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Questions & Answers about Αυτή πάει στο σχολείο τώρα.
What does the word Αυτή mean here?
It is the feminine singular pronoun and can mean either she or this (woman/girl), depending on context. In this sentence it functions as she. Greek often uses αυτός, αυτή, αυτό both as third‑person pronouns and as demonstratives (this/that), and context tells you which is intended.
Do we have to include the subject pronoun Αυτή?
No. Greek is a pro‑drop language, so the subject is usually omitted because the verb ending shows the person. The neutral, most natural version is simply Πάει στο σχολείο τώρα. Including Αυτή adds emphasis or contrast (She is going now, not someone else).
What is the difference between πάει and πηγαίνει?
Both mean goes/is going in the third person singular present:
- πάει is the everyday form of the verb πάω.
- πηγαίνει is the standard form of πηγαίνω. Both are correct; πάει sounds more colloquial/shorter, πηγαίνει a bit more formal or neutral. You can say Αυτή πηγαίνει στο σχολείο τώρα with the same meaning.
Does πάει mean she goes or she is going?
Greek present covers both simple and progressive meanings. Πάει can mean goes or is going. The adverb τώρα (now) pushes the reading toward the progressive: she is going now.
What exactly does στο mean?
It is a contraction of the preposition σε plus the neuter singular article το: σε + το → στο. Other common contractions:
- σε + τον → στον
- σε + την → στη(ν)
- σε + τους → στους
- σε + τις → στις
- σε + τα → στα
Why does Greek say στο σχολείο with a definite article when English says to school without one?
Greek uses the definite article much more broadly. Στο σχολείο usually refers to the school as a specific place (the building/institution) in a concrete situation. If you mean the institutional activity attends school in general, you can drop the article: Πάει σχολείο (she attends school).
Can I say Πάει σχολείο instead of Πάει στο σχολείο now?
You can, but the nuance changes:
- Πάει σχολείο = she attends school (as a student) in general.
- Πάει στο σχολείο τώρα = she is going to the school (building) now. That is the usual choice with τώρα.
What case is σχολείο in, and why?
Accusative. The preposition σε governs the accusative for both location and destination in Modern Greek. For neuter singular nouns like σχολείο, nominative and accusative look the same; the article (το in στο) shows the case.
How is the sentence pronounced?
Approximate guide:
- Αυτή: af-TÍ (the αυ is pronounced [av] before voiced sounds and [af] before voiceless ones like τ, so here it’s [af]).
- πάει: PÁ-ee (two vowels in hiatus: α
- ει; ει sounds like [i]).
- στο: sto.
- σχολείο: sxo-LEE-o (Greek χ is like the ch in German Bach; stress on the λεί syllable).
- τώρα: TÓ-ra.
Where can I put τώρα in the sentence?
It’s flexible. Common options:
- Τώρα πάει στο σχολείο.
- Πάει τώρα στο σχολείο.
- Πάει στο σχολείο τώρα. Front position puts extra emphasis on the time frame.
How do I turn it into a yes–no question?
Use the same word order and add the Greek question mark (which looks like a semicolon):
- Πάει στο σχολείο τώρα; With emphasis on the subject: Αυτή πάει στο σχολείο τώρα;
How do I negate it?
Insert δεν before the verb:
- Δεν πάει στο σχολείο τώρα.
How would it change for a male subject?
Use Αυτός if you want to explicitly say he:
- Αυτός πάει στο σχολείο τώρα. As usual, you can omit the pronoun and just say Πάει στο σχολείο τώρα., which is gender‑neutral in form.
What are the basic past and future forms of πάει?
- Simple past (aorist): πήγε — Αυτή πήγε στο σχολείο. (she went)
- Past continuous (imperfect): πήγαινε — Αυτή πήγαινε στο σχολείο. (she was going/used to go)
- Simple future: θα πάει — Αυτή θα πάει στο σχολείο. (she will go)
- Future continuous/habitual or probability: θα πηγαίνει — Αυτή θα πηγαίνει στο σχολείο.
Why is πάει spelled with -ει, and how is it pronounced?
The ending -ει is the regular third‑person singular present ending in many verbs and is pronounced [i]. In πάει, there are two vowels in a row (ά + ει), pronounced in hiatus: [pa.i] (often flowing as PÁ‑ee). Don’t read it as if αι were a single unit; here it’s ά plus ει, not the digraph αι.
Why is it στο and not στην or στον before σχολείο?
Because σχολείο is neuter singular. The neuter singular definite article is το, so σε + το → στο. Use στη(ν) before feminine singular nouns (e.g., στη βιβλιοθήκη) and στον before masculine singular nouns (e.g., στον σταθμό).