Το σπίτι είναι κοντά, δεν είναι μακριά.

to be

Breakdown of Το σπίτι είναι κοντά, δεν είναι μακριά.

• το σπίτι: the house
• δεν: not
• κοντά: near
• μακριά: far

Questions & Answers about Το σπίτι είναι κοντά, δεν είναι μακριά.

Why is it Το and not Ο or Η before σπίτι?

Το is the neuter definite article. Σπίτι is a neuter noun, so the article must be neuter. Articles agree with the noun’s gender and number:

• singular: το σπίτι
• plural: τα σπίτια (For reference: masculine uses ο, feminine uses η.)

What exactly is είναι?

Είναι is the present tense of the verb “to be” (είμαι) in third person. It’s used for he/she/it is and also they are. Context tells you whether it’s singular or plural.

Where does the negative word δεν go, and why?

Δεν goes directly before the verb: δεν είναι = “is not.” You can’t say “είναι δεν.” Note: μη(ν) is a different negative used with the subjunctive or negative imperatives (e.g., Μην είσαι αυστηρός “Don’t be strict”).

Sometimes I see δε instead of δεν. Which is right here?

Both exist. The final -ν in δε(ν) is often dropped before certain consonants, but it is kept before vowels and specific consonants. In careful writing you can always use δεν. Here, because είναι starts with a vowel, δεν is the standard form: δεν είναι.

Are κοντά and μακριά adjectives or adverbs? Do they change form?

Here κοντά (“nearby”) and μακριά (“far”) are adverbs and do not change for gender/number. After “to be,” Greek often uses these adverbs as predicate complements. If you need adjectives: κοντινός (“nearby,” attributive) and μακρινός (“distant”). Example: το κοντινό σπίτι (“the nearby house”).

Why isn’t there a preposition like “to” or “from” with κοντά/μακριά?

When you just say something is near/far in general, the adverbs κοντά and μακριά can stand alone. If you specify a reference point, use:

• κοντά σε
  • accusative: Το σπίτι είναι κοντά στο σχολείο.
• μακριά από
  • accusative: Το σπίτι είναι μακριά από το κέντρο.

Is the comma between the two clauses correct?

Yes. Greek often links two short, related clauses with a comma. You could also write two sentences: Το σπίτι είναι κοντά. Δεν είναι μακριά. It’s a common way to restate or emphasize the idea.

Can I switch the order, like “Το σπίτι δεν είναι μακριά, είναι κοντά.”?

Yes, that’s fine and natural: Το σπίτι δεν είναι μακριά, είναι κοντά. You can also front the predicate for emphasis: Δεν είναι μακριά το σπίτι, but the original order is the most neutral.

How do I pronounce the whole sentence?

Approximate pronunciation with stress marks: to spíti íne kondá, then íne makriá.

• δ = voiced “th” as in “this”
• ει = “ee”
• αι (as in the syllable “-ναι” of είναι) = “e” (so είναι = íne)
• Stress falls on the bolded syllables above.

Why is there no “it” in the second clause (“it is not far”)?

Greek is a “pro‑drop” language; subject pronouns are usually omitted because the verb ending gives the information. The subject (Το σπίτι) is understood in the second clause, so Δεν είναι μακριά naturally means “It is not far.”

Could I drop the article and say “Σπίτι είναι κοντά”?

Not for a specific house. Greek typically uses the definite article with concrete, specific nouns. Σπίτι without the article often means “(at) home” adverbially (e.g., Είμαι σπίτι = “I’m at home”). For an indefinite meaning you could say Ένα σπίτι είναι κοντά (“A house is nearby”).

Is “μακρυά” an acceptable spelling?

Modern standard spelling is μακριά. You may encounter μακρυά as an older/variant form, but stick with μακριά in contemporary Greek.

How do I say “near here”?

Use εδώ κοντά: Το σπίτι είναι εδώ κοντά. The sequence κοντά εδώ is uncommon; prefer εδώ κοντά.

How would this look in the plural?

Τα σπίτια είναι κοντά, δεν είναι μακριά. Note that είναι stays the same for plural; the article and noun change to τα σπίτια.