Αυτή η σκηνή στο θέατρο είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα.

This scene in the theater is very interesting.

Breakdown of Αυτή η σκηνή στο θέατρο είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα.

• είμαι: to be
• αυτός: this
• πολύ: very
• σε: in
• ενδιαφέρων: interesting
• η σκηνή: the stage
• το θέατρο: the theater

Questions & Answers about Αυτή η σκηνή στο θέατρο είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα.

Why do we need both Αυτή and η before σκηνή? Aren’t they both like “this / the”?

They do different jobs:

• Αυτή = this (demonstrative pronoun/adjective)
• η = the (definite article, feminine singular nominative)

So Αυτή η σκηνή literally is this the scene, but in English we just say this scene.

In Greek, when you use a demonstrative (αυτός / αυτή / αυτό), it normally appears together with the definite article before the noun:

• αυτή η σκηνή = this scene
• εκείνη η σκηνή = that scene
• αυτό το βιβλίο = this book

Dropping the article (η σκηνή) would sound incomplete or wrong here. The normal pattern is:

demonstrative + article + noun
αυτή η σκηνή, αυτό το θέατρο, εκείνο το παιδί

Why is σκηνή feminine, and how can I recognize that?

Σκηνή is grammatically feminine. Some clues:

• It ends in -η, which is a very common feminine ending in the nominative singular.
• Its article is η (feminine singular nominative).

Typical feminine nominative singular endings:

• -η: η σκηνή, η πόλη, η γλώσσα
• -α: η γυναίκα, η χώρα
• Less commonly: -ος can also be feminine in some words (η οδός = the street).

So when you see η + noun in -η, you can usually assume it’s feminine.

What exactly does στο mean, and why isn’t it just σε το θέατρο?

Στο is a contraction of:

• σε (preposition = in, at, on, to)
• το (neuter singular article = the)

So:

• σε + το = στο

That’s why you see στο θέατρο and not σε το θέατρο in normal speech and writing.

Other common contractions:

• σε + την = στην → στην πόλη (in the city)
• σε + τους = στους → στους φίλους (to the friends)
• σε + τα = στα → στα βιβλία (in the books)

So στο θέατρο means in the theater / at the theater.

Why is θέατρο in the neuter, and how do I know its gender?

Θέατρο is neuter. Clues:

• It takes το: το θέατρο (theater)
• It ends in -ο, which is very often a neuter ending for nouns in the nominative singular.

Common neuter endings:

• -ο: το θέατρο, το βιβλίο, το σπίτι
• -ι: το παιδί, το ταξίδι

You generally learn the gender together with the noun, but articles + endings give strong hints:

• η σκηνή → feminine
• το θέατρο → neuter

Why is ενδιαφέρουσα feminine, and why does it end in -ουσα?

Ενδιαφέρουσα is an adjective that must agree with the noun σκηνή in:

• gender (feminine)
• number (singular)
• case (nominative)

The base adjective is ενδιαφέρων, ενδιαφέρουσα, ενδιαφέρον:

• masculine: ενδιαφέρων
• feminine: ενδιαφέρουσα
• neuter: ενδιαφέρον

Since σκηνή is feminine singular nominative, you use:

• πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα (very interesting)

If the noun were neuter:

• Το θέατρο είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρον.
  (The theater is very interesting.)

If it were masculine:

• Αυτός ο ρόλος είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρων.
  (This role is very interesting.)

Why is it πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα and not πολλή ενδιαφέρουσα?

There are two related forms:

1. πολύ (indeclinable adverb/adjective)

   • Used before adjectives and adverbs to mean very / much:
     • πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα = very interesting
     • πολύ ωραίο = very nice
   • This πολύ does not change for gender, number, or case in this use.

2. πολλή, πολύς, πολύ (declinable adjective) = a lot of, many, much

   • πολλή δουλειά (a lot of work, feminine)
   • πολύς κόσμος (a lot of people, masculine)
   • πολύ νερό (a lot of water, neuter)

In είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα, πολύ is an adverb modifying the adjective ