Ο ηθοποιός ξεχνάει τα λόγια του στη γενική πρόβα.

ηθοποιός is a masculine noun in Greek, so it takes the masculine singular definite article ο in the nominative case:

• ο ηθοποιός = the actor

This noun ends in -ός, which is a very common masculine ending in Greek.

A few useful forms are:

• ο ηθοποιός = the actor
• του ηθοποιού = of the actor
• τον ηθοποιό = the actor (as an object)

So in this sentence, ο ηθοποιός is the subject, which is why it is in the nominative.

ξεχνάει means forgets.

It comes from the verb ξεχνάω / ξεχνώ = to forget.

In Modern Greek, this verb often has more than one acceptable present-tense form. So you may see:

• ξεχνάει
• ξεχνά

Both can mean he/she forgets.

So:

• ο ηθοποιός ξεχνάει = the actor forgets
• ο ηθοποιός ξεχνά = the actor forgets

Both are natural. Learners often notice this kind of variation with verbs in -άω.

Because λόγια is the correct word here for words / lines in the theatrical sense.

Greek has:

• ο λόγος = word, speech, reason, discourse
• τα λόγια = words, remarks, lines

In this sentence, τα λόγια means the actor’s lines.

This is not just a simple one-to-one plural in meaning. Very often:

• λόγος has broader or more abstract meanings
• λόγια is used for actual spoken words, remarks, or memorized lines

So τα λόγια του is exactly what you would expect for his lines.

Because λόγια is a neuter plural noun form.

That is why it takes:

• the neuter plural article τα

So:

• τα λόγια = the words / the lines

Greek nouns have grammatical gender, and plural forms do not always behave the way an English speaker might expect. Here, even though the meaning is something like words/lines, the noun is grammatically neuter plural.

Here του means his.

In Greek, του can have more than one function depending on context. It can mean:

• of him / his
• to him

In τα λόγια του, it is a possessive weak pronoun meaning:

• his lines
• literally: the lines of him

So:

• τα λόγια του = his lines

It does not mean to him here, because the structure clearly shows possession.

Greek usually expresses possession with a clitic pronoun after the noun:

• το βιβλίο μου = my book
• η φίλη της = her friend
• τα λόγια του = his lines

So Greek often says the equivalent of:

• the lines his

rather than putting the possessive first, as English does.

This is completely normal in Greek and is one of the most important word-order differences for English speakers to get used to.

στη is a contraction of:

• σε
  • τη(ν)

So:

• σε τη γενική πρόβα becomes στη γενική πρόβα

In modern usage, this contraction is standard.

σε usually means in, at, to, on, depending on context. Here it means something like:

• at / in the final dress rehearsal

So:

• στη γενική πρόβα = at the dress rehearsal

It is in the accusative singular, because the preposition σε takes the accusative.

The basic dictionary forms are:

• η γενική πρόβα = the dress rehearsal / final rehearsal

After σε, it becomes:

• στη γενική πρόβα

The adjective γενική and the noun πρόβα are both:

• feminine
• singular
• accusative

In this case, the accusative form looks the same as the nominative for these words, which is why it may not look different to a learner.

Yes, literally it means general rehearsal, but in actual usage it means dress rehearsal or final rehearsal before the performance.

So:

• η γενική πρόβα = the dress rehearsal

This is a good example of a phrase that may look transparent word-for-word, but is better learned as a fixed expression.

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

The neutral order here is:

• Ο ηθοποιός ξεχνάει τα λόγια του στη γενική πρόβα.

That is a very natural way to say it.

But Greek could also move things around for emphasis, for example:

• Στη γενική πρόβα ο ηθοποιός ξεχνάει τα λόγια του.
• Τα λόγια του ξεχνάει ο ηθοποιός στη γενική πρόβα.

These alternatives change the focus or emphasis, but the basic meaning stays the same.

For a learner, the original sentence is the safest neutral pattern: subject + verb + object + prepositional phrase.

Yes, ξεχνάει is present tense.

Greek present tense can cover both:

• simple present: forgets
• present progressive: is forgetting

The exact nuance depends on context.

So this sentence could describe:

• a general happening in a story
• something happening right now on stage
• a vivid narrative present

Greek does not always separate forgets and is forgetting the way English does.

A rough pronunciation is:

o ee-tho-poi-OS kseh-NA-ee ta LO-ya too stee ye-nee-KEE PRO-va

A few helpful notes:

• ηθοποιός has the stress on the last syllable: -ός
• ξε- in ξεχνάει sounds like kseh-
• για / για- in λόγια gives a ya sound: LO-ya
• στη sounds like stee
• γενική has stress on the last syllable: gee-nee-KEE

Yes. It contains several very common Greek patterns:

1. article + noun for the subject

   • ο ηθοποιός

2. a present-tense verb

   • ξεχνάει

3. article + noun + possessive clitic

   • τα λόγια του

4. σε + article contracted to στη

   • στη γενική πρόβα

So even though the sentence is short, it is a very useful model for everyday Greek grammar.