Ο δίσκος βινυλίου είναι παλιός.

Because δίσκος is a masculine noun in Greek. Greek nouns have grammatical gender, and the definite article has to match the noun:

• ο = masculine
• η = feminine
• το = neuter

So:

• ο δίσκος = the record/disc

You usually learn a Greek noun together with its article, because the article helps you remember the noun’s gender.

Because βινυλίου is in the genitive case. Here it means something like of vinyl:

• δίσκος = record/disc
• βινυλίου = of vinyl

So δίσκος βινυλίου literally means record of vinyl.

This is a very common Greek pattern: one noun is followed by another noun in the genitive to show material, possession, type, or relationship.

For example, this is similar to:

• πόρτα αυτοκινήτου = car door, literally door of a car
• ποτήρι νερού = glass of water

Because Greek often leaves out the article in this kind of genitive noun modifier.

So:

• ο δίσκος βινυλίου = the vinyl record

You do not normally need:

• ο δίσκος του βινυλίου

That version would usually sound like the record of the vinyl or suggest a more specific relationship, not the normal vinyl record meaning.

In this sentence, βινυλίου is functioning more like a classifier or descriptive noun.

Because adjectives in Greek must agree with the noun they describe in:

• gender
• number
• case

Here, δίσκος is:

• masculine
• singular
• nominative

So the adjective must also be masculine singular nominative:

• παλιός = old

Compare:

• ο δίσκος είναι παλιός = masculine
• η καρέκλα είναι παλιά = feminine
• το βιβλίο είναι παλιό = neuter

Yes. That is also correct, but it means something slightly different in structure.

• Ο δίσκος βινυλίου είναι παλιός = The vinyl record is old.
• Ο παλιός δίσκος βινυλίου = the old vinyl record

In the original sentence, παλιός comes after είναι, so it is a predicate adjective:

• The record is old

When the adjective comes before the noun, it is an attributive adjective:

• the old record

Both are normal Greek structures.

Yes, in a normal sentence like this, είναι is needed.

Greek uses είναι as the verb to be:

• Ο δίσκος βινυλίου είναι παλιός.

Unlike in some languages, you generally do not drop the verb to be in standard Greek statements like this.

So you cannot normally say:

• Ο δίσκος βινυλίου παλιός. ❌

That would sound incomplete.

Yes, this is a very natural word order:

• subject: Ο δίσκος βινυλίου
• verb: είναι
• adjective/complement: παλιός

Greek word order is more flexible than English, because endings show grammatical relationships. But this sentence is a standard, neutral way to say it.

You might also hear variations for emphasis, such as:

• Παλιός είναι ο δίσκος βινυλίου.

But the original version is the most straightforward one for learners.

Because βινυλίου is a genitive noun directly modifying δίσκος.

The structure is:

• Ο [δίσκος βινυλίου] είναι παλιός.

So the noun phrase is δίσκος βινυλίου = vinyl record, and then the sentence says that this whole thing is old.

Also, παλιός is nominative masculine singular, matching δίσκος, not βινυλίου. That helps show the grammatical relationships clearly.

It is pronounced approximately vee-nee-LEE-oo.

A rough breakdown:

• β sounds like v
• ι sounds like ee
• νυ here sounds like nee
• λίου has the stress on λί, so LEE-oo

The stress mark is very important in Greek:

• βινυλίου → stress on λί

Likewise:

• δίσκος → stress on δί
• παλιός → stress on the last syllable, -λιός

Because in this sentence old is not being used directly before the noun. It is part of the pattern:

• The vinyl record is old

In both English and Greek, this uses the verb to be plus an adjective.

Greek:

• Ο δίσκος βινυλίου είναι παλιός.

English:

• The vinyl record is old.

If you want the adjective before the noun, Greek can do that too:

• ο παλιός δίσκος βινυλίου = the old vinyl record

So Greek allows both patterns, just like English:

• the old record
• the record is old

It is a correct and clear way to say it, and it follows a very common Greek pattern.

In real life, Greek speakers may also use other expressions depending on context, such as terms influenced by everyday usage or music-related vocabulary. But δίσκος βινυλίου is a perfectly good standard phrase and is very transparent grammatically:

• δίσκος = record/disc
• βινυλίου = of vinyl

So for learning grammar, it is an excellent example of how Greek uses the genitive.