Breakdown of Η καθηγήτριά μου στο πανεπιστήμιο είναι η πιο υπομονετική και εξηγεί τα πάντα αργά.
Questions & Answers about Η καθηγήτριά μου στο πανεπιστήμιο είναι η πιο υπομονετική και εξηγεί τα πάντα αργά.
There are actually two separate noun phrases here, each with its own definite article:
- Η καθηγήτριά μου στο πανεπιστήμιο = my professor at the university (subject)
- η πιο υπομονετική = the most patient (one) (predicate)
In Greek, when you use πιο (more/most) in a superlative sense (the most patient), you normally keep the article:
- η πιο υπομονετική = the most patient (female)
- ο πιο υπομονετικός = the most patient (male)
You could also say:
- Η καθηγήτριά μου στο πανεπιστήμιο είναι πολύ υπομονετική.
My professor at university is very patient.
But if you want “the most patient”, you normally need η πιο… with the article.
The base word is καθηγήτρια (female professor/teacher), which is stressed on the third syllable from the end (a proparoxytone):
- καθηγήτρια → stress on -γή-
When a proparoxytone word is followed by an enclitic (like the unstressed possessive pronouns μου, σου, του), Greek spelling adds a second accent on the last syllable of the main word:
- η καθηγήτρια → the professor (f)
- η καθηγήτριά μου → my professor
Here:
- The original stress on -γή- stays (in -γή-).
- A second accent is added on the last syllable (-τριά) because of μου.
So with enclitics, it is normal (and correct) to see two accents on the host word: one where it is normally stressed, and an extra one on the final syllable.
Both mean female teacher, but they are used in different contexts:
καθηγήτρια
- Usually for secondary school (middle/high school) and university.
- Also used for university professors.
- Masculine: καθηγητής.
δασκάλα
- Mostly for primary school / elementary school teachers.
- Also used informally for teacher in general, especially with children.
- Masculine: δάσκαλος.
In this sentence, η καθηγήτριά μου στο πανεπιστήμιο very naturally means my professor at university.
Greek unstressed possessive pronouns (μου, σου, του, της, μας, σας, τους) usually follow the noun:
- η καθηγήτριά μου = my professor
- το βιβλίο σου = your book
- οι φίλοι μας = our friends
These pronouns are enclitics, so they:
- Come after the noun they belong to.
- Normally don’t carry their own written accent (the accent changes the main word instead, as in καθηγήτριά μου).
If you want to emphasize “mine” as opposed to someone else’s, you use a stressed form:
- η δική μου καθηγήτρια = my own professor / my professor (not someone else’s)
But in normal, neutral possession, the word order is noun + μου, not μου + noun.
Στο is a contraction of the preposition σε (in, at, to) and the neuter article το (the):
- σε + το = στο
So:
- στο πανεπιστήμιο = at the university / in the university / to the university (depending on context).
Other similar contractions:
- σε + τον = στον (before masculine nouns)
- στον καθηγητή = to the (male) professor
- σε + την = στην (before feminine nouns)
- στην τάξη = in the class
After σε/στο, the noun is in the accusative case:
- (στο) πανεπιστήμιο is accusative singular neuter.
In modern Greek, neuter nouns very often have the same form for nominative and accusative singular:
- Nominative: το πανεπιστήμιο (the university – subject)
- Accusative: στο πανεπιστήμιο (at/to the university – object of the preposition)
So it looks the same, but its function in the sentence (after σε) tells you it’s accusative.
Adjectives in Greek agree with the noun they describe in:
- Gender (masculine, feminine, neuter)
- Number (singular, plural)
- Case (nominative, accusative, etc.)
The understood noun here is η καθηγήτρια (feminine, singular, nominative), so the adjective must also be:
- υπομονετικός – masculine singular nominative
- υπομονετική – feminine singular nominative
- υπομονετικό – neuter singular nominative
Sentence:
Η καθηγήτριά μου … είναι η πιο υπομονετική.
