Ο ξενώνας στην πόλη έχει δωρεάν ίντερνετ.

to have

Breakdown of Ο ξενώνας στην πόλη έχει δωρεάν ίντερνετ.

• σε: in
• η πόλη: the city
• το ίντερνετ: the internet
• δωρεάν: free
• ο ξενώνας: the guesthouse

Questions & Answers about Ο ξενώνας στην πόλη έχει δωρεάν ίντερνετ.

What exactly does ξενώνας mean? Is it the same as “hotel” or “hostel”?

Ξενώνας is a masculine noun that usually means guesthouse, hostel, or lodge.

It’s more general and a bit less “formal-business” than ξενοδοχείο (hotel). Roughly:

• ξενώνας → guesthouse, hostel, lodge, sometimes a small family-run place or a dorm-style place
• ξενοδοχείο → hotel (standard term for a commercial hotel)

So Ο ξενώνας στην πόλη could be “The guesthouse in the city” or “The hostel in town,” depending on context.

Why is it Ο ξενώνας and not Ένας ξενώνας?

Ο is the definite article (“the”), while ένας is the indefinite article (“a”).

• Ο ξενώνας στην πόλη έχει δωρεάν ίντερνετ.
  → The guesthouse in the city has free internet. (A specific one, known from context.)

• Ένας ξενώνας στην πόλη έχει δωρεάν ίντερνετ.
  → A guesthouse in the city has free internet. (Some, not specified which.)

Greek uses the definite article very much like English “the”: when the speaker and listener can identify which place is meant (or it has just been mentioned).

What is στην? Why not just σε?

Στην is a contracted form of the preposition σε + the feminine singular article την:

• σε = in, at, on, to (very general preposition)
• την = the (feminine, singular, accusative)

σε + την πόλη → στην πόλη

Other common contractions are:

• σε + τον → στον (e.g. στον ξενώνα)
• σε + το → στο (e.g. στο σπίτι)
• σε + τις → στις (e.g. στις πόλεις)

So στην πόλη literally is “in the city/town.”

Why is it πόλη here? What case is that and what are its forms?

The word is η πόλη (the city/town). Its basic forms are:

• Nominative (subject): η πόλη – the city
• Accusative (object / after many prepositions): την πόλη – the city

When you use σε, it normally takes the accusative. So the full form is:

• σε την πόλη → accusative → contracted to στην πόλη

In the sentence, στην πόλη is “in the city / in town,” and πόλη is in the accusative case (though the article is what really shows that; the noun’s spelling doesn’t change).

What does έχει mean here? Is it just “has”?

Έχει is the 3rd person singular of έχω = to have. So literally:

• Ο ξενώνας … έχει δωρεάν ίντερνετ.
  → The hostel has free internet.

However, in Greek, έχει is often used in a way that’s closer to English “there is / there are”, especially in impersonal phrases:

• Έχει δωρεάν ίντερνετ;
  → “Is there free internet?” / “Do they have free internet?”

In your sentence, though, the subject is explicit (ο ξενώνας), so the most direct reading is just “has.”

Could I say this with υπάρχει instead of έχει?

Yes, you can, but it changes the structure slightly:

• Υπάρχει δωρεάν ίντερνετ στον ξενώνα στην πόλη.
  → There is free internet at the hostel in the city.

Differences:

• έχει
  • object = “X has Y”
• υπάρχει = “there is / there exists”

Both are natural, but έχει with a place as subject (e.g. Το ξενοδοχείο έχει…) is very common in everyday speech for facilities and services.

What kind of word is δωρεάν? Why doesn’t it change form?

Δωρεάν means “for free / free of charge.”

It is an indeclinable word: it does not change for gender, number, or case. It behaves mostly like an adverb, but it can also function as an invariable adjective before a noun:

• δωρεάν ίντερνετ – free internet
• Το φαγητό είναι δωρεάν. – The food is free.

You don’t say δωρεάνη, δωρεάνο, etc. It always stays δωρεάν.

Informally, you’ll also hear τζάμπα (“for free / for nothing”), which is more colloquial.

What about ίντερνετ? Is it a Greek word? Does it have a gender or plural?

Ίντερνετ is a loanword from English “internet”, written phonetically in Greek.

• Gender: usually treated as neuter → το ίντερνετ
• Declension: in practice it is indeclinable (the form doesn’t change)

Examples:

• Το ίντερνετ είναι αργό. – The internet is slow.
• Έχουμε γρήγορο ίντερνετ. – We have fast internet.

You’ll also see a more “Greek” term το διαδίκτυο (“the internet”), which is fully declinable. In your sentence, δωρεάν ίντερνετ is “free internet (access).”

Why is there no article before δωρεάν ίντερνετ? Could I say το δωρεάν ίντερνετ?

In Greek, as in English, when we talk about something in a general / non-specific / “mass” sense, we often omit the article:

• δωρεάν ίντερνετ – (some) free internet / free internet access in general

If you say το δωρεάν ίντερνετ, it sounds like you’re talking about some specific, known “free internet” (for example, a specific connection or service that has been mentioned already). In this context, the natural, neutral form is just δωρεάν ίντερνετ without an article.

How flexible is the word order in this sentence? Can I move things around?

Greek word order is more flexible than English because the articles and endings show the roles. Your sentence is:

• Ο ξενώνας στην πόλη έχει δωρεάν ίντερνετ.

Other natural orders (with slight changes in emphasis) are:

• Στην πόλη, ο ξενώνας έχει δωρεάν ίντερνετ.
  – Emphasis on in the city / in town.
• Ο ξενώνας έχει δωρεάν ίντερνετ στην πόλη.
  – Emphasis first on what the hostel has; στην πόλη sounds like a clarifying detail.

You can’t shuffle words entirely at random, but variations like these are normal. The basic pattern here is still Subject–Verb–Object, as in English.

How do you pronounce the whole sentence?

Approximate pronunciation (in IPA and rough English approximation):

• Ο ξενώνας στην πόλη έχει δωρεάν ίντερνετ.
  
  • /o kseˈnonas stim ˈpoli ˈexi ðoɾeˈan ˈindɛɾnet/ (one possible transcription)

Broken down:

• Ο → /o/ like o in not (shorter)
• ξενώνας → /kse-NO-nas/
  
  • ξ = /ks/ like box
  • ω sounds like ο here; both are /o/
• στην → /stin/
• πόλη → /PO-li/
  
  • η is pronounced /i/ (like ee in see)
• έχει → /E-hi/
  
  • χ = a rough “h” sound, like German Bach
• δωρεάν → /ðo-ɾe-AN/
  
  • δ = /ð/ like th in this
  • ρ = rolled or tapped r
• ίντερνετ → /IN-ter-net/ (almost like English “IN-ter-net,” but with Greek sounds)

Does στην πόλη mean specifically “in the city”, or can it also mean “in town”?

Πόλη literally means city, but in everyday Greek, στην πόλη often corresponds to English “in town” as well, depending on context.

• If you’re talking about a big urban center vs countryside, η πόλη = the city.
• If you’re in a village or a suburb and talk about going στην πόλη, it often means going into town / into the city center.

So in English translation you might choose “in the city” or “in town” depending on the situation, even though the Greek word is the same.