Greek Lesson No 5 The Article

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Panos Sunday 07th of August 2005 07:09:51 PM
Lesson no 5 - There are two kinds of articles in Greek : the definite and the indefinite (just like in most European languages).
The article is inflected for number, gender and case. In Modern Greek there are [b]two numbers[/b]

Ενικός - enikos - singular
ΠΛηθυντικός - plithindikos - plural

[b]three genders[/b]

Αρσενικό - arseniko - male
Θηλυκό - thiliko - female
Ουδέτερο - udhetero - neutral

and [b]four cases[/b]

Ονομαστική - onomastiki - nominative
Γενική - gheniki - genitive
Αιτιατική - etiatiki - accusative
Κλητική - klitiki - vocative

The article agrees in number, gender and case with the noun it refers to, which it precedes. Vocative takes no article.

Declension of the definite article

Singular
[b]Masculine Feminine Neuter[/b]
Nominative [b]ο η το[/b]
Genitive [b]του της του[/b]
Accusative [b]τον την το[/b]

Plural
Nominative [b]οι οι τα[/b]
Genitive [b]των των των[/b]
Accusative [b]τους τις τα[/b]

The definite article is used much more often in Greek than in other languages. The most important of its special uses are

--- before nouns used in an abstract or general sense (e.g.,η αγάπη = love).
--- before proper names (e.g.,ο Άγγελος = Angelos) or names of places, avenues, streets, squares and geographical divisions (e.g.,η Αθήνα = Athens) as well as days of the week, months and every noun that is capitalized.
--- before titles or names of professions followed by a person's name (e.g.,ο κύριος Κανλής = Mr. Kanlis)
The definite article is not stressed (accentuated).

The indefinite article is the same as the numeral "one" in Greek, but translated as "a" in English.

Declension of the indefinite article

Singular
[b]Masculine Feminine Alt.Feminine Neuter[/b]
Nominative [b]ένας μία μια ένα[/b]
Genitive [b]ενός μίας μιας ενός[/b]
Accusative [b]ένα(ν) μία μια ένα[/b]

The final of the accusative form is used before a vowel and consonants Π, Τ and Κ. In the latter case it is assimilated with the following consonant and is pronounced *mb*, *nd* and *ng* respectively.

The indefinite article is not used in Greek as often as in English. It is ommitted

-- before predicate nouns modified or unmodified by adjectives
είμαι φοιτητής= I am a student
είναι καλός άνθρωπος= He is a good man
-- very often before nouns which function as the object of a verb
πήρα γράμμα = I got a letter
-- in exclamations, with nouns preceded by
τι νύχτα != What a night!
-- before a noun preceded by σάν (like)
Σαν πουλί = like a bird

phoenix9861 Monday 08th of August 2005 02:00:18 AM
- man u make this look easier than most websites.

Phrasebase Archive
	Panos	Sunday 07th of August 2005 07:09:51 PM
	Lesson no 5 - There are two kinds of articles in Greek : the definite and the indefinite (just like in most European languages). The article is inflected for number, gender and case. In Modern Greek there are [b]two numbers[/b] Ενικός - enikos - singular ΠΛηθυντικός - plithindikos - plural [b]three genders[/b] Αρσενικό - arseniko - male Θηλυκό - thiliko - female Ουδέτερο - udhetero - neutral and [b]four cases[/b] Ονομαστική - onomastiki - nominative Γενική - gheniki - genitive Αιτιατική - etiatiki - accusative Κλητική - klitiki - vocative The article agrees in number, gender and case with the noun it refers to, which it precedes. Vocative takes no article. Declension of the definite article Singular [b]Masculine Feminine Neuter[/b] Nominative [b]ο η το[/b] Genitive [b]του της του[/b] Accusative [b]τον την το[/b] Plural Nominative [b]οι οι τα[/b] Genitive [b]των των των[/b] Accusative [b]τους τις τα[/b] The definite article is used much more often in Greek than in other languages. The most important of its special uses are --- before nouns used in an abstract or general sense (e.g.,η αγάπη = love). --- before proper names (e.g.,ο Άγγελος = Angelos) or names of places, avenues, streets, squares and geographical divisions (e.g.,η Αθήνα = Athens) as well as days of the week, months and every noun that is capitalized. --- before titles or names of professions followed by a person's name (e.g.,ο κύριος Κανλής = Mr. Kanlis) The definite article is not stressed (accentuated). The indefinite article is the same as the numeral "one" in Greek, but translated as "a" in English. Declension of the indefinite article Singular [b]Masculine Feminine Alt.Feminine Neuter[/b] Nominative [b]ένας μία μια ένα[/b] Genitive [b]ενός μίας μιας ενός[/b] Accusative [b]ένα(ν) μία μια ένα[/b] The final of the accusative form is used before a vowel and consonants Π, Τ and Κ. In the latter case it is assimilated with the following consonant and is pronounced mb, nd and ng respectively. The indefinite article is not used in Greek as often as in English. It is ommitted -- before predicate nouns modified or unmodified by adjectives είμαι φοιτητής= I am a student είναι καλός άνθρωπος= He is a good man -- very often before nouns which function as the object of a verb πήρα γράμμα = I got a letter -- in exclamations, with nouns preceded by τι νύχτα != What a night! -- before a noun preceded by σάν (like) Σαν πουλί = like a bird
	phoenix9861	Monday 08th of August 2005 02:00:18 AM
	- man u make this look easier than most websites.