Ο ξάδερφός μου μένει στην πρωτεύουσα και σπουδάζει ιστορία.

My cousin (male) lives in the capital and studies history.

Breakdown of Ο ξάδερφός μου μένει στην πρωτεύουσα και σπουδάζει ιστορία.

• και: and
• μου: my
• μένω: to live
• σε: in
• σπουδάζω: to study
• η ιστορία: the history
• η πρωτεύουσα: the capital
• ο ξάδερφος: the male cousin

Questions & Answers about Ο ξάδερφός μου μένει στην πρωτεύουσα και σπουδάζει ιστορία.

Why does the sentence start with Ο? How do I know ξάδερφος is masculine?

Ο is the masculine singular definite article in the nominative case. It means “the”.

Greek has three genders:

• Masculine: ο (e.g. ο ξάδερφος – the (male) cousin)
• Feminine: η (e.g. η μητέρα – the mother)
• Neuter: το (e.g. το παιδί – the child)

You know ξάδερφος is masculine because:

1. It refers to a male person (male cousin).
2. Its typical masculine ending -ος matches the article ο: ο ξάδερφος.

So Ο ξάδερφός μου = My (male) cousin as the subject of the sentence.

Why is it Ο ξάδερφός μου and not something like μου ξάδερφος, like in English “my cousin”?

Greek normally expresses possession with article + noun + weak possessive pronoun:

• ο ξάδερφός μου = my cousin
• η αδερφή μου = my sister
• το βιβλίο μου = my book

So the typical order is:

[article] + [noun] + [μου / σου / του / της / μας / σας / τους]

The possessive pronoun μου (my) comes after the noun and is unstressed (an enclitic).
Saying μου ξάδερφος on its own is not standard; you need the article and the noun first: ο ξάδερφός μου.

Why does ξάδερφός have two accents in Ο ξάδερφός μου?

The basic noun is ξάδερφος, stressed on the first syllable: ξά-δερ-φος.

When you add an enclitic pronoun like μου (my), Greek accent rules say:

• If the word is stressed on the third syllable from the end (like ξά-δερ-φος),
• then you add a second accent on the last syllable.

So:

• Without μου: ξάδερφος
• With μου: ξάδερφός μου

You will see the same pattern in other words:

• ο άνθρωπος → ο άνθρωπός μου (my man / my person)
• το άλογο → το άλογό μου (my horse)

The extra accent doesn’t change the pronunciation much; it just follows the official stress rules when an enclitic is attached.

What exactly is στην? Is it one word or two?

στην is a combination of:

• the preposition σε (in, at, to)
• plus the feminine accusative article την (the)

So:

• σε + την πρωτεύουσα → στην πρωτεύουσα = in the capital

In writing and in speech, this combination is normally contracted to one word: στην.

About the final -ν:

• In standard grammar, την/στην keep the -ν before:
  • vowels (α, ε, η, ι, ο, υ, ω)
  • and the consonants κ, π, τ, ξ, ψ, γκ, μπ, ντ, τσ, τζ
• πρωτεύουσα starts with π, so στην is the “correct” form here.

In casual speech, many people drop the -ν much more freely, but στην πρωτεύουσα is the textbook form.

Why is πρωτεύουσα in that form? What case is it, and why?

πρωτεύουσα means “capital (city)” and here it is in the accusative singular feminine.

• Nominative: η πρωτεύουσα (the capital – subject)
• Accusative: την πρωτεύουσα (the capital – object)

After the preposition σε (“in, at, to”), Greek normally uses the accusative:

• στην πόλη = in the city
• στο σπίτι = in/at the house
• στην πρωτεύουσα = in the capital

So the case here is determined by the preposition σε.

What is the difference between μένει and ζει for “lives”?

Both can translate as “lives”, but they are used a bit differently:

• μένει (from μένω)

  • Focus: residing / staying somewhere
  • Closer to “resides / stays / lives (in a place)”
  • Ο ξάδερφός μου μένει στην πρωτεύουσα.
    → My cousin lives / resides in the capital.

• ζει (from ζω)

  • Focus: being alive / living (one’s life)
  • Can mean “lives” in the sense of “exists / is alive” or “lives (somewhere)”
  • Ο ξάδερφός μου ζει στην πρωτεύουσα.
    → My cousin lives in the capital (more general, less about residence).

