Greek is an exciting and rich language with a structure similar to English, but it also comes with some unique features, especially in terms of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary.
Understanding these key differences will help you construct basic sentences and phrases.
Let’s walk through the most important elements of Greek phrase construction in a simple and clear way!
1. Basic Word Order in Greek: Subject-Verb-Object (SVO)
Greek generally follows the Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) structure, similar to English. However, due to the use of cases (nominative, accusative, etc.), the word order can be flexible without losing meaning.
Example:
English: The dog sees the cat.
Greek: Ο σκύλος βλέπει την γάτα. (O skEelos vlépEe tin gáta)
Here, the structure is:
- Ο σκύλος = “the dog” (subject, nominative)
- βλέπει = “sees” (verb)
- την γάτα = “the cat” (object, accusative)
You can also change the word order, and the meaning remains the same due to the case markers:
- Greek (Word Order Changed): Την γάτα βλέπει ο σκύλος. (Tin gáta vlépee o skEelos)
2. Articles and Nouns
Greek uses definite and indefinite articles, which must match the gender (masculine, feminine, neuter), number (singular or plural), and case of the nouns they modify.
Examples:
- English: The house Greek: Το σπίτι (To spíti)
- English: A big house Greek: Ένα μεγάλο σπίτι (Éna megálo spíti)
3. Adjectives: Agreement with Nouns
Adjectives in Greek must agree with the nouns they describe in gender, number, and case. They typically appear before the noun but can also come after for emphasis.
Example:
- English: The big dog sees the small cat.
- Greek: Ο μεγάλος σκύλος βλέπει τη μικρή γάτα. (O megálos skEelos vlépEe ti mikrí gáta)
In this sentence:
- Ο μεγάλος = “the big” (masculine, nominative)
- την μικρή = “the small” (feminine, accusative)
You can rearrange the sentence while keeping the meaning intact, thanks to the cases and adjective-noun agreement:
- Greek (Word Order Changed): Την μικρή γάτα βλέπει ο μεγάλος σκύλος. (Ti mikrí gáta vlépEe o megálos skEelos)
Other possible word orders include:
- Verb-Subject-Object: Βλέπει ο μεγάλος σκύλος τη μικρή γάτα.
- Object-Subject-Verb: Τη μικρή γάτα ο μεγάλος σκύλος βλέπει.
- Adjective After Noun (for emphasis): Ο σκύλος ο μεγάλος βλέπει τη γάτα τη μικρή.
4. Verbs: Conjugation Based on Person and Tense
Verbs in Greek are conjugated based on tense (present, past, future), person (1st, 2nd, 3rd), and number (singular or plural). Here are examples for the verb τρώω (to eat):
- Present: I eat = τρώω (tróo)
- Future: I will eat = θα φάω (tha fáo)
- Past: I ate = έφαγα (éfaga)
Example Sentence:
- English: I eat an apple.
- Greek: Εγώ τρώω ένα μήλο. (Tróο éna mílo.)
5. Prepositions and Cases
Greek uses prepositions in combination with nouns. The noun that follows the preposition is often in the accusative case.
Common Prepositions:
- In: μέσα σε (mesa se)
- On: πάνω σε (páno se)
- With: με (me)
- For: για (yia)
Example:
- English: I live in a big city.
- Greek: Ζω σε μια μεγάλη πόλη. (Zo se mia megáli póli.)
6. Forming Questions: Intonation and Question Words
Questions in Greek can be formed by raising your intonation at the end of a sentence or by using question words, just like in English.
Common Question Words:
- What?: Τι; (Ti?)
- Who?: Ποιος/Ποια/Ποιο; (Pios/Pia/Pio?)
- Where?: Πού; (Pú?)
- How?: Πώς; (Pós?)
- Why?: Γιατί; (Yiati?)
Example:
- English: Where are you going?
- Greek: Πού πηγαίνεις; (Pú piyénis?)
7. Negation: How to Say “No” or “Not”
In Greek, to negate a verb, simply place δεν (then) before the verb.
Example:
- English: I don’t know.
- Greek: Δεν ξέρω. (Then kséro.)
Quick Recap:
1. Basic Structure: Greek typically follows SVO order but can be more flexible with word order because cases (nominative for subjects, accusative for objects) tell us the grammatical role of each noun.
2. Articles & Nouns: Always match the gender, number, and case of nouns with their articles.
3. Adjectives: Must agree with nouns in gender, number, and case.
4. Verbs: Conjugate verbs based on tense, person, and number.
5. Prepositions: Use with nouns in the accusative case.
6. Questions: Use intonation or question words.
7. Negation: Place δεν before the verb to negate it.
Conclusion: Building Greek Phrases
Learning to construct phrases in Greek becomes easier once you grasp key rules like gender agreement, cases, and flexible word order.
With practice, you’ll be able to form clear and natural sentences, use adjectives correctly, and ask questions with ease. Keep practicing, and you’ll soon be speaking Greek confidently!
