Breakdown of Η αδερφή μου μένει σε άλλη πόλη και πάει στο πανεπιστήμιο.
Questions & Answers about Η αδερφή μου μένει σε άλλη πόλη και πάει στο πανεπιστήμιο.
In Greek, unstressed possessive pronouns like μου, σου, του, της, μας, σας, τους normally come after the noun:
- η αδερφή μου = my sister
- ο φίλος σου = your friend
- το σπίτι μας = our house
Putting them before the noun (η μου αδερφή) is either wrong in modern everyday Greek or sounds very old‑fashioned/poetic. So the natural order is:
article + noun + possessive pronoun
→ η αδερφή μου
In Greek, you almost always use the definite article with family members and other specific people, even if English doesn’t:
- η αδερφή μου = literally the sister my → my sister
- ο πατέρας μου = my father
- η φίλη μου = my (female) friend
Saying αδερφή μου without η is possible in vocative (when you address someone directly), e.g.:
- Αδερφή μου, έλα εδώ. = My sister, come here.
But in a normal statement like our sentence, you need the article:
Η αδερφή μου μένει…
They are the same word: sister.
- αδερφή is the modern, more phonetic spelling and is extremely common in everyday writing.
- αδελφή is a more traditional/archaic spelling, closer to the ancient form ἀδελφή.
Pronunciation is the same in modern Greek ([aðerˈfi]). You can safely use αδερφή in everyday modern contexts.
Pronunciation: [aðerˈfi]
- α = like a in father
- δ = voiced th, like th in this, that
- ε = like e in met
- η = here sounds like ee in see
Syllables: α‑δε‑ρφή, with the stress on the last syllable (‑φή).
So it sounds roughly like a-thehr-FEE (with th as in this, not as in think).
μένει is 3rd person singular, present tense of the verb μένω.
- μένω = I stay / I live
- μένεις = you stay / live
- μένει = he / she / it stays / lives
- μένουμε = we stay / live
- μένετε = you (plural/polite) stay / live
- μένουν(ε) = they stay / live
In our sentence, μένει means “she lives” (or “she is living”). Greek uses the same present form for both lives and is living, depending on context.
Both are possible, but there’s a nuance:
- μένει (from μένω) = literally stays, but very commonly used for lives/resides in a place.
- Μένει σε άλλη πόλη. = She lives in another city.
- ζει (from ζω) = lives in the sense of being alive or experiencing life.
- Ζει στην Αθήνα. = She lives in Athens.
- Ζει ακόμα; = Is she still alive?
For “lives (resides) in another city”, μένει is extremely natural and common. Ζει σε άλλη πόλη is also correct, just slightly more neutral/formal.
Greek adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe.
- πόλη is feminine, singular, accusative (because it follows σε).
- So άλλη must also be feminine, singular, accusative.
The forms here are:
- άλλη (fem. sing. nom./acc.)
- πόλη (fem. sing. nom./acc.)
So σε άλλη πόλη = in another city.
You cannot use άλλος here, because άλλος is the masculine form (e.g. άλλος φίλος = another (male) friend).
In modern Greek, the preposition σε is used with the accusative case, regardless of whether the meaning is:
- in / at a place (location), or
- to a place (movement).
Examples:
- Μένω σε άλλη πόλη. = I live in another city. (location)
- Πηγαίνω σε άλλη πόλη. = I go to another city. (movement)
In both cases, πόλη is accusative, because σε governs the accusative case. The difference between in and to is understood from the verb (μένω vs πηγαίνω/πάω), not from the case.
σε is a very flexible preposition. It usually corresponds to:
- in / at / on (location)
- to / into (direction)
The exact meaning depends on the verb and the context:
- Μένει σε άλλη πόλη. = She lives in another city.
- Πάει στο πανεπιστήμιο. = She goes to the university.
- Είναι στο πανεπιστήμιο. = She is at the university.
So you don’t change σε; you let the verb and context decide whether English should use in, at, on, to etc.
στο is a contraction of σε + το:
- σε + το → στο (to / in the [neuter singular])
- σε + τον → στον (to / in the [masc. sing.])
- σε + την → στη(ν) (to / in the [fem. sing.])
- σε + τα → στα (to / in the [neuter plural])
Since πανεπιστήμιο is neuter singular, the article is το, and:
σε το πανεπιστήμιο → στο πανεπιστήμιο
This contraction is standard and almost always used in speech and writing.
πάει is the 3rd person singular, present of the verb πάω (colloquial), which corresponds to πηγαίνω (more “full”/neutral form).
Both are used in everyday Greek:
- πηγαίνω = I go
→ 3rd singular: πηγαίνει - πάω = I go (very common, slightly more informal/short)
→ 3rd singular: πάει
So:
- Πάει στο πανεπιστήμιο. = She goes to university.
- Πηγαίνει στο πανεπιστήμιο. = She goes to university.
In this sentence, πάει sounds perfectly natural and is very common in speech.
Greek present tense can express both:
Habitual / regular actions
- Πάει στο πανεπιστήμιο. = She goes to university (she is a student; this is what she regularly does).
Actions happening now (like English present continuous)
- Τώρα πάει στο πανεπιστήμιο. = She is going to the university now.
In the sentence Η αδερφή μου μένει σε άλλη πόλη και πάει στο πανεπιστήμιο, the most natural interpretation is habitual:
- She lives in another city (general fact)
- She goes to university (she is attending university)
Greek usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person and number:
- μένει and πάει are both 3rd person singular → he/she/it.
- From context (η αδερφή μου), we know it’s she.
So Greek prefers:
- Η αδερφή μου μένει… (literally: The sister my lives…)
Instead of:
- Αυτή η αδερφή μου μένει… (would sound strange)
- Αυτή μένει… (only if context already makes she clear)
You add αυτή mainly for emphasis or contrast:
- Αυτή μένει σε άλλη πόλη, όχι εγώ. = She lives in another city, not me.