accent – a sign (โ) 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). Itโs like a beat you can hear when you say the word. For example, the word โappleโ has two syllables: โapโ and โple.โ
pronoun – a word that takes the place of a noun. Instead of saying a personโs name repeatedly, we use pronouns like he, she, it, they, or I to make sentences easier. For example, instead of saying โMaria is going to the store,โ we can say โSHE is going to the store.โ
Now that youโve already learned a lot, letโs get to the good part!
Accent in Modern Greek
In modern Greek, the accent isnโt just a little markโitโs also the key to knowing what a word means!
Take the words ฯฯฮปฮท (city) and ฯฮฟฮปฯ (very), for example. They look almost the same, but the accent decides the meaning.
- Stress ฯฯฮปฮท on the first syllable, and youโre talking about a place like Athens.
- Stress ฯฮฟฮปฯ on the second syllable, and youโre saying โvery.โ
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, itโs 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 whoโs doing what without repeating names all the time.
Letโs break them down and see how they workโno boring grammar rules, just plain and simple explanations.
What Are Personal Pronouns?
| Person | Greek |
|---|---|
| 1st Singular (I) | ฮตฮณฯ (egรณ) |
| 2nd Singular (You) | ฮตฯฯ (esรญ) |
| 3rd Singular (He) | ฮฑฯ ฯฯฯ (aftรณs) |
| 3rd Singular (She) | ฮฑฯ ฯฮฎ (aftรญ) |
| 3rd Singular (It) | ฮฑฯ ฯฯ (aftรณ) |
| 1st Plural (We) | ฮตฮผฮตฮฏฯ (emรญs) |
| 2nd Plural (You) | ฮตฯฮตฮฏฯ (esรญs) |
| 3rd Plural (They, Masculine) | ฮฑฯ ฯฮฟฮฏ (aftรญ) |
| 3rd Plural (They, Feminine) | ฮฑฯ ฯฮญฯ (aftรฉs) |
| 3rd Plural (They, Neuter) | ฮฑฯ ฯฮฌ (aftรก) |
Pronouns in Everyday Greek
Hereโs 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.
- Aฯ ฯฯฯ is for males (he).
- Aฯ ฯฮฎ is for females (she).
- Aฯ ฯฯ is neutral (it).
In plural:
- Aฯ ฯฮฟฮฏ refers to groups of men or mixed groups.
- Aฯ ฯฮญฯ is for women only.
- Aฯ ฯฮฌ is neutral, often used for objects.
Letโs 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 (ฮตฯฯ, ฮตฯฮตฮฏฯ).
ฮฯฯ is used for singular and ฮตฯฮตฮฏฯ is used for plural (more people) or even singular if we are addressing a person that we donโt know, or that we respect very much, or is older than us.
Why Itโs 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 casualโlike youโre already fluent!
Keep it light, keep it fun, but learn them very well!