Αυτό το βιβλίο είναι στα ελληνικά.

This book is in Greek.

Breakdown of Αυτό το βιβλίο είναι στα ελληνικά.

• είμαι: to be
• αυτός: this
• το βιβλίο: the book
• στα ελληνικά: in Greek

Questions & Answers about Αυτό το βιβλίο είναι στα ελληνικά.

Why do we need both Αυτό and το before βιβλίο? In English we just say this book, with one word.

In Greek, the usual pattern for “this/that + noun” is:

[demonstrative] + [definite article] + [noun]

So:

• Αυτό = this (demonstrative)
• το = the (definite article, neuter singular)
• βιβλίο = book

Together: Αυτό το βιβλίο = this book
Literally: this the book

Greek almost always keeps the article in such phrases. Dropping το (saying only Αυτό βιβλίο) is wrong in standard Greek.

Why is the article το and not ο or η?

Greek nouns have grammatical gender. βιβλίο is a neuter noun, so:

• Masculine: ο (e.g. ο άντρας – the man)
• Feminine: η (e.g. η γυναίκα – the woman)
• Neuter: το (e.g. το βιβλίο – the book)

Because βιβλίο is neuter, it takes το.
So Αυτό το βιβλίο literally matches: this (neuter) the (neuter) book (neuter).

What form and tense is είναι?

είναι is the 3rd person singular of the verb είμαι (to be) in the present tense.

• είμαι = I am
• είσαι = you are (singular)
• είναι = he / she / it is, or they are (depending on context)

In this sentence:

• Subject: Αυτό το βιβλίο (this book)
• Verb: είναι (is)

So Αυτό το βιβλίο είναι… = This book is…

What case is Αυτό το βιβλίο in, and why?

It is in the nominative case, which is used mainly for:

• the subject of the sentence
• words that are in “X is Y” type structures (linking to a complement)

Αυτό το βιβλίο is the subject of είναι (is), so it is nominative:

• Αυτό το βιβλίο (nominative) είναι (is) στα ελληνικά (in Greek).

Can I change the word order, like in English: Το βιβλίο αυτό είναι στα ελληνικά?

Yes, Greek word order is quite flexible. All these are correct and natural, with slight emphasis differences:

• Αυτό το βιβλίο είναι στα ελληνικά.
  Neutral: This book is in Greek.

• Το βιβλίο αυτό είναι στα ελληνικά.
  A bit more emphasis on αυτό (this particular book).

• Το βιβλίο είναι στα ελληνικά αυτό.
  Possible, but more marked, used for contrast (e.g. “this one is in Greek, that one isn’t”).

For beginners, Αυτό το βιβλίο είναι στα ελληνικά is the most straightforward pattern.

What exactly is στα in στα ελληνικά?

στα is a contraction of:

• σε (in, at, on) + τα (the, neuter plural) → στα

So literally:

• στα ελληνικά = in the Greek (things) → understood as in the Greek language

This kind of contraction is very common:

• σε + τον → στον
• σε + την → στη(ν)
• σε + το → στο
• σε + τους → στους
• σε + τις / τας → στις
• σε + τα → στα

Why is ελληνικά in the plural? Why not a singular word meaning “Greek (language)”?

In Greek, many language names are neuter plural adjectives used as nouns:

• τα ελληνικά = Greek (language)
• τα αγγλικά = English
• τα γαλλικά = French
• τα γερμανικά = German

Grammatically:

• ελληνικά is the neuter plural form of the adjective ελληνικός, -ή, -ό (Greek).
• With the article τα (the), τα ελληνικά functions as a noun phrase meaning the Greek language.

So στα ελληνικά literally is in the Greek (language), with “language” understood.

Why is it στα ελληνικά and not σε ελληνικά (without the article)?

Greek normally uses the definite article with language names when you say “in X language”:

• στα ελληνικά = in Greek
• στα αγγλικά = in English
• στα ισπανικά = in Spanish

Without the article (e.g. σε ελληνικά) sounds wrong or at least very unnatural in this context. The article is part of the normal idiomatic pattern: σε + τα [language] → στα [language].

What is the difference between στα ελληνικά and στην ελληνική (γλώσσα)?

Both refer to the Greek language, but they are formed differently:

1. στα ελληνικά

   • στα = in the (neuter plural)
   • ελληνικά = Greek (neuter plural, used as a noun)
     Very common, everyday way to say in Greek.

2. στην ελληνική γλώσσα

   • στην = in the (feminine)
   • ελληνική = Greek (feminine singular adjective)
   • γλώσσα = language (feminine noun) More formal or explicit: in the Greek language.

You can also omit γλώσσα and just say:

• στην ελληνική – still understood as in (the) Greek (language), but this is less common in casual speech than στα ελληνικά.

What is the difference between Αυτό το βιβλίο είναι στα ελληνικά and Αυτό το βιβλίο είναι ελληνικό?

• Αυτό το βιβλίο είναι στα ελληνικά.
  Focus: the language the book is written in.
  → The text of the book is in Greek.

• Αυτό το βιβλίο είναι ελληνικό.
  Focus: the origin or identity of the book – Greek edition, Greek author, Greek publisher, etc.
  → The book is Greek (not necessarily saying what language it’s printed in, though often it will be Greek too).

So:

• If you want to say what language the book is in: είναι στα ελληνικά.
• If you want to say the book is (a) Greek (book) in a cultural or national sense: είναι ελληνικό.

Should ελληνικά be capitalized? I have seen Ελληνικά with a capital Ε.

Usage varies:

• In modern Greek practice, language names are often written with a lowercase:

  • τα ελληνικά, τα αγγλικά, τα γαλλικά

• In some older or more formal styles, or by analogy with English, you may see them capitalized:

  • τα Ελληνικά, τα Αγγλικά, τα Γαλλικά

Both στα ελληνικά and στα Ελληνικά can be seen. In most contemporary Greek texts, στα ελληνικά (lowercase) is more common.

How do you pronounce each word in Αυτό το βιβλίο είναι στα ελληνικά?

Approximate pronunciation (stress marked with bold in syllables):

• Αυτό → af-TO (the υ here sounds like f because of the following τ)
• το → to (like English taw, but shorter)
• βιβλίο → vee-VLEE-o (or vi-VLEE-o; 4 syllables: vi-vli-o)
• είναι → EE-ne
• στα → sta
• ελληνικά → e-li-ni-KA (4 syllables, stress on the last)

Altogether:
af-TO to vi-VLEE-o EE-ne sta e-li-ni-KA

Is there any continuous vs simple distinction in Greek here (like “is” vs “is being”)?

No. Greek present tense covers both simple and continuous meanings that English separates.

• είναι can correspond to is, is being, even is currently depending on context.

In this sentence:

• Αυτό το βιβλίο είναι στα ελληνικά.
  = This book is in Greek.

It simply states a fact; Greek does not have a separate form like “is being in Greek”.