Even though καθηγήτρια is not repeated, it is understood after η πιο υπομονετική, so the adjective stays feminine singular: “she is the most patient (female) [teacher].”
The word πιο by itself means “more”:
- πιο υπομονετική = more patient (female)
To make it superlative (“the most patient”), you add the definite article:
- η πιο υπομονετική = the most patient (female)
- ο πιο υπομονετικός = the most patient (male)
- το πιο ενδιαφέρον = the most interesting (neuter)
So:
- Without article: πιο υπομονετική → more patient
- With article: η πιο υπομονετική → the most patient
The expression τα πάντα literally means “the everything(s)” and is a fixed phrase meaning “absolutely everything”.
Compare:
τα πάντα
- Stronger: absolutely everything, all things
- εξηγεί τα πάντα = she explains absolutely everything
όλα
- General: all (of them)
- εξηγεί όλα (more natural with a noun: εξηγεί όλα τα μαθήματα = she explains all the lessons)
πάντα (without τα)
- As an adverb, it usually means “always”:
- Πάντα εξηγεί αργά. = She always explains slowly.
- As an adverb, it usually means “always”:
So τα πάντα here clarifies the meaning as “everything” and avoids the “always” reading of μόνον πάντα.
Αργά can mean either “slowly” or “late”, depending on context.
As “slowly”:
- εξηγεί τα πάντα αργά = she explains everything slowly
- Modifies how she explains (the manner).
As “late” (time):
- Έρχεται αργά. = She/He comes late.
- Refers to time, not speed.
In your sentence:
- εξηγεί τα πάντα αργά
The verb is “explain”, and we’re talking about the manner of explanation, so αργά = slowly.
Other words you may see for “slowly”:
- σιγά / σιγά σιγά = slowly / very slowly, little by little
Yes. Greek word order is relatively flexible, especially with adverbs and objects. All of these are grammatically possible:
- εξηγεί τα πάντα αργά – she explains everything slowly (neutral)
- εξηγεί αργά τα πάντα – slightly more emphasis on αργά (she explains slowly, everything).
- τα πάντα τα εξηγεί αργά – strong emphasis on τα πάντα (everything she explains, she explains slowly).
- αργά εξηγεί τα πάντα – focus very strongly on αργά (it’s slowly that she explains everything).
The original version εξηγεί τα πάντα αργά is the most neutral and common in everyday speech.
Εξηγεί is the present tense, 3rd person singular of εξηγώ (to explain).
In Greek, the present tense often covers both:
- English “she explains” (habitual/general)
- English “she is explaining” (right now, ongoing)
So εξηγεί τα πάντα αργά can mean:
- She explains everything slowly (this is how she generally teaches).
- She is explaining everything slowly (at this moment), if the context suggests a current situation.
You don’t need a separate progressive form like in English.
Greek often does not use a separate subject pronoun (like he, she, it) when the subject is already clear from context or explicitly stated.
Here, the subject is:
- Η καθηγήτριά μου στο πανεπιστήμιο = my professor at university
So Greek doesn’t also say αυτή (she). The verb εξηγεί already agrees with a 3rd-person singular subject, and the noun phrase itself serves as the subject.
A full version like:
- Η καθηγήτριά μου στο πανεπιστήμιο αυτή είναι η πιο υπομονετική…
would sound heavy and unnatural in normal speech.
Υπομονετική comes from the noun υπομονή (patience). Greek often forms adjectives with the suffix -τικός/-τική/-τικό:
- υπομονή (patience) → υπομονετικός / υπομονετική / υπομονετικό (patient)
- φαντασία (imagination) → φανταστικός (fantastic)
- τέχνη (art) → καλλιτεχνικός (artistic)
So the correct adjective meaning “patient” is υπομονετικός/-ή/-ό, not υπομονερός or υπομονερή.
In your sentence, it appears as υπομονετική to match the feminine noun καθηγήτρια.