{"id":2104,"date":"2016-01-27T15:20:08","date_gmt":"2016-01-27T15:20:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/greek\/?p=2104"},"modified":"2016-01-27T15:20:08","modified_gmt":"2016-01-27T15:20:08","slug":"use-of-the-greek-articles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/greek\/use-of-the-greek-articles\/","title":{"rendered":"Use of the Greek articles"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

By Refracted Moments\u2122 under a CC license on Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n

One of the challenges beginners and intermediate students face is the right use of the definite and the indefinite articles. When it comes to articles, Greek is very particular. For example, the definite article is always used with people names, in the nominative, genitive and accusative cases: \u03bf \u03a0\u03ad\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2. \/ \u03a4\u03bf \u03b2\u03b9\u03b2\u03bb\u03af\u03bf \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5 \u03a0\u03ad\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03c5. \/ \u039c\u03b9\u03bb\u03ac\u03c9 \u03bc\u03b5 \u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u03a0\u03ad\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf.<\/p>\n

In this post there are no rules about the use of the articles, there are just some examples of how their presence or their omission change the meaning of the sentence.<\/p>\n

1a<\/strong> \u00a0\u0394\u03b5\u03bd \u03c4\u03c1\u03ce\u03c9 \u03c4\u03c5\u03c1\u03af. I don\u2019t eat cheese<\/em>.<\/p>\n

1b<\/strong> \u00a0\u0394\u03b5\u03bd \u03c4\u03c1\u03ce\u03c9 \u03c4\u03bf \u03c4\u03c5\u03c1\u03af. I don\u2019t eat the cheese<\/em>: in this case, your interlocutor expects you to tell them more about the cheese. Example: \u0394\u03b5\u03bd \u03c4\u03c1\u03ce\u03c9 \u03c4\u03bf \u03c4\u03c5\u03c1\u03af \u03c0\u03bf\u03c5 \u03b5\u03af\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c3\u03c4\u03bf \u03c8\u03c5\u03b3\u03b5\u03af\u03bf. I am not eating the cheese that was in the fridge.<\/em><\/p>\n

2a<\/strong> \u0398\u03ad\u03bb\u03c9 \u03ba\u03b1\u03c6\u03ad. I want coffee<\/em>.<\/p>\n

2b<\/strong> \u0398\u03ad\u03bb\u03c9 \u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u03c6\u03ad. I want the coffee<\/em>. The presence of the article \u03c4\u03bf\u03bd<\/strong> makes the noun specific. Example: \u0398\u03ad\u03bb\u03c9 \u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u03c6\u03ad \u03c0\u03bf\u03c5 \u03b5\u03af\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c0\u03ac\u03bd\u03c9 \u03c3\u03c4\u03bf \u03c4\u03c1\u03b1\u03c0\u03ad\u03b6\u03b9. I want the coffee that is on the table<\/em>.<\/p>\n

3a<\/strong> \u0392\u03bb\u03ad\u03c0\u03c9 \u03c4\u03b7\u03bb\u03b5\u03cc\u03c1\u03b1\u03c3\u03b7. I am watching television<\/em>.<\/p>\n

3b<\/strong> \u0392\u03bb\u03ad\u03c0\u03c9 \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03c4\u03b7\u03bb\u03b5\u03cc\u03c1\u03b1\u03c3\u03b7. I am seeing (looking at ) the television<\/em>.<\/p>\n

4a<\/strong> \u03a0\u03b1\u03af\u03b6\u03c9 \u03ba\u03b9\u03b8\u03ac\u03c1\u03b1. I play guitar<\/em>.<\/p>\n

4b<\/strong> \u03a0\u03b1\u03af\u03b6\u03c9 \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03ba\u03b9\u03b8\u03ac\u03c1\u03b1. In this phrase, the noun \u03ba\u03b9\u03b8\u03ac\u03c1\u03b1 is specific. \u03a0\u03b1\u03af\u03b6\u03c9 \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03ba\u03b9\u03b8\u03ac\u03c1\u03b1 \u03c0\u03bf\u03c5 \u03bc\u03bf\u03c5 \u03ad\u03ba\u03b1\u03bd\u03b5\u03c2<\/span> \u03b4\u03ce\u03c1\u03bf<\/span>. I am playing the guitar that you gave me as a present<\/em>.<\/p>\n

5a<\/strong> \u039f \u03a0\u03ad\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2 \u03b5\u03af\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u03b3\u03b9\u03b1\u03c4\u03c1\u03cc\u03c2. Petros is a doctor<\/em>. In the Greek sentence, the indefinite article has been omitted. When we state someone\u2019s profession, the article is always omitted. Example: H \u0388\u03bb\u03bb\u03b7 \u03b5\u03af\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u03bc\u03af\u03b1<\/span> <\/span>\u03c3\u03b5\u03c1\u03b2\u03b9\u03c4\u03cc\u03c1\u03b1. Ellie is a waitress<\/em>. \/ \u0397 \u039c\u03b1\u03c1\u03b9\u03ac\u03bd\u03b1 \u03b5\u03af\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u03bc\u03af\u03b1<\/span> \u03b4\u03b9\u03ba\u03b7\u03b3\u03cc\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2. Mariana is a lawyer<\/em>.<\/p>\n

5b<\/strong> \u039f \u03a0\u03ad\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2 \u03b5\u03af\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u03ad\u03bd\u03b1\u03c2 \u03b3\u03b9\u03b1\u03c4\u03c1\u03cc\u03c2. This sentence is incomplete and more information is needed. Example: \u039f \u03a0\u03ad\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2 \u03b5\u03af\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u03ad\u03bd\u03b1\u03c2 \u03b3\u03b9\u03b1\u03c4\u03c1\u03cc\u03c2 \u03c0\u03bf\u03c5 \u03be\u03ad\u03c1\u03b5\u03b9 \u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03ac \u03c4\u03b7 \u03b4\u03bf\u03c5\u03bb\u03b5\u03b9\u03ac \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5<\/span>. Petros is a doctor who knows well his job.<\/em><\/p>\n

6a<\/strong> \u03a0\u03ae\u03b3\u03b1\u03bc\u03b5 \u03c3\u03c4\u03bf \u03bd\u03b7\u03c3\u03af \u03bc\u03b5 \u03b1\u03b5\u03c1\u03bf\u03c0\u03bb\u03ac\u03bd\u03bf \/ \u03bc\u03b5 \u03c4\u03bf \u03b1\u03b5\u03c1\u03bf\u03c0\u03bb\u03ac\u03bd\u03bf. We went to the island by plane (lit.).<\/em><\/p>\n

6b<\/strong> \u03a0\u03ae\u03b3\u03b1\u03bc\u03b5 \u03c3\u03c4\u03bf \u03bd\u03b7\u03c3\u03af \u03bc\u03b5 \u03ad\u03bd\u03b1 \u03b1\u03b5\u03c1\u03bf\u03c0\u03bb\u03ac\u03bd\u03bf. We went to the island by a plane<\/em>. As in 5b<\/strong>, this sentence in incomplete. Example: \u03a0\u03ae\u03b3\u03b1\u03bc\u03b5 \u03c3\u03c4\u03bf \u03bd\u03b7\u03c3\u03af \u03bc\u03b5 \u03ad\u03bd\u03b1 \u03b1\u03b5\u03c1\u03bf\u03c0\u03bb\u03ac\u03bd\u03bf \u03c0\u03bf\u03c5 \u03ae\u03c4\u03b1\u03bd \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03cd \u03c0\u03b1\u03bb\u03b9\u03cc. We went to the island with a plane that was very old (lit).<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If you feel that you need to practice, you can do the following exercise. Fill in the blanks with the right article or with X if no article is needed.<\/p>\n

\"By<\/a>

By olgaberrios under a CC license on Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n

\u0386\u03c3\u03ba\u03b7\u03c3\u03b7<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u039f \u039a\u03ce\u03c3\u03c4\u03b1\u03c2 \u03c3\u03c0\u03bf\u03c5\u03b4\u03ac\u03b6\u03b5\u03b9 _____ \u03b3\u03b9\u03b1\u03c4\u03c1\u03cc\u03c2.<\/p>\n

\u0398\u03ad\u03bb\u03c9 \u00a0_____ \u03c0\u03bf\u03c4\u03ae\u03c1\u03b9 \u03bd\u03b5\u03c1\u03cc, \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03ce.<\/p>\n

\u0398\u03ad\u03bb\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2 \u03bd\u03b1 \u03c0\u03b1\u03af\u03be\u03bf\u03c5\u03bc\u03b5 \u00a0_____ \u03c4\u03ad\u03bd\u03b9\u03c2;<\/p>\n

\u03a4\u03bf \u03c0\u03c1\u03c9\u03af \u03bc\u03af\u03bb\u03b7\u03c3\u03b1 \u03bc\u03b5 \u00a0_____ \u03ba\u03c5\u03c1\u03af\u03b1 \u0391\u03bb\u03af\u03ba\u03b7.<\/p>\n

\u039f \u03a0\u03b1\u03cd\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9 \u03b7 \u0391\u03bb\u03af\u03ba\u03b7 \u03b5\u03af\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c7\u03bf\u03c1\u03c4\u03bf\u03c6\u03ac\u03b3\u03bf\u03b9. \u0394\u03b5\u03bd \u03c4\u03c1\u03ce\u03bd\u03b5 \u03c0\u03bf\u03c4\u03ad \u00a0_____ \u03ba\u03c1\u03ad\u03b1\u03c2.<\/p>\n

\u0393\u03b9\u03b1\u03c4\u03af \u03b4\u03b5\u03bd \u03ad\u03c6\u03b1\u03b3\u03b5\u03c2 \u00a0_____ \u03ba\u03c1\u03ad\u03b1\u03c2 \u03c0\u03bf\u03c5 \u03bc\u03b1\u03b3\u03b5\u03af\u03c1\u03b5\u03c8\u03b1;<\/p>\n

\u039f \u0391\u03bd\u03c4\u03c1\u03ad\u03b1\u03c2 \u03b5\u03af\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u00a0_____ \u03bc\u03bf\u03c5\u03c3\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03c2. \u03a0\u03b1\u03af\u03b6\u03b5\u03b9 \u00a0_____ \u03c0\u03b9\u03ac\u03bd\u03bf.<\/p>\n

Check your answers here:\u00a0articles_answer key<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

One of the challenges beginners and intermediate students face is the right use of the definite and the indefinite articles. When it comes to articles, Greek is very particular. For example, the definite article is always used with people names, in the nominative, genitive and accusative cases: \u03bf \u03a0\u03ad\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2. \/ \u03a4\u03bf \u03b2\u03b9\u03b2\u03bb\u03af\u03bf \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5 \u03a0\u03ad\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03c5. \/…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":102,"featured_media":2108,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[6,293023],"tags":[293030,292972,363556,292996],"class_list":["post-2104","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-grammar","category-quizzes","tag-exercises-for-intermediate-students-in-greek","tag-greek-grammar","tag-intermediate-students","tag-use-of-greek"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t