Breakdown of Σήμερα έχει χιόνι και η θερμοκρασία έξω είναι πολύ χαμηλή.
Questions & Answers about Σήμερα έχει χιόνι και η θερμοκρασία έξω είναι πολύ χαμηλή.
In Greek, έχει + [weather phenomenon] is a very common way to talk about the presence of something in the environment, especially weather:
- Έχει χιόνι = There is snow / It’s snowy (there is snow on the ground or in the environment)
- Έχει ήλιο = It’s sunny (there is sun)
- Έχει συννεφιά = It’s cloudy
Using είναι χιόνι would be wrong here; είναι is not used with χιόνι like that.
Υπάρχει χιόνι (“there exists snow”) is grammatically correct but sounds more formal or technical in everyday speech. The natural spoken form for weather is έχει χιόνι.
Both relate to snow, but they focus on different things:
Σήμερα χιονίζει.
- Verb: χιονίζει (“it is snowing”).
- Focus: the action of snow falling from the sky (it’s snowing right now).
Σήμερα έχει χιόνι.
- Verb: έχει (“it has / there is”).
- Focus: the presence of snow (e.g. on the ground, in the environment), whether or not it is actively snowing at this exact moment.
So:
- If you look out the window and see snow actually falling: Σήμερα χιονίζει.
- If you see snow on the roofs and streets (maybe it snowed earlier): Σήμερα έχει χιόνι.
They can overlap in use, but the nuance is different.
Χιόνι here is treated as a mass/uncountable noun (like “water”, “snow”, “air”) in a general sense:
- Έχει χιόνι. = There is (some) snow.
In Greek, mass nouns in this kind of “there is X” statement usually appear without an article:
- Έχει νερό; = Is there (any) water?
- Έχει δουλειά σήμερα. = There is work today.
You can use an article when you refer to specific snow, but that’s a different meaning:
- Το χιόνι στο βουνό είναι πολύ. = The snow on the mountain is a lot.
In your sentence, we’re talking about snow in general, so no article: χιόνι.
Η θερμοκρασία means “the temperature”.
- η = definite article, feminine singular nominative
- θερμοκρασία = a feminine noun in the nominative singular
Adjectives in Greek must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case. Since θερμοκρασία is feminine singular nominative, the adjective must match:
- χαμηλή = “low”
- feminine
- singular
- nominative
So we get:
- η θερμοκρασία … είναι πολύ χαμηλή
- the temperature … is very low
If the noun were masculine, you’d see:
- ο καιρός είναι χαμηλός (masc.)
If it were neuter plural: - τα επίπεδα είναι χαμηλά (neuter plural).
Break it down:
- χαμηλή = adjective “low” agreeing with η θερμοκρασία (feminine singular nominative).
- πολύ = “very” (an adverb here), modifying the adjective.
Key points:
- χαμηλή must agree with θερμοκρασία (feminine, singular, nominative), so it has to be χαμηλή, not χαμηλό or χαμηλά.
- πολύ as an adverb (meaning “very”) is invariable in this use: it does not change form to match gender/number/case.
- πολύ ψηλός / πολύ ψηλή / πολύ ψηλό = very tall (masc./fem./neut.)
- πολύ χαμηλή / πολύ χαμηλός / πολύ χαμηλό = very low
So πολύ χαμηλή is “very low”, correctly matching η θερμοκρασία.
Έξω is an adverb meaning “outside”:
- η θερμοκρασία έξω ≈ “the temperature outside”
It’s attached to θερμοκρασία to specify where that temperature is being measured/considered.
You can change the position without changing the meaning much:
- Η θερμοκρασία έξω είναι πολύ χαμηλή. (as given; very natural)
- Έξω η θερμοκρασία είναι πολύ χαμηλή. (emphasis on “outside”)
- Η θερμοκρασία είναι πολύ χαμηλή έξω. (focus on “the temperature is very low” and then you add “outside” at the end)
All are grammatically correct; word order in Greek is relatively flexible, especially with adverbs like έξω. The original version is probably the most neutral.
The sentence has two clauses joined by και (“and”):
Σήμερα έχει χιόνι
- έχει = 3rd person singular of έχω (“to have”)
- Used impersonally here, like English “there is”
- Literally “today it has snow” → “there is snow today”
η θερμοκρασία έξω είναι πολύ χαμηλή
- είναι = 3rd person singular of είμαι (“to be”)
- “the temperature outside is very low”
So:
- έχει: “there is / it has” (weather / existence construction)
- είναι: “is” (linking verb between subject and adjective)
Both are in the present tense, 3rd person singular.
They play different roles in the sentence:
η θερμοκρασία έξω
- Subject of the second clause
- Definite, specific: the temperature (the one outside right now)
- Greek usually uses the definite article for such specific, concrete things.
(έχει) χιόνι
- Object of the verb έχει in an impersonal, weather-related construction
- Treated as indefinite mass (“some snow”)
- Mass nouns in this “there is [some] X” structure usually appear without an article.
So it’s natural:
- η θερμοκρασία (definite, specific subject)
- χιόνι (indefinite mass noun, “snow in general”).
Greek word order is relatively flexible, especially compared to English. All of these are possible and understandable:
- Η θερμοκρασία έξω είναι πολύ χαμηλή. (neutral, common)
- Έξω η θερμοκρασία είναι πολύ χαμηλή. (emphasis on “outside”)
- Η θερμοκρασία είναι πολύ χαμηλή έξω. (slight emphasis on “is very low”)
What you cannot do is separate what grammatically belongs together in a confusing way, e.g.:
- ✗ Η έξω θερμοκρασία είναι πολύ χαμηλή.
- This is possible but more formal/literary; έξω becomes a kind of adjective. In normal speech you’d prefer the original order.
For everyday use, «Η θερμοκρασία έξω είναι πολύ χαμηλή» is the safest and most natural.
Some key pronunciation points:
έχει = É-chi
- χ = like the “ch” in German Bach or the Scottish loch, a voiceless velar fricative. Not like English “ch” in “church”.
- Stress on the έ: É-chi.
χιόνι = HIÓ-ni
- Again χ as above.
- ιο in stressed position sounds like yo: hyo-ni.
- Stress on χιό: HIÓ-ni.
θερμοκρασία = ther-mo-kra-SÍ-a
- θ = like English th in “think”.
- Stress on -σία: ther-mo-kra-SÍ-a.
The full sentence:
ΣΉ-mera É-chi HIÓ-ni ke i ther-mo-kra-SÍ-a Éxo í-ne POLI ha-mi-LÍ.
(Uppercase syllables are stressed.)