Το φαγητό είναι ζεστό τώρα.

to be

Breakdown of Το φαγητό είναι ζεστό τώρα.

• τώρα: now
• το φαγητό: the food
• ζεστός: hot

Questions & Answers about Το φαγητό είναι ζεστό τώρα.

What does each word do in this sentence?

• Το: the (definite article, neuter nominative singular)
• φαγητό: food/meal (neuter noun, nominative singular; subject)
• είναι: is (3rd person singular present of είμαι)
• ζεστό: hot/warm (adjective, neuter nominative singular; predicate complement)
• τώρα: now (adverb)

Why is the article Το and not Ο or Η?

Because φαγητό is a neuter noun. The nominative singular definite articles are:

• Masculine: ο
• Feminine: η
• Neuter: το

What gender is φαγητό, and how does that affect ζεστό?

Φαγητό is neuter, so the adjective must also be neuter singular nominative: ζεστό. The base adjective is ζεστός (masc), ζεστή (fem), ζεστό (neut).

Why doesn’t ζεστό take an article here?

Because it’s a predicate adjective (linked by είναι) and predicate adjectives don’t take the article. With an attributive adjective you would use the article:

• Predicate: Το φαγητό είναι ζεστό.
• Attributive: Το ζεστό φαγητό (the hot food) or Το φαγητό το ζεστό (more emphatic/poetic).

Can I move τώρα around? Does word order change the meaning?

Yes, adverbs are flexible:

• Τώρα το φαγητό είναι ζεστό. Neutral focus on time.
• Το φαγητό τώρα είναι ζεστό. Slight focus on the noun in the current timeframe.
• Το φαγητό είναι τώρα ζεστό. Slight focus on the new state. All are acceptable; word order mainly affects emphasis, not core meaning.

How do I turn this into a yes/no question?

Use intonation and the Greek question mark (which looks like a semicolon):

• Είναι το φαγητό ζεστό τώρα;
• Το φαγητό είναι ζεστό τώρα; Both are natural; the first is a bit more neutral.

How do I negate it?

Place δεν before the verb:

• Το φαγητό δεν είναι ζεστό τώρα. (The food is not hot now.)

Does ζεστό mean hot or warm? What if I want to say very hot?

• ζεστός/ζεστή/ζεστό: warm to hot (context decides).
• καυτός/καυτή/καυτό: very hot, scalding.
• χλιαρός/χλιαρή/χλιαρό: lukewarm. So, for very hot: Το φαγητό είναι καυτό.

Do I need the article Το? Could I say Φαγητό είναι ζεστό τώρα?

You normally need the article with a specific, definite noun. Το φαγητό means the (particular) food/meal.

• Ένα φαγητό είναι ζεστό τώρα means one dish is hot now (indefinite).
• Bare Φαγητό είναι ζεστό τώρα sounds unnatural in standard speech.

What is the plural of this sentence?

• Τα φαγητά είναι ζεστά τώρα.
  Article, noun, and adjective all change to neuter plural: τα φαγητά, ζεστά.

How is the sentence pronounced?

[to faʝiˈto ˈine zeˈsto ˈtora]
Notes:

• γ before ι/ε sounds like a soft y-like sound [ʝ] (as in φαγητό).
• ει in είναι is pronounced [i].
• Accents mark stress: φαγητό (stress on -τό), είναι (stress on εί), ζεστό (on -στό), τώρα (on -τώ-).

Why is είναι spelled with ει if it sounds like ee?

In Modern Greek, the digraph ει is pronounced [i]. The spelling reflects historical pronunciation; today it’s the same sound as ι, η, υ, οι, υι.

Can I drop είναι the way some languages drop the copula?

Not in normal modern Greek sentences. Είναι is required. Omission occurs only in headlines, notes, or very elliptical styles, which would sound unnatural in everyday speech.

How do I say it in the past or future?

• Past: Το φαγητό ήταν ζεστό πριν. (was)
• Future: Το φαγητό θα είναι ζεστό σε λίγο. (will be)

Is there another common word for food here?

Yes:

• το φαΐ: very common/colloquial for food; note the diaeresis to show two syllables.
• το γεύμα: a meal, more formal than φαγητό.
• το πιάτο: a dish (one item/plate). Each can replace φαγητό depending on meaning and register.