In everyday speech, both are often used for “lives (somewhere)”, but:

• μένει = “has his home there / resides there” (slightly more precise for address)
• ζει = more general “lives there / has his life there”

Why is there no article before ιστορία? Why not την ιστορία?

In Greek, when you talk about what someone studies, teaches, or practices as a field (subject, profession), you often omit the article:

• Σπουδάζει ιστορία. = He studies history.
• Διδάσκει μαθηματικά. = He teaches mathematics.
• Σπουδάζω ιατρική. = I study medicine.

If you say την ιστορία, it usually makes it more specific:

• Σπουδάζει την ιστορία της Ελλάδας.
  = He studies the history of Greece (a specific history).

So:

• σπουδάζει ιστορία = general field: “he studies history (as his subject/major)”
• σπουδάζει την ιστορία on its own sounds a bit incomplete or unusually specific in this context.

Why does the Greek present tense μένει / σπουδάζει sometimes mean “is living / is studying”?

Modern Greek has one present tense form that covers both:

• English simple present: he studies
• English present continuous: he is studying

So:

• Μένει στην πρωτεύουσα.

  • He lives in the capital.
  • He is living in the capital. (context decides)

• Σπουδάζει ιστορία.

  • He studies history.
  • He is studying history.

Greek doesn’t have a separate “-ing” tense form; the same present is used, and the context clarifies whether it’s a general fact or something happening now.

Can I change the word order, e.g. say Ο ξάδερφός μου σπουδάζει ιστορία και μένει στην πρωτεύουσα? Does it change the meaning?

Yes, you can change the order of the two verbs:

• Ο ξάδερφός μου μένει στην πρωτεύουσα και σπουδάζει ιστορία.
• Ο ξάδερφός μου σπουδάζει ιστορία και μένει στην πρωτεύουσα.

Both sentences are grammatically correct and mean essentially the same:

My cousin lives in the capital and (he) studies history.

A slight nuance:

• The first version puts a tiny bit more focus on where he lives first.
• The second puts a tiny bit more focus on what he studies first.

But in normal conversation, they are understood the same; Greek word order is quite flexible.

Why is μου after ξάδερφός, not before the noun like in English “my cousin”?

μου is a weak (clitic) possessive pronoun. These pronouns:

• μου (my)
• σου (your, sg.)
• του / της / του (his / her / its)
• μας (our)
• σας (your, pl.)
• τους (their)

Normally come after the noun they possess:

• ο πατέρας μου = my father
• η αδερφή σου = your sister
• το αυτοκίνητό μας = our car

You cannot place μου before the noun the way you do in English. The normal pattern is:

[article] + [noun] + [clitic possessive]

If you want to emphasize “my (and not someone else’s)”, you might use a different form:

• ο δικός μου ξάδερφος = my cousin (as opposed to another person’s)

But the basic, neutral way is ο ξάδερφός μου.

Is there a difference between ξάδερφος and ξάδελφος?

They both mean “cousin” (male).

• ξάδερφος is the more common colloquial / modern spelling and pronunciation.
• ξάδελφος is closer to the more formal / older form.

In everyday modern Greek:

• You will hear and see ξάδερφος a lot.
• ξάδελφος still appears, especially in more formal writing, older texts, or by speakers who prefer more “traditional” forms.

In the sentence you gave, ξάδερφός is completely natural modern Greek.

How do you pronounce some of these Greek sounds, like ξ, ου, and ει in this sentence?

In Ο ξάδερφός μου μένει στην πρωτεύουσα και σπουδάζει ιστορία:

• ξ

  • Pronounced like ks in “fox”, “six”.
  • ξάδερφος = ksá-der-fos

• ου

  • Pronounced like “oo” in “food”.
  • μου = “moo”
  • σπουδάζει = spoo-THÁ-zee (with Greek δ as a soft “th” in “this”)

• ει

  • Pronounced like “ee” in “see”.
  • μένει = MÉ-nee

So a rough phonetic guide (not strict IPA) for the whole sentence:

O ksá-der-fós moo MÉ-nee stin pro-TEV-oo-sa ke spoo-THÁ-zee i-sto-REE-a.

This should help you connect the spelling with the actual sounds.