχεται γρήγορα.	He/she comes quick.
12. Το βιβλίο δεν κοστίζει τόσο πολύ.	The book does not cost so much.
13. Μην το κάνεις αυτό, δεν είναι σωστό.	Don't do that, it is not right.
14. Ερχόμαστε στις οκτώ.	We come at eight o'clock.
15. Το διαβάζει έτσι κι αλλιώς.	He reads it anyway.
16. Απέναντι από τα σπίτια είναι ο δρόμος.	Opposite the houses is the street.
17. Παίρνει ότι είναι δικό μας.	He/she is taking what's ours.
18. Τώρα ξέρεις τι περνάω.	Now you know what I'm going through.
19. Κοστίζει πολύ αυτό.	That costs a lot.
20. Zει με το φίλο της.	She lives with her friend

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

• In sentence 15 the 3rd person singular of «διαβάζω» is used. It is a regular verb which has the same conjugation as «αγοράζω» (lesson 1).

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

• «έρχομαι» is an irregular passive verb. It is used in sentence 11 in the 3rd person singular and in sentence 14 in the 1st person plural. It is used in a variety of expressions both literally and figuratively

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

• The verb «ζω» is a regular active verb. it is used in sentence 4 in the 3rd operson plural and in sentyence 20 in the 3rd person singular. In the same sentence is «το φίλο της» het difrect object and is declined partly by the use of the prepositiion «με» in the accusative (4the case).

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

• «κοστίζω» has been used twice, in sentence 12 and in sentence 19, both in the 3rd person singular. «κοστίζω» is a regular active verb.

The present tense in the indicative mood of the verb «μιλάω, μιλώ».

• «μιλάω, μιλώ» has been used once, in sentence 5 in the 1st person plural. It is a regular verb with an active and passive voice.

The present tense in the indicative mood of the verb «περνάω, περνώ».

• «περνάω, περνώ» has been used three times, in sentence 6 in the 2nd person singular, in sentence 8 in the 3rd person singular and in sentence 18 in the 1st person singular. It is a regular verb with an active and passive voice.

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

• «παίρνω» has been used two times, in sentence 3 in the 1st person plural and in sentence 17 in the 3rd person singular. It is an irregular verb with an active and passive voice. «παίρνω» is a verb that has many meanings, hence a few examples with the use of it:

Greek	English
με παίρνει να κάνω κάτι	to be able to do something
να πάρει	damn (it)
τον παίρνω	to nod off