Η γειτόνισσα είναι ήσυχη, όμως ο γείτονας δεν είναι ήσυχος.

The (female) neighbor is quiet, however the (male) neighbor is not quiet.

Breakdown of Η γειτόνισσα είναι ήσυχη, όμως ο γείτονας δεν είναι ήσυχος.

• είμαι: to be
• δεν: not
• όμως: however
• ο γείτονας: the male neighbor
• η γειτόνισσα: the female neighbor
• ήσυχος: quiet

Questions & Answers about Η γειτόνισσα είναι ήσυχη, όμως ο γείτονας δεν είναι ήσυχος.

What do η and ο mean, and why are they different?

They are the definite article the. η is feminine singular; ο is masculine singular. They match the gender of the noun: η γειτόνισσα (fem.), ο γείτονας (masc.). The initial Η is capitalized only because it begins the sentence; it’s the Greek letter Eta, not the English H. If you want a/an instead of the, use μια γειτόνισσα and ένας γείτονας.

What’s the difference between γειτόνισσα and γείτονας?

Both mean neighbor, but γειτόνισσα is feminine and γείτονας is masculine. The feminine is formed with the suffix -ισσα. Plurals: οι γειτόνισσες (feminine), οι γείτονες (masculine).

Why do the adjectives differ (ήσυχη vs ήσυχος)?

Adjectives agree with the noun in gender, number, and case. The base is ήσυχ-:

• masculine: ήσυχος
• feminine: ήσυχη
• neuter: ήσυχο Here they’re nominative singular, describing the subjects.

Why is the negation δεν and not όχι?

δεν negates verbs (it goes before the verb): δεν είναι = is not. όχι means no and is used for stand‑alone or elliptical negation. You can use όχι to avoid repetition: ..., όμως ο γείτονας όχι. (…, however the male neighbor isn’t.) In informal writing you’ll also see δε (short for δεν); while learning, stick with δεν.

Can I use αλλά instead of όμως?

Yes. αλλά = but; όμως = however/but. αλλά directly links the two parts (..., αλλά ο γείτονας…). όμως is a bit more formal and more flexible in position.

Where can όμως go, and how do I punctuate it?

All are acceptable:

• Η γειτόνισσα είναι ήσυχη, όμως ο γείτονας δεν είναι ήσυχος.
• Η γειτόνισσα είναι ήσυχη. Όμως, ο γείτονας δεν είναι ήσυχος.
• Η γειτόνισσα είναι ήσυχη, ο γείτονας, όμως, δεν είναι ήσυχος. When it links two independent clauses, put a comma before it; if it’s parenthetical, set it off with commas.

Why is there no word for she/he? Could I omit the nouns?

Greek often drops subject pronouns because endings carry that information. You could say Είναι ήσυχη, όμως δεν είναι ήσυχος. That means She is quiet, but he is not, with gender shown by -η vs -ος. You’d need context to know you’re talking about the neighbors.

How is είναι used? Does it change with gender?

είναι is 3rd person singular of to be (is) and doesn’t change with gender. It’s also the 3rd person plural (are). Other common forms: είμαι (I am), είσαι (you are).

How do I pronounce the tricky letters here?

• γ before ε/ι/η/αι/ει sounds like a soft y with friction ≈ yee.
• δ is like th in this ≈ then.
• χ before front vowels is a soft kh [ç], elsewhere a rougher kh ≈ EE-see-khi, ήσυχος ≈ EE-see-khos. Approximate pronunciations: γείτονας [ˈʝitonas], γειτόνισσα [ʝiˈtonisa], ήσυχη [ˈisixi], ήσυχος [ˈisixos], όμως [ˈomos].

Why does γείτονας end in -ας but take ο (masculine)?

In Modern Greek many masculine nouns end in -ας (e.g., ο γείτονας, ο πατέρας). The article shows gender. Declension pattern: ο γείτονας (nom.), του γείτονα (gen.), τον γείτονα (acc.).

What case are η γειτόνισσα and ο γείτονας in?

Nominative singular, because they are subjects. As objects you’d see accusative with different articles: Βλέπω τη γειτόνισσα. Βλέπω τον γείτονα.

Why does γειτόνισσα have a double σσ?

The feminine suffix -ισσα is spelled with double sigma: η γειτόνισσα, η μαγείρισσα, η πριγκίπισσα. Also note Greek uses σ inside words and ς only at word‑end, so γείτονας ends in ς.

What do the accent marks show, and why are they on those vowels?

They mark the stressed syllable. Here: γεί in γείτονας; -τό- in γειτόνισσα; ή in ήσυχος/ήσυχη; ό in όμως. The digraph ει is pronounced like ι (ee); the accent doesn’t change the vowel quality, only the stress.

Is there a nuance difference between ήσυχος and ήρεμος?

• ήσυχος: quiet, not noisy; also can mean well‑behaved/not troublesome.
• ήρεμος: calm/serene (mood or atmosphere). They can overlap, but ήσυχος focuses more on quietness.

What’s the adverb or noun related to ήσυχος?

• Adverb: ήσυχα (quietly). Example: Μιλάει ήσυχα.
• Noun: η ησυχία (quiet, silence). Example: Μου αρέσει η ησυχία.

Can I rearrange the sentence?

Yes, Greek word order is flexible because articles and endings mark roles. Examples:

• Ο γείτονας, όμως, δεν είναι ήσυχος, ενώ η γειτόνισσα είναι.
• Η γειτόνισσα είναι ήσυχη· ο γείτονας όμως δεν είναι. The meaning remains the same; punctuation guides the reader.