Archive for 'Grammar'
Feminine nouns ending in – ος Posted by Ourania on May 13, 2014
Summer is on its way and my mind is travelling to the Greek islands. Before taking the ferry though, let’s do some grammar. Some of the islands names end in –ος: Μύκονος (Mykonos), Ρόδος (Rodos, Rhodes), Ζάκυνθος (Zakynthos) etc. The nouns ending in –ος give Greek learners a hard time. When they find in…
Use of the conjunction “na” Posted by Ourania on Apr 21, 2014
The right use of the conjunctions ότι, πως, να (oti, pos, na) which mean “that” and “to”) is not always clear and Greek learners often misuse them (ελπίζω που instead of ελπίζω να etc.). Verbs that express desire, wish, necessity, exhortation, possibility and prohibition are followed by the conjunction να (na, to) and a verb in…
Let’s talk about the Past! Greek Irregular verbs you must know Posted by Ourania on Mar 19, 2014
Αόριστος (Aoristos, Past Simple) is one of the most challenging tenses beginners have to deal with. For information on the Aoristos conjugation check this entry https://blogs.transparent.com/greek/tenses-simple-past/ Below there’s a list of some common verbs which have an irregular form and a dialogue in order to put these verbs in context. Ενεστώτας (Enestotas) Present Transliteration Definition…
Passive Voice in Modern Greek (Indicative Mood) Posted by Ourania on Dec 9, 2013
The Passive Voice is not as commonly used in Greek as it is in other languages. It is used when it is important to emphasize on the action done, or when it is unknown who or what is doing the action. Ο λογαριασμός πληρώνεται από τον ιδιοκτήτη. O logariasmos plironetai apo ton idioktiti. The bill…
Possessive Pronouns in Modern Greek Posted by Ourania on Nov 18, 2013
The possessive pronouns have the same form as the weak forms of the personal pronouns in the genitive case (γενική, geniki). They are used to express possession. Ενικός (enikos, singular) Πληθυντικός (plithintikos, plural) μου mou my μας mas our σου sou your σας sas your του tou his τους tous their (masc.) της tis her…
Test Your Greek Grammar Knowledge: Subjunctive Mood Quiz Posted by Ourania on Oct 29, 2013
This is a grammar quiz about the Subjunctive mood. It’s suitable to A2-B1 students. Select which of the two statements (A or B) is the correct statement for the situation described. You may find the answer key at the end of the quiz. If you need further explanation, feel free to leave a comment or…
The Subjunctive Mood in Modern Greek Posted by Ourania on Oct 1, 2013
One of the most challenging Grammar topics, even for C Level students, is the Subjunctive Mood (Υποτακτική, Ipotaktiki) . The Subjunctive Mood is used basically to express wish, hope, expectation, intentions, and also to make suggestions and negative commands. It is formed by placing before the verb one of the following particles and conjunctions: ας…