Η γιατρός μου έχει ήδη φτάσει, αλλά εγώ δεν έχω φύγει από το σπίτι.

My doctor has already arrived, but I haven't left the house.

Breakdown of Η γιατρός μου έχει ήδη φτάσει, αλλά εγώ δεν έχω φύγει από το σπίτι.

• το σπίτι: the house
• εγώ: I
• έχω: to have
• δεν: not
• μου: my
• αλλά: but
• από: from
• η γιατρός: the doctor
• φεύγω: to leave
• ήδη: already
• φτάνω: to arrive

Questions & Answers about Η γιατρός μου έχει ήδη φτάσει, αλλά εγώ δεν έχω φύγει από το σπίτι.

Why is it Η γιατρός and not Ο γιατρός?

Because γιατρός is a “common gender” profession noun in Modern Greek. You choose the article based on the person’s gender:

• η γιατρός = the (female) doctor
• ο γιατρός = the (male) doctor Colloquially you’ll also hear η γιατρίνα (more informal), and in formal contexts η ιατρός. In case forms you get, e.g., τη γιατρό (accusative), της γιατρού (genitive).

Why does the possessive come after the noun in η γιατρός μου?

Possessive clitics like μου follow the noun: η γιατρός μου = “my doctor.” Greek typically keeps the definite article: η γιατρός μου, not just ∗γιατρός μου (except in vocatives). For extra emphasis you can use η δική μου γιατρός (“my own doctor”).

Why is εγώ included? Isn’t Greek a pro‑drop language?

Yes, Greek often omits subject pronouns. Here αλλά εγώ adds contrastive emphasis: “but I (on the other hand) haven’t left.” Without emphasis you could say simply αλλά δεν έχω φύγει.

Can I move ήδη around? Is ήδη έχει φτάσει also correct?

Yes. Common placements are:

• Η γιατρός μου έχει ήδη φτάσει (very natural)
• Ήδη η γιατρός μου έχει φτάσει (also natural, slightly more formal/emphatic on “already”) You’ll also hear Η γιατρός μου ήδη έχει φτάσει, though it’s less common. Position mainly affects rhythm/emphasis, not meaning.

Is there a difference between ήδη and κιόλας for “already”?

Both can mean “already.”

• ήδη feels a bit more formal/written.
• κιόλας is very common in speech: Η γιατρός μου έχει κιόλας φτάσει. Note: κιόλας is used in affirmative contexts. For “yet” in negatives, use ακόμα/ακόμη (see below).

Why use έχει φτάσει (present perfect) instead of έφτασε (simple past)?

• έχει φτάσει highlights present relevance (“has arrived and is here now”).
• έφτασε simply states a past event (“arrived [at some point]”). Both can be correct depending on nuance. In English terms: present perfect vs. simple past.

How is the Greek present perfect formed in έχει ήδη φτάσει / δεν έχω φύγει?

With έχω (present of “have”) + a perfective, non-finite verb form:

• έχω/έχεις/έχει/έχουμε/έχετε/έχουν
  • e.g. φτάσει, φύγει, δει, κάνει. Examples: Έχει φτάσει. Δεν έχω φύγει. Έχουμε δει. The second part doesn’t change with person; only έχω inflects.

Why does the form φτάσει look like the subjunctive (e.g., να φτάσει)?

Modern Greek uses the same perfective stem/form both after έχω (for the perfect) and after να (for the subjunctive). So έχει φτάσει and να φτάσει share the same verb shape, but the auxiliaries/particles and context differ.

Could I say “I haven’t left yet”? How do I add “yet” naturally?

Use ακόμα/ακόμη:

• Ακόμα δεν έχω φύγει. / Δεν έχω φύγει ακόμα. Colloquially you’ll also hear Δεν έφυγα ακόμα, which many speakers use, but the perfect (δεν έχω φύγει ακόμα) is the standard way to express “haven’t … yet.”

Why is the negation δεν placed before έχω in δεν έχω φύγει?

The negative particle δεν comes before the verb. In the perfect, the auxiliary έχω is the verb, so: δεν έχω φύγει. Use μη(ν) instead of δεν with the subjunctive/imperative (e.g., να μην φύγεις).

What’s going on with από το vs απ’ το in από το σπίτι?

Από often contracts to απ’ before vowels (and frequently in fast speech more generally). Both are fine:

• Careful/neutral: από το σπίτι
• Natural/colloquial speech: απ’ το σπίτι

Why is it από το σπίτι and not another case? Does από require accusative?

Yes. Από takes the accusative: από το σπίτι, από τη δουλειά, από εμένα. Here it means “from/out of.”

Do I always need the article with σπίτι? What’s the difference between στο σπίτι and σπίτι?

• στο σπίτι (“at/to the house/home”) refers to a specific place.
• σπίτι without article can work adverbially: είμαι σπίτι (“I’m at home”), πάω σπίτι (“I’m going home”). With από, you typically keep the article: από το σπίτι (“from the house/home”).

Could I use μα or όμως instead of αλλά?

Yes, with slight differences in tone:

• αλλά = neutral “but.”
• μα = more colloquial/emphatic “but.”
• όμως = “however,” often placed after a pause: …· όμως, εγώ δεν έχω φύγει. All would work in similar contexts.

Is there a spelling trap with αλλά?

Yes: αλλά (“but”) has double λ and a final ά. Don’t confuse it with άλλα (“other [things]”). Context and the accent differ.

Is φτάσει ever written φθάσει?

Yes. φτάνω/φτάσει and the older φθάνω/φθάσει are both correct; the version without θ (φτά‑) is more common in everyday writing and speech.

Could I say ήρθε instead of έχει φτάσει?

You can, with nuance:

• Ήρθε = “She came.” Simple past, focuses on the event.
• Έχει φτάσει = “She has arrived.” Present perfect, stresses current result. You could also say Έχει έρθει (“has come”), which is very natural too.

How do I pronounce the tricky sounds in this sentence?

• γ before front vowels (as in γιατρός) sounds like a soft “y/gh” ([ʝ]): roughly “ya‑TROS.”
• γ before back vowels (as in εγώ) is a voiced velar fricative ([ɣ]), like a soft “gh”: “e‑GHÓ.”
• φτάσει = “f‑TÁ‑see.”
• σπίτι = “SPEE‑tee.” Stress the syllables with accents: η γιατρός, ήδη, εγώ, δεν, έχω, φύγει, από, σπίτι.