Το διαμέρισμα είναι ωραίο, αλλά το ενοίκιο είναι ακριβό.

The apartment is nice, but the rent is expensive.

Breakdown of Το διαμέρισμα είναι ωραίο, αλλά το ενοίκιο είναι ακριβό.

• είμαι: to be
• αλλά: but
• ακριβός: expensive
• το διαμέρισμα: the apartment
• ωραίος: nice
• το ενοίκιο: the rent

Questions & Answers about Το διαμέρισμα είναι ωραίο, αλλά το ενοίκιο είναι ακριβό.

Why is the article το used twice?

Greek puts a definite article in front of each separate noun phrase. Here we have two subjects: το διαμέρισμα and το ενοίκιο, so each gets its own το. Leaving it out (e.g., saying just ενοίκιο) would sound odd here because we’re talking about a specific rent, not rent in general.

Why do the adjectives end in -ο (ωραίο, ακριβό)?

Adjectives agree with the noun in gender, number, and case. Both διαμέρισμα and ενοίκιο are neuter singular nominative, so the adjectives are neuter singular too: ωραίος/ωραία/ωραίο; ακριβός/ακριβή/ακριβό. Hence: ωραίο, ακριβό.

How can I tell the gender of words like διαμέρισμα and ενοίκιο?

A quick rule of thumb:

• Nouns ending in -μα (e.g., διαμέρισμα) are usually neuter.
• Nouns ending in -ιο (e.g., ενοίκιο) are usually neuter. When learning a noun, learn it with its article: το διαμέρισμα, το ενοίκιο.

What’s the difference between saying “The apartment is nice” and “the nice apartment” in Greek?

• Predicative position (what you have): Το διαμέρισμα είναι ωραίο. “The apartment is nice.”
• Attributive position (adjective before noun with the article): το ωραίο διαμέρισμα “the nice apartment.” Greek marks attributive adjectives with the article: το ωραίο διαμέρισμα (not just ωραίο διαμέρισμα).

Could I drop the second είναι?

You sometimes see it omitted in a more elliptical or literary style: …αλλά το ενοίκιο ακριβό. In everyday speech and neutral writing, keep είναι: …αλλά το ενοίκιο είναι ακριβό.

Why is there a comma before αλλά?

As in English, when αλλά “but” connects two independent clauses, Greek uses a comma before it: …, αλλά …. With very short contrasts you’ll still usually see the comma.

Can I use a different word for “but”?

Yes:

• μα (colloquial): … μα το ενοίκιο είναι ακριβό.
• όμως (“however”): Το διαμέρισμα είναι ωραίο, όμως το ενοίκιο είναι ακριβό. Or start a new sentence: Όμως, το ενοίκιο…

Is είναι “is” or “are”? How do I know?

είναι serves for both “is” (3rd singular) and “are” (3rd plural). Context and the subject tell you which. Present forms of είμαι:

• είμαι (I am), είσαι (you are), είναι (he/she/it is),
• είμαστε (we are), είστε (you are), είναι (they are).

Why is είναι pronounced “íne” although it ends in -αι?

In Modern Greek, αι is pronounced like “e” (as in “get”). So είναι is pronounced [ˈine]. The spelling is historical; you’ll never write είνε in standard Modern Greek.

How do I pronounce the whole sentence?

Approximate guide (stress in caps):

• Το διαμέρισμα είναι ωραίο, αλλά το ενοίκιο είναι ακριβό.
• to dhya-ME-rizma Í-ne o-RE-o, a-LÁ to e-NEE-kyo Í-ne a-kri-VO. Tips:
• δ = “th” in “this.”
• ει/οι = “ee.”
• αι = “e.”
• Greek r is tapped/flapped.

What’s the nuance of ωραίο vs όμορφο vs καλό?

• ωραίο: “nice/pleasant/beautiful” (very common, broad praise).
• όμορφο: “beautiful/pretty” (more explicitly about looks/appeal).
• καλό: “good” (quality/usefulness/morally good, not necessarily pretty).

What’s the difference between ενοίκιο and νοίκι?

Both mean “rent.” ενοίκιο is the standard term; νοίκι is more informal/colloquial. Plurals: ενοίκια / νοίκια (“rents,” or rent prices).

If I want to talk about rent prices in general, should I use plural?

Yes, typically: Τα ενοίκια είναι ακριβά. “Rents are expensive.” For a specific place/flat: Το ενοίκιο είναι ακριβό.

What case are the nouns and adjectives here?

They’re nominative singular neuter:

• το διαμέρισμα (subject) … ωραίο (predicate adjective).
• το ενοίκιο (subject) … ακριβό (predicate adjective). With είναι, the complement stays nominative.

Where does the accent go in words with vowel pairs like αι/ει/οι?

When the pair represents a single sound, the stress mark goes on the second letter:

• είναι (stress on ί),
• ωραίο (stress on ί in ραί),
• ενοίκιο (stress on ί in νοί).

Why not ακριβά instead of ακριβό?

• ακριβό agrees with singular neuter το ενοίκιο.
• ακριβά is either neuter plural (“expensive” for plural neuter nouns) or an adverb (“expensively”). Here we need singular adjective agreement: ακριβό.

How do I say “too/very expensive”?

• πολύ ακριβό = very expensive.
• πάρα πολύ ακριβό = extremely/too expensive (context decides if it’s truly “too”).
• Colloquial alternatives for “pricey”: τσιμπημένο, τσουχτερό.

Do I need an “it” pronoun, like “it is expensive”?

No. Greek doesn’t use a dummy “it.” The noun phrase itself is the subject: Το ενοίκιο είναι ακριβό.