Language/Modern-greek-1453/Grammar/Question-words-and-basic-sentence-structure
As a beginner in learning Modern Greek (1453-), it's important to start by learning about basic grammar. In this lesson, we will cover the use of question words and basic sentence structure. Understanding these fundamental elements of grammar is crucial to building a good foundation for your Greek language skills.
Don't miss the chance to check out these pages as you wrap up this lesson: Relative pronouns & Impersonal Verbs.
Question words
Question words are essential to asking questions in any language. In Modern Greek (1453-), the most common question words include:
- Ποιος (Pios) - Who
- Τι (Ti) - What
- Που (Pou) - Where
- Πότε (Pote) - When
- Γιατί (Yiati) - Why
- Πώς (Pos) - How
To ask a question using these words, always start the sentence with the question word. It's also important to note that in Greek, the word order in questions is the same as in statements.
For example:
- Ποιος είναι αυτός; (Pios ine aftos?) - Who is he?
- Τι ώρα είναι; (Ti ora ine?) - What time is it?
- Που είναι το σπίτι της; (Pou ine to spiti tis?) - Where is her house?
- Πότε θα έρθεις; (Pote tha erthis?) - When will you come?
- Γιατί έκλαιγες; (Yiati eklages?) - Why were you crying?
- Πώς περάσατε; (Pos perasate?) - How was your day?
Basic sentence structure
In Modern Greek (1453-), the basic sentence structure follows the Subject-Verb-Object pattern. This means that the subject of a sentence comes first, followed by the verb and then the object. However, the word order can be flexible in Greek and may change depending on the context of the sentence.
For example:
- Ο φίλος μου παίζει πιάνο. (O filos mou pezi piano) - My friend is playing piano. (S-V-O)
- Πιάνο παίζει ο φίλος μου. (Piano pezi o filos mou) - Piano is playing my friend. (O-V-S)
- Το βιβλίο διαβάζει η μητέρα μου. (To vivlio diavazi i mitera mou) - My mother is reading the book. (S-V-O)
- Διαβάζει η μητέρα μου το βιβλίο. (Diavazi i mitera mou to vivlio) - Reading my mother the book. (S-O-V)
Note that while the order of the sentence changes in the second sentence, the meaning does not. Both sentences convey the same information, but with a different emphasis.
Vocabulary
Here are some basic vocabulary words and phrases related to question words and basic sentence structure in Modern Greek (1453-):
| Modern Greek (1453-) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ποιος (Pios) | Pee-ohs | Who |
| Τι (Ti) | Tee | What |
| Που (Pou) | Poo | Where |
| Πότε (Pote) | Poteh | When |
| Γιατί (Yiati) | Ya-tee | Why |
| Πώς (Pos) | Pohs | How |
| Ο (O) | Oh | The (masculine) |
| Η (I) | Ee | The (feminine) |
| Μου (Mou) | Moo | My (singular) |
| Το (To) | Toh | The (neuter) |
| Διαβάζω (Diavazo) | Dhya-vazo | I am reading |
| Παίζω (Pezo) | Pezo | I am playing |
Practice
Now that you have learned about the use of question words and basic sentence structure in Modern Greek (1453-), here are some practice exercises to help you reinforce what you've learned:
1. Translate the following sentence into English: Που είναι ο αδερφός σου;
- Answer: Where is your brother?
2. Translate the following sentence into Greek: I am cooking dinner.
- Answer: Μαγειρεύω το δείπνο. (Mageirevo to deipno)
3. Rearrange the following words to form a meaningful sentence: αδερφός μου παίζει μουσική.
- Answer: Ο αδερφός μου παίζει μουσική. (O aderfos mou pezi musiki)
4. Translate the following sentence into English: Πότε ξυπνάς;
- Answer: When do you wake up?
5. Translate the following sentence into Greek: The cat is sleeping on the couch.
- Answer: Η γάτα κοιμάται στον καναπέ. (I gata kimati ston kanape)
Sources
Other Lessons
- Greek adverbs through examples
- Sentense Structure
- The degrees of the adjective
- Questions
- Synonyms Antonyms
- Definite and Indefinite Article
- Les numéraux ordinaux cardinaux
- Pronoms interrogatifs
- Subject Verb Agreement
- The comma