Ο φίλος μου χώρισε με τη φίλη του γιατί δεν συμφωνούσαν ποτέ.

not

Breakdown of Ο φίλος μου χώρισε με τη φίλη του γιατί δεν συμφωνούσαν ποτέ.

• η φίλη: the female friend
• μου: my
• ο φίλος: the male friend

Questions & Answers about Ο φίλος μου χώρισε με τη φίλη του γιατί δεν συμφωνούσαν ποτέ.

Why is it Ο φίλος μου and not μου φίλος like in English my friend?

In Greek, the usual order is article + noun + weak possessive pronoun:

• ο φίλος μου = the friend my → my friend
• η φίλη του = the (female) friend his → his girlfriend/female friend

The little words μου, σου, του, της, μας, σας, τους are weak possessive pronouns and normally come after the noun they belong to, not before it.

Putting μου before the noun (μου φίλος) is not standard; it would sound wrong in normal Greek.

---

What is the role of Ο in Ο φίλος μου? Why is there a definite article?

Ο is the masculine singular definite article in the nominative case, like the in English.

Greek uses the definite article much more than English, especially:

• with people: ο φίλος μου, η αδερφή μου, ο Γιάννης
• with abstract nouns and general concepts

Here Ο φίλος μου means specifically my friend (a particular, known person). You normally must use the article in such a case; Φίλος μου χώρισε… sounds incomplete or poetic/marked.

---

Why is it τη φίλη του and not την φίλη του in writing?