Στη γειτονιά μου δεν έχει πολύ φύση, μόνο ένα μικρό πάρκο για περίπατο.

In my neighborhood there is not much nature, only a small park for a walk.

Breakdown of Στη γειτονιά μου δεν έχει πολύ φύση, μόνο ένα μικρό πάρκο για περίπατο.

• πολύς: much
• έχω: to have
• δεν: not
• μου: my
• ένα: one
• για: for
• μικρός: small
• σε: in
• μόνο: only
• το πάρκο: the park
• η γειτονιά: the neighborhood
• η φύση: the nature
• ο περίπατος: the walk

Questions & Answers about Στη γειτονιά μου δεν έχει πολύ φύση, μόνο ένα μικρό πάρκο για περίπατο.

What does Στη mean, and why is it written like that instead of σε τη?

Στη is the combination (contraction) of the preposition σε (in / at) and the feminine definite article τη(ν) (the).

• σε + τη(ν) = στη(ν)
• So Στη γειτονιά μου literally = In the neighborhood of me → In my neighborhood.

In speech, Greeks almost always use the contracted form (στο, στη, στον, στην, etc.), and in writing this contraction is also standard.

Why is γειτονιά followed by μου instead of putting μου before the noun like in English?

In Greek, possessive pronouns like μου (my) usually go after the noun:

• η γειτονιά μου = my neighborhood (literally the neighborhood my)

This post‑position is the normal pattern for the unstressed possessive pronouns:

• μου = my
• σου = your (singular)
• του / της / του = his / her / its
• μας = our
• σας = your (plural / polite)
• τους = their

Putting μου before the noun (e.g. μου γειτονιά) is either wrong or would sound poetic/very marked in modern standard Greek.

Why is δεν έχει used here? Who or what is the subject of έχει?

In δεν έχει the verb έχει (has) is used impersonally, with no explicit subject. It means “there is / there are” in this structure:

• Δεν έχει πολύ φύση ≈ There isn’t much nature / There’s not a lot of nature.

So:

• There is no stated subject like “it” in Greek.
• The structure is just (δεν) + έχει + object.

This is very common in spoken Greek, especially for talking about what exists in a place:

• Εδώ έχει πολύ κόσμο. = There are lots of people here.
• Στην περιοχή δεν έχει λεωφορεία. = There are no buses in the area.

What is the difference between δεν έχει and δεν υπάρχει?

Both can translate as “there isn’t / there aren’t”, but:

• δεν έχει is more colloquial / conversational.
• δεν υπάρχει is a bit more neutral or formal and grammatically more transparent (it literally means “does not exist”).

In this sentence you could also say:

• Στη γειτονιά μου δεν υπάρχει πολύ φύση…

Both are correct. Δεν έχει is particularly common in everyday speech and especially with places (“there is/are in that place”).

Why is it πολύ φύση and not πολλή φύση?

Grammatically, the standard form with a feminine noun like η φύση is:

• πολλή φύση = a lot of nature

Here, πολλή is a feminine adjective agreeing with φύση.

However, in everyday spoken Greek, many speakers use πολύ in almost all positions, even where the “correct” form would be πολλή (fem.) or πολλοί (masc. pl.), etc. So you will hear:

• πολύ φύση (colloquial)
• πολλή φύση (carefully correct / written style)

As a learner, it’s good to recognize both, but if you want to be grammatically precise, use πολλή φύση.

Why is there no article before πολύ φύση? Why not την πολλή φύση?

In Greek, when you talk about something in a general / non‑specific / “mass” sense, you often omit the article, especially with mass or abstract nouns:

• Δεν έχει πολλή φύση. = There isn’t much nature.
  (nature in general, not some specific “nature”)

Adding the article (την πολλή φύση) would sound strange here; it would make φύση sound more like a specific, known quantity of nature, which doesn’t fit the intended meaning.

How does μόνο work in μόνο ένα μικρό πάρκο?

Μόνο means only / just here and modifies the whole noun phrase that follows:

• μόνο ένα μικρό πάρκο = only a small park / just a small park

Word order is flexible, but the most natural is:

• δεν έχει πολύ φύση, μόνο ένα μικρό πάρκο…

You could also encounter:

• Έχει μόνο ένα μικρό πάρκο. = It only has one small park.

What gender is πάρκο, and how do we know from ένα μικρό πάρκο?

Πάρκο is neuter.

We can see that because:

• ένα is the neuter form of the indefinite article (a / an),
• μικρό is the neuter singular form of the adjective μικρός (small).

So:

• ένα μικρό πάρκο → a small park (all neuter singular forms agreeing).

Why is μικρό placed before πάρκο? Could it go after?

Yes, adjectives in Greek can appear before or after the noun, but the meaning can shift slightly:

• ένα μικρό πάρκο (adjective before noun)
  → neutral way of saying a small park.

• ένα πάρκο μικρό (adjective after noun)
  → possible, but can sound a bit more descriptive/emphatic, like a park that is small, or stylistic.

In everyday speech, adjective before noun (like μικρό πάρκο) is the most common for simple descriptions.

What does για περίπατο literally mean, and why is περίπατο in that form?

για means for, and περίπατο is the accusative singular of ο περίπατος (walk, stroll).

• για + accusative is the standard pattern in Greek.
• για περίπατο = for (a) walk / for walking / to take a walk.

So ένα μικρό πάρκο για περίπατο literally = a small park for walk → a small park for walking / to go for a walk in.

Could you change the word order and still have a correct sentence?

Yes, Greek word order is relatively flexible, especially with prepositional phrases. For example, all of these are acceptable:

• Στη γειτονιά μου δεν έχει πολλή φύση, μόνο ένα μικρό πάρκο για περίπατο.
• Δεν έχει πολλή φύση στη γειτονιά μου, μόνο ένα μικρό πάρκο για περίπατο.
• Στη γειτονιά μου έχει μόνο ένα μικρό πάρκο για περίπατο, δεν έχει πολλή φύση.

The basic elements stay the same:

• location phrase: στη γειτονιά μου
• verb phrase: (δεν) έχει
• what exists/doesn’t: πολλή φύση / ένα μικρό πάρκο για περίπατο

But their order can change for emphasis or style.

Is Στη γειτονιά μου δεν έχει πολύ φύση the most natural way to say “There isn’t much greenery in my neighborhood”?

It is understandable and acceptable, especially in casual speech, but a very natural alternative many Greeks would use is:

• Στη γειτονιά μου δεν έχει πολύ πράσινο, μόνο ένα μικρό πάρκο για περίπατο.

Here:

• πράσινο (literally green) is commonly used to mean greenery / green spaces when talking about cities and neighborhoods.
• This sounds especially idiomatic when complaining that a city area lacks trees, parks, etc.