Η μάσκα καλύπτει το πρόσωπο.

Η is the feminine singular form of the.

So:

• η μάσκα = the mask

Greek definite articles change depending on gender, number, and case. Unlike English, Greek does not use just one form of the for everything.

In this sentence:

• η goes with μάσκα because μάσκα is feminine singular
• το goes with πρόσωπο because πρόσωπο is neuter singular

Because the two nouns have different grammatical genders.

• μάσκα is feminine
• πρόσωπο is neuter

Greek nouns belong to grammatical genders, and the article must match the noun.

So:

• η μάσκα = feminine
• το πρόσωπο = neuter

This is grammatical gender, not biological sex. Objects can also be masculine, feminine, or neuter in Greek.

The dictionary form is καλύπτω = I cover.

καλύπτει is a conjugated form of that verb. Specifically, it means:

• he/she/it covers

In this sentence, the subject is η μάσκα (the mask), so Greek uses the third person singular form:

• καλύπτω = I cover
• καλύπτεις = you cover
• καλύπτει = he/she/it covers

Since the mask is a singular thing, καλύπτει is the correct form.

Because Greek often does not need subject pronouns when the verb ending already shows the person and number.

In English, you must say:

• The mask covers the face or
• It covers the face

In Greek, the verb ending in καλύπτει already tells you it is third person singular (he/she/it), so adding a pronoun is usually unnecessary.

The subject is already stated anyway:

• Η μάσκα καλύπτει το πρόσωπο.

So Greek does not need an extra word for it.

Because it is the thing being affected by the action.

In this sentence:

• η μάσκα = the subject, the thing doing the action
• καλύπτει = covers
• το πρόσωπο = the object, the thing being covered

So:

• The mask covers the face

That makes το πρόσωπο the direct object.

Because many neuter nouns in Greek have the same form in the nominative and accusative singular.

Here:

• το πρόσωπο can be nominative singular
• το πρόσωπο can also be accusative singular

In this sentence, it is accusative because it is the direct object of καλύπτει.

This is very common with neuter nouns in Greek.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• ee MAS-ka ka-LIP-ti to PRO-so-po

Stress falls on:

• μάσκα → MAS
• καλύπτει → LIP
• πρόσωπο → PRO

A few helpful notes:

• η sounds like ee
• υ here sounds like i
• ει usually sounds like ee
• πρ in πρόσωπο is pronounced with both consonants, like pr in English

The accent mark shows which syllable is stressed.

So:

• μάσκα → stress on the first syllable
• καλύπτει → stress on the second syllable
• πρόσωπο → stress on the first syllable

Stress matters in Greek pronunciation, so the accent mark is important. If you ignore it, your Greek may still be understood sometimes, but it will sound unnatural and can occasionally cause confusion.

Yes, Greek word order is often more flexible than English word order.

The neutral, straightforward order here is:

• Η μάσκα καλύπτει το πρόσωπο.

But Greek can sometimes move words around for emphasis, for example:

• Το πρόσωπο καλύπτει η μάσκα.

This still means roughly The mask covers the face, but the emphasis is different.

For learners, the safest choice is to use the standard order:

• subject + verb + object

So this sentence is a very good basic model.

In many contexts, Greek καλύπτει can translate as either:

• covers
• is covering

Modern Greek often uses the simple present form in places where English might use either the simple present or the present continuous, depending on context.

So without extra context, καλύπτει can be understood as:

• covers
• is covering

English chooses between those forms more strictly than Greek does.

Because Greek and English use different alphabets, even when some letters look similar.

Greek Η/η is the letter eta, and in Modern Greek it is pronounced ee.

So:

• Greek Η is not the English H
• In this sentence, Η is the article the for a feminine singular noun

This is a very common early confusion for English speakers because some Greek letters look familiar but sound different.

Yes, they are clearly related words.

• Greek: μάσκα
• English: mask

They are close in both meaning and form, so this is a helpful vocabulary item for English speakers. Even when Greek words resemble English ones, though, you still need to learn their gender, article, and plural forms.

Here the full noun phrase is:

• η μάσκα = the mask

This sentence is a good model for a basic Greek pattern:

• article + noun + verb + article + noun

Example structure:

• Η μάσκα καλύπτει το πρόσωπο.
• The mask covers the face.

When making similar sentences, check these things:

1. Use the correct article

   • η for feminine singular
   • το for neuter singular
   • other nouns may need other article forms

2. Conjugate the verb correctly

   • here the subject is singular, so the verb is καλύπτει

3. Match the gender of each noun

   • μάσκα is feminine
   • πρόσωπο is neuter

4. Notice stress

   • Greek accent marks are important

This sentence is simple, but it teaches several core Greek patterns at once.