Questions & Answers about Έχω έξι βιβλία στο σπίτι.
Greek has an indefinite article only in the singular (ένας, μία/μια, ένα), but no plural indefinite article.
So for plural nouns with a number, Greek simply uses:
- έξι βιβλία = six books
(no extra word for some or any)
If you wanted to say some books (without a number), you would use words like:
- μερικά βιβλία = some books
- κάποια βιβλία = some (unspecified) books
But with a specific number (έξι), you just say έξι βιβλία, not κάποια έξι βιβλία or similar.
στο σπίτι literally means in/at the house, but in everyday Greek it often corresponds to English at home.
Roughly:
- Έχω έξι βιβλία στο σπίτι.
→ I have six books at home / in the house (neutral; usually understood as at home)
To be more precise, Greek often uses:
- σπίτι (without article):
Είμαι σπίτι. → I’m at home. - στο σπίτι μου:
Έχω έξι βιβλία στο σπίτι μου. → I have six books at my house / at home (explicitly my).
So στο σπίτι in your sentence will normally be understood as at home, unless the context clearly suggests some house that isn’t yours.
In modern Greek, the preposition σε (in, at, to) contracts with the definite article.
So:
- σε + το → στο (neuter singular)
- σε + τον → στον (masculine singular)
- σε + την → στη(ν) (feminine singular)
- σε + τα → στα (neuter plural), etc.
So σε το σπίτι is grammatically possible in theory, but in normal speech and writing it is always στο σπίτι.
Your sentence is therefore:
- σε + το σπίτι → στο σπίτι
→ in/at the house
The subject I is included in the verb ending in Greek, so the pronoun is usually omitted.
- έχω = I have
(1st person singular present of έχω)
Greek is a “pro-drop” language: subject pronouns (εγώ, εσύ, αυτός…) are normally left out unless you need emphasis or contrast.
- Έχω έξι βιβλία στο σπίτι. → I have six books at home.
- Εγώ έχω έξι βιβλία στο σπίτι. → I have six books at home (implying: not someone else, or highlighting me).
So the sentence is complete and natural without εγώ.
Both βιβλία and σπίτι are in the accusative case.
- βιβλία is the direct object of έχω:
- Τι έχω; → έξι βιβλία (What do I have? → six books)
- σπίτι is the object of the preposition σε:
- πού; → στο σπίτι (where? → in/at the house)
In modern Greek, the preposition σε always takes the accusative.
Grammatically:
βιβλίο (neuter)
- nominative singular: το βιβλίο
- accusative singular: το βιβλίο
- nominative/accusative plural: τα βιβλία
σπίτι (neuter)
- nominative singular: το σπίτι
- accusative singular: το σπίτι
For neuter nouns, nominative and accusative have the same form, so you identify the case by function in the sentence, not by ending.
Both nouns are neuter:
- το βιβλίο → τα βιβλία (books)
- το σπίτι → τα σπίτια (houses)
This affects:
Article choice
- το and τα are neuter articles.
- In your sentence you see the neuter article το inside the contraction στο (σε + το).
Plural formation
- Many neuter nouns in -ο form their plural in -α:
βιβλίο → βιβλία, παιδί → παιδιά, etc.
- Many neuter nouns in -ο form their plural in -α:
The gender does not change the form of the number έξι; it stays έξι with all genders.
No. έξι is invariable: it does not change with gender, number, or case.
You use έξι with:
- neuter: έξι βιβλία (six books)
- masculine: έξι άντρες (six men)
- feminine: έξι γυναίκες (six women)
Only some numbers change their form in Greek, especially:
- 1: ένας (m), μία/μια (f), ένα (n)
- 3: τρεις (m/f), τρία (n)
- 4: τέσσερις (m/f), τέσσερα (n)
From 5 (πέντε) onward, the cardinal numbers (including έξι) are the same in all genders and cases in everyday modern Greek.
Yes. Greek word order is relatively flexible, and several variants are possible and grammatical, though they differ slightly in emphasis.
All of these are correct:
Έχω έξι βιβλία στο σπίτι.
– Neutral; basic information: I have six books at home.Στο σπίτι έχω έξι βιβλία.
– Emphasises the location; e.g. in contrast with somewhere else.Έξι βιβλία έχω στο σπίτι.
– Emphasises the number; e.g. correcting someone about how many.Στο σπίτι έξι βιβλία έχω.
– Grammatically possible but more marked/poetic or very emphatic.
For everyday speech, (1) is the most neutral, (2) and (3) are common when you want to stress where or how many.
Έχω έξι βιβλία.
→ I have six books.
(No information about where they are.)Έχω έξι βιβλία στο σπίτι.
→ I have six books at home / in the house.
(Adds a location: at home.)
You can replace στο σπίτι with any other location:
- Έχω έξι βιβλία στο γραφείο. → I have six books at the office.
- Έχω έξι βιβλία στην τσάντα μου. → I have six books in my bag.
You add a possessive pronoun after σπίτι:
- στο σπίτι μου = at my house / at my home
- στο σπίτι σου = at your house
- στο σπίτι του = at his house
- στο σπίτι της = at her house
So:
Έχω έξι βιβλία στο σπίτι μου.
→ I have six books at my house.Έχω έξι βιβλία στο σπίτι του.
→ I have six books at his house.
Without a possessive (just στο σπίτι), context usually makes it clear whose house is meant (often your own).
Approximate pronunciation (modern Greek):
Έχω → É-ho [ˈe.xo]
- χ is a voiceless kh sound (like German Bach or Spanish j in some dialects).
έξι → É-ksee [ˈe.ksi]
- ξ represents the ks sound.
βιβλία → vee-VLEE-a [viˈvli.a]
- Stress on βλί.
στο → sto [sto]
σπίτι → SPEE-tee [ˈspi.ti]
- Stress on σπί; η is pronounced like i.
Together, with natural rhythm:
- Έχω έξι βιβλία στο σπίτι.
→ Ého éksi vivlía sto spíti.
In modern Greek, every word of more than one syllable is written with one stress accent (´) on the stressed vowel:
- Έχω – stress on the first syllable
- έξι – stress on έ
- βιβλία – stress on λί
- σπίτι – stress on σπί
The accent mark:
- shows which syllable is stressed when you pronounce the word;
- is part of correct spelling, not optional.
You generally have to learn the stress position with each word (it’s shown in dictionaries and learning materials). Misplacing the stress can sometimes change meaning or simply sound unnatural, much like mis-stressing English words (e.g. phoTOgraph vs. PHOtograph).