accent – a sign (‘) in a word that tells us where we stress one part of a word more than the others. It helps us pronounce words correctly.
syllable – a part of a word with a vowel sound (a,e, i, o, i). It’s like a beat you can hear when you say the word. For example, the word “apple” has two syllables: “ap” and “ple.”
pronoun – a word that takes the place of a noun. Instead of saying a person’s name repeatedly, we use pronouns like he, she, it, they, or I to make sentences easier. For example, instead of saying “Maria is going to the store,” we can say “SHE is going to the store.”
Now that you’ve already learned a lot, let’s get to the good part!
Accent in Modern Greek
In modern Greek, the accent isn’t just a little mark—it’s also the key to knowing what a word means!
Take the words πόλη (city) and πολύ (very), for example. They look almost the same, but the accent decides the meaning.
- Stress πόλη on the first syllable, and you’re talking about a place like Athens.
- Stress πολύ on the second syllable, and you’re saying “very.”
In Modern Greek the accent can be on one of the last three syllables, giving each word its unique rhythm.
Once you learn the rules, it’s like solving a puzzle every time you read or speak in Greek!
Start with reading some Greek words out loud and emphasizing (saying longer or louder) the letter where you see the accent.
Personal Pronouns in Modern Greek: Simple and Fun
Personal pronouns in Modern Greek are small but mighty words. They help you say who’s doing what without repeating names all the time.
Let’s break them down and see how they work—no boring grammar rules, just plain and simple explanations.
What Are Personal Pronouns?
| Person | Greek |
|---|---|
| 1st Singular (I) | εγώ (egó) |
| 2nd Singular (You) | εσύ (esí) |
| 3rd Singular (He) | αυτός (aftós) |
| 3rd Singular (She) | αυτή (aftí) |
| 3rd Singular (It) | αυτό (aftó) |
| 1st Plural (We) | εμείς (emís) |
| 2nd Plural (You) | εσείς (esís) |
| 3rd Plural (They, Masculine) | αυτοί (aftí) |
| 3rd Plural (They, Feminine) | αυτές (aftés) |
| 3rd Plural (They, Neuter) | αυτά (aftá) |
Pronouns in Everyday Greek
Here’s the fun part: In Greek, the verb endings already show WHO is doing the action, so pronouns are often skipped unless you want to emphasize something.
Gender Matters
Greek pronouns show gender.
- Aυτός is for males (he).
- Aυτή is for females (she).
- Aυτό is neutral (it).
In plural:
- Aυτοί refers to groups of men or mixed groups.
- Aυτές is for women only.
- Aυτά is neutral, often used for objects.
Let’s Compare: English vs. Greek
- Unlike in English, Greek personal pronouns are not obligatory with verbs (because the verb will show the subject).
- In Modern Greek, there are different pronouns for 3 genders in both singular (he, she, it) and plural (they!)
- In Englis,h there is only one pronoun to show the second person no matter if it is singular or plural (you). However, in Greek, they are two different words (εσύ, εσείς).
Εσύ is used for singular and εσείς is used for plural (more people) or even singular if we are addressing a person that we don’t know, or that we respect very much, or is older than us.
Why It’s Worth Learning
Understanding personal pronouns is one of the first steps to sounding natural in Greek. Plus, you can drop them most of the time, so it feels more casual—like you’re already fluent!
Keep it light, keep it fun, but learn them very well!