Η αρκούδα ζει στο δάσος.

Η is the definite article for a feminine singular noun in the nominative case.

Here it goes with αρκούδα, so η αρκούδα is the noun phrase.

A native English speaker often notices that Greek uses the definite article more often than English. So even if English might simply say bears live in the forest in a general statement, Greek can naturally say Η αρκούδα....

In this sentence, η αρκούδα can mean:

• the bear in a specific context, or
• the bear / bears as a species in a general statement

So the article is completely normal here.

Not necessarily.

In Greek, every noun has a grammatical gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter. Αρκούδα is a feminine noun, so it takes feminine articles and adjective forms.

That does not automatically mean the actual animal is female. It is just the grammatical gender of the word.

So:

• η αρκούδα = the bear
• the real-world bear could be male, female, or just a generic bear unless the context makes it specific

This is very different from English, where nouns usually do not have grammatical gender.

ζει is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb ζω, meaning to live.

So:

• ζω = I live
• ζεις = you live
• ζει = he/she/it lives

Because the subject is η αρκούδα (the bear), Greek uses ζει = lives.

Greek verbs usually show the subject clearly through their endings, so the verb form itself already tells you this is he/she/it or a singular noun.

Because Greek verbs change their endings depending on the subject.

The dictionary form is the 1st person singular:

• ζω = I live

But in the sentence, the subject is η αρκούδα (the bear), so Greek needs the 3rd person singular:

• ζει = lives

This is just normal verb conjugation.

στο is a contraction of:

• σε
  • το → στο

So literally it is:

• σε = in / at / to
• το = the

Together, στο means in the, at the, or to the, depending on context.

In this sentence, because the verb is ζει (lives), the natural meaning is in the forest.

In normal modern Greek, σε + article is usually contracted.

So:

• σε το → στο
• σε τη / στην → for feminine forms, depending on style and usage
• σε τον / στον → masculine

That means σε το δάσος is not the normal everyday form here. The natural Greek form is στο δάσος.

Because δάσος is a neuter singular noun.

The article for neuter singular is το, and after σε, that becomes στο.

Compare:

• στο δάσος = in the forest (neuter)
• στη θάλασσα = in the sea (feminine)
• στον κήπο = in the garden (masculine)

So the form of σε + article depends on the gender of the noun that follows.

It is in the accusative, because the preposition σε normally takes the accusative in modern Greek.

So grammatically, στο δάσος = σε + το δάσος, where δάσος is functioning as the object of the preposition.

A helpful point: with many neuter singular nouns, the nominative and accusative forms are the same. So δάσος looks the same in both cases.

That is why you do not see a visible change here.

You usually know from the verb and the context.

Here the verb is ζει (lives), so στο δάσος clearly means in the forest or in the woods, not to the forest.

Examples:

• Πηγαίνει στο δάσος. = He/she goes to the forest.
• Ζει στο δάσος. = He/she lives in the forest.

So σε / στο is flexible, and context tells you the exact English translation.

Yes, but it would not mean exactly the same thing.

• στο δάσος = in the forest
• σε δάσος = in a forest / in forest-type surroundings, depending on context

Greek often uses the article where English may not, especially with places and general statements. In this sentence, στο δάσος is the natural choice.

Yes, you could.

Greek word order is more flexible than English because the endings and articles give grammatical information. The neutral/basic order here is:

• Η αρκούδα ζει στο δάσος.

But other orders are possible for emphasis or style, for example:

• Στο δάσος ζει η αρκούδα. = In the forest lives the bear / The bear lives in the forest.
• Ζει στο δάσος η αρκούδα. = also possible in the right context

The original sentence is the most straightforward, textbook-like version.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• Η ≈ ee
• αρκούδα ≈ ar-KOO-tha
  
  • δ here is like the th in this
• ζει ≈ zee
• στο ≈ sto
• δάσος ≈ THA-sos
  
  • again, δ is like th in this

So roughly:

ee ar-KOO-tha zee sto THA-sos

A few useful sound notes:

• ζ sounds like z
• ει here sounds like ee
• ου sounds like oo
• σ is always like English s, never z
• ς is just the final form of σ, used at the end of a word

The accent marks show which syllable is stressed.

• αρκούδα → stress on κού
• ζει → stress on the only syllable
• δάσος → stress on δά

So you say:

• ar-KOU-da
• ZEI
• DA-sos

Accent marks are very important in Greek because they are written consistently and help with correct pronunciation.

Because Greek often does not need subject pronouns.

The verb ending already tells you who or what the subject is. Since ζει is 3rd person singular, Greek does not need to add a word for it.

And in this sentence, the subject is already explicitly given:

• Η αρκούδα = the bear

So adding a pronoun would be unnecessary.

It is singular.

• το δάσος = the forest
• τα δάση = the forests

Even though English sometimes says the woods, Greek here uses the singular δάσος.

So στο δάσος is literally in the forest.

Yes.

That is a very natural reading in Greek. Η αρκούδα ζει στο δάσος can describe:

• a specific bear, if the context is about one bear, or
• a general fact about bears, especially in learner examples or simple descriptive sentences

Greek often uses the singular with the article to talk about a whole species or a typical member of a class.

So this sentence can function a bit like English:

• The bear lives in the forest
• or more naturally in sense, Bears live in the forest

depending on context.