Articles are essential in Greek grammar because they indicate the gender and number of a noun. In this lesson, you will learn about definite and indefinite articles and how to use them correctly in sentences.

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1. The Definite Article (“The”) in Greek

The definite article in Greek changes depending on the gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) and number (singular, plural) of the noun.

Gender	Singular	Plural
Masculine	ο (o)	οι (i)
Feminine	η (i)	οι (i)
Neuter	το (to)	τα (ta)

Examples:

• Ο άντρας (O ándras) – The man (masculine, singular)
• Η γυναίκα (I yinéka) – The woman (feminine, singular)
• Το παιδί (To paidí) – The child (neuter, singular)
• Οι άντρες (I ándres) – The men (masculine, plural)
• Οι γυναίκες (I yinékes) – The women (feminine, plural)
• Τα παιδιά (Ta pediá) – The children (neuter, plural)

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2. The Indefinite Article (“A/An”) in Greek

Unlike English, Greek does not have plural indefinite articles (equivalent to “some” in English). Instead, Greek only has singular indefinite articles:

Gender	Singular
Masculine	ένας (énas)
Feminine	μία/μια (mía/mia)
Neuter	ένα (éna)

Examples:

• Ένας άντρας (Énas ándras) – A man (masculine, singular)
• Μία γυναίκα (Mía yinéka) – A woman (feminine, singular, formal)
• Μια γυναίκα (Mia yinéka) – A woman (feminine, singular, informal)
• Ένα παιδί (Éna paidí) – A child (neuter, singular)

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3. How to Use Articles in Sentences

Definite Articles in Sentences

• Ο σκύλος είναι μεγάλος.
  (O skílos íne megálos.) – The dog is big.

• Η πόρτα είναι ανοιχτή.
  (I pórta íne anichtí.) – The door is open.

• Το βιβλίο είναι ενδιαφέρον.
  (To vivlío íne endiaféron.) – The book is interesting.

Indefinite Articles in Sentences

• Ένας φίλος με επισκέφτηκε.
  (Énas fílos me episkéftike.) – A friend visited me.

• Μια καρέκλα είναι σπασμένη.
  (Mia karékla íne spasméni.) – A chair is broken.

• Ένα σπίτι στην εξοχή είναι ήσυχο.
  (Éna spíti stin exochí íne ísycho.) – A house in the countryside is quiet.

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4. Key Differences Between Definite and Indefinite Articles

English Sentence	Definite Article (Greek)	Indefinite Article (Greek)
The boy is playing.	Το αγόρι παίζει. (To agóri pézi.)	A boy is playing. → Ένα αγόρι παίζει. (Éna agóri pézi.)
The girl is singing.	Η κοπέλα τραγουδάει. (I kopéla tragoudái.)	A girl is singing. → Μια κοπέλα τραγουδάει. (Mia kopéla tragoudái.)
The table is big.	Το τραπέζι είναι μεγάλο. (To trapézi íne megálo.)	A table is big. → Ένα τραπέζι είναι μεγάλο. (Éna trapézi íne megálo.)

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5. Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with the correct definite or indefinite article:

1. ___ παιδί διαβάζει ένα βιβλίο. (The child is reading a book.)
2. ___ γυναίκα πίνει καφέ. (A woman is drinking coffee.)
3. ___ τραπέζι είναι στρογγυλό. (The table is round.)
4. ___ άντρας έχει ένα αυτοκίνητο. (A man has a car.)
5. ___ σκύλος τρέχει στον δρόμο. (The dog is running on the street.)

Exercise 2: Translate to Greek

Translate the following sentences into Greek using the correct articles:

1. The man is tall.
2. A cat is sleeping.
3. The house has a big garden.
4. A teacher is talking.
5. The books are on the table.

Exercise 3: Correct the Mistakes

Identify and correct the mistakes in the following sentences:

1. Το σκύλος είναι καφέ. (Incorrect)
2. Μία αγόρι παίζει. (Incorrect)
3. Ένας γυναίκα μαγειρεύει. (Incorrect)

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6. Common Mistakes and Tips

1. Confusing the Definite and Indefinite Articles

   • Remember: ο, η, το = “The”
   • ένας, μία/μια, ένα = “A/An”

2. Gender Agreement

   • Articles must match the gender of the noun they modify.
     • Ο σκύλος (The dog – masculine)
     • Η γάτα (The cat – feminine)
     • Το πουλί (The bird – neuter)

3. Using Μια vs. Μία

   • Μια is the informal and most commonly used form.
   • Μία is slightly more formal or used for emphasis.

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7. Cultural Note

Greek articles are always used with nouns, unlike in English, where they can sometimes be omitted. In Greek, you rarely say just “γάτα” (cat); instead, you say “η γάτα” (the cat) unless speaking in very general terms.

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8. Summary of Key Points

✅ Greek has definite (ο, η, το) and indefinite (ένας, μία/μια, ένα) articles.
✅ Articles must agree with the gender and number of the noun.
✅ Μια (common) and μία (formal/emphasized) are interchangeable.
✅ Greek nouns almost always require an article before them.