Learn Hardcore Greek: Αυτός είναι στο σχολείο και εγώ είμαι στη δουλειά.

Yes. Greek is a “pro‑drop” language, so you can say: Είναι στο σχολείο κι εγώ είμαι στη δουλειά. Often you’ll drop only the first pronoun to keep the contrast clear. You can even omit the second verb for brevity: Είναι στο σχολείο κι εγώ στη δουλειά. Keeping the pronouns adds emphasis (He is… and I am…).

Why do we see στο and στη here? What are they?

They are contractions of the preposition σε (“in/at/on/to,” depending on context) with the definite article:

σε + το → στο (neuter singular): στο σχολείο
σε + τη(ν) → στη(ν) (feminine singular): στη δουλειά Other useful forms: στον (σε+τον), στους (σε+τους), στις (σε+τις), στα (σε+τα).

Why does Greek use “the” (as in στο σχολείο, στη δουλειά) when English often says “at school,” “at work” without “the”?

Greek uses the definite article much more broadly, including with places and abstract nouns. Στο σχολείο can mean “at school” in a general sense, not necessarily a specific school. If you really mean “at a school (unspecified),” you can say σε σχολείο, but that’s less common in everyday statements like this. Στη δουλειά is the idiomatic way to say “at work.”

Why is it στη and not στην before δουλειά?

The final -ν of the feminine article (την/στην) is typically kept before vowels and the consonants κ, π, τ, ξ, ψ, γκ, μπ, ντ, τσ, τζ, and dropped elsewhere. Since δουλειά starts with δ, it’s standard to write στη δουλειά. You will see στην δουλειά too in real life, but the recommended form here is without -ν. Examples where you keep -ν: στην Αθήνα, στην Κύπρο, στην τσάντα.

What case do nouns take after σε?

Accusative. Because σε + article contracts, the noun that follows is in the accusative case:

στο σχολείο (accusative; neuter has the same form in nominative and accusative)
στη δουλειά (accusative; this feminine form also matches the nominative in the singular) Contrast with a masculine noun: στον γιατρό (accusative), not ο γιατρός (nominative).

Do I need to repeat είμαι? Is Αυτός είναι στο σχολείο κι εγώ στη δουλειά correct?

Yes, it’s correct and natural. Greek often omits repeated elements when they’re clear from context. Including the second είμαι is also fine; it can sound a bit more balanced or emphatic.

Can I say κι εγώ instead of και εγώ?

Yes. Κι is the common form of και before a vowel sound (as in εγώ). Both are correct; κι εγώ often flows more naturally in speech.

How is είμαι conjugated? Which form is είναι?

Present tense of “to be” (είμαι):

εγώ είμαι
εσύ είσαι
αυτός/αυτή/αυτό είναι
εμείς είμαστε
εσείς είστε/είσαστε
αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά είναι In the sentence, είναι is 3rd person singular (“he/she/it is”), and είμαι is 1st person singular (“I am”).

How do you pronounce tricky bits like Αυτός, είναι, εγώ, δουλειά, σχολείο?

Αυτός ≈ af-TÓS (the digraph αυ sounds like “av/af”: before a voiceless consonant like τ it’s “af”)
είναι ≈ Í-ne (the ending -αι sounds like “e”)
εγώ ≈ e-GHÓ (Greek γ before back vowels is a soft “gh,” like in Spanish “amigo”)
δουλειά ≈ thool-YÁ (δ like “th” in “this”; the λια sounds like “lya”)
σχολείο ≈ skho-LEE-o (χ is a rough “kh,” not English “sh”)

Could I use Αυτή or Αυτό instead of Αυτός? How does gender work here?

Yes:

Αυτός = he (masculine)
Αυτή = she (feminine)
Αυτό = it (neuter) The verb είναι doesn’t change, but the pronoun (and any articles/adjectives referring to the subject) agree in gender. For a woman: Αυτή είναι στο σχολείο…

Does στο mean “in” or “at”? What’s the difference between στο σχολείο and μέσα στο σχολείο?

Σε/στο is a flexible preposition that covers “in/at/on/to,” and the exact meaning comes from context and the verb. With είμαι, στο σχολείο usually means “at school” (location in general). If you want to emphasize being physically inside, say μέσα στο σχολείο (“inside the school”).

Is the word order fixed, or can I move things around for emphasis?

Greek word order is flexible. You can front the locations for contrast/emphasis:

Στο σχολείο είναι αυτός και στη δουλειά είμαι εγώ. This stresses the contrast between where each person is. The original order is the neutral, straightforward version.

When would I use σε σχολείο or σε δουλειά without the article?

Without the article it’s more indefinite or non-specific:

Σε σχολείο = “in/at a school (some school)”
Σε (μια) δουλειά = “at a job / in a line of work (not necessarily your workplace)” For the everyday meaning “at school/at work,” Greek typically uses the definite article: στο σχολείο, στη δουλειά.