Have you ever felt like Greek grammar is a mischievous puzzle, especially when it comes to the sneaky final -ν? Fear not, dear reader, because today we’re going to unravel this mystery with a light-hearted and practical guide. Let’s dive into when and why we write the final -ν, and how much it really matters in everyday conversations.
Always write the final -ν:
a. In the definite article τον – στον (Accusative of the Masculine Article ο).
For example:
τον Δημήτρη
- Γνώρισα τον Δημήτρη στο πανεπιστήμιο. (gnorisa ton Dimitri sto panepistimio) – I met Dimitris at the university.
στον δρόμο
- Είδαμε ένα ατύχημα στον δρόμο. (eedame ena atihima ston dromo) – We saw an accident on the street.
b. In the indefinite article έναν (Accusative of the Masculine Article ένας).
For example:
έναν γιατρό
- Χρειάζομαι έναν γιατρό γιατί νιώθω άρρωστος. (Hriazome enan yiatro yiati niotho arrostos) – I need a doctor because I feel sick.
| We write the final -ν in the masculine article, whether definite or indefinite, to avoid confusion with the neuter definite and indefinite article. |
c. In the pronoun αυτόν – τον (Accusative of the Personal Pronoun αυτός).
For example:
αυτόν είδα
- Αυτόν είδα στην καφετέρια σήμερα το πρωί. (afton eeda stin kafeteria simera to proi) – This is the one I saw at the café this morning.
τον βοήθησα
- Τον βοήθησα να φτιάξει τον υπολογιστή του. (ton voithisa na ftiaxee ton ipoloyisti tu) – I helped him fix his computer.
d. In the Article των and the Particle σαν.
των λουλουδιών
- Το άρωμα των λουλουδιών ήταν εκπληκτικό. (to aroma ton luludion itan ekpliktiko) – The scent of the flowers was amazing.
σαν σκιά
- Κινήθηκε σιωπηλά σαν σκιά μέσα στη νύχτα. (kinithike siopila san skia mesa sti nihta) – He moved silently like a shadow in the night.
Sometimes Write the Final -ν:
There are certain words in which the final -ν sometimes remains and sometimes is omitted. These are:
a. In the article τη(ν) – στη(ν) (Accusative of the Feminine Article η).
b. In the pronoun αυτή(ν) – τη(ν) (Accusative of the Personal Pronoun αυτή).
c. In the particles δε(ν) and μη(ν).
These words retain the final -ν when the following word begins with:
a. A vowel.
For example:
την Ελένη την ακούω
- Την Ελένη την ακούω να τραγουδάει κάθε πρωί στο δωμάτιό της. (tin Eleni tin akuo na tragudaee kathe proi sto domatio tis) – I hear Eleni singing every morning in her room.
αυτήν έχω
- Μόνο αυτήν έχω. (mono aftin eho) – I have only this one
στην αυλή
- Έβαλε ένα μικρό τραπέζι στην αυλή για να πιουν τον καφέ τους. (evale ena mikro trapezi stin avli ya na piun ton kafe tus) – He put a small table in the yard, for them to have their coffee.
δεν αγαπά
- Δεν αγαπά τα βιβλία όπως εγώ. (den agapa ta vivlia opos ego) – He doesn’t love books like I do.
μην ακούς
- Μην ακούς τις κακές συμβουλές του. (min akus tis kakes simvules tu) – Don’t listen to his bad advice.
b. The following consonants: κ, π, τ, ψ, ξ, and digraphs γκ, μπ, ντ, τσ, τζ.
For example:
την κουζίνα
- Την κουζίνα την καθαρίζω κάθε απόγευμα. (tin kuzina tin katharizo kathe apoyevma) – I clean the kitchen every afternoon.
στην τζαμαρία
- Το πουλί κάθεται στην τζαμαρία του παραθύρου και τραγουδάει. (to puli kathete stin tzamaria tu parathiru ke tragudaee) – The bird sits on the glass pane of the window and sings.
δεν κοιμάμαι
- Δεν κοιμάμαι καλά, τελευταία. (den kimame kala teleftea) – I’m not sleeping well lately.
μην τρέχεις
- Μην τρέχεις τόσο γρήγορα. (min trehis toso grigora) – Don’t run so fast.
Therefore, these words lose the final -ν when the following word begins with one of the remaining consonants: β, δ, γ, φ, θ, χ, μ, ν, λ, ρ, σ, ζ. For example: τη δασκάλα (ti daskala – the teacher), τη θυμήθηκα (ti thymithika – I remembered her), δε θέλω (de thelo – I don’t want).
A Handy Trick to Remember
Keep always in mind the phrase ΚάΠοΤε έΨαΞα (kapote epsaxa) – I once searched, if you want to remember the consonants,
and the phrase Κάποτε έψαξα από ανάγκη το μπουγατσατζίδικο του Νώντα (kapote epsaxa apo anagki to bugatsatzidiko tu Nonta) – Once I searched out of necessity for Nonda’s pastry shop, if you want to remember both consonants and digraphs.
Final Note
If you still can’t remember and find yourself wondering like Hamlet whether to put or not to put the final -ν, I’ll let you in on a secret: It’s not a big deal! There are more important Greek grammatical rules to remember. And if you’re not sure, it’s better to add it than omit it. And when it comes to spoken language sometimes we pronounce it and sometimes we don’t, depending on the emphasis of the context or even the speed of speech. So, in conversations, you don’t need to worry about that at all!
Just relax, and enjoy speaking Greek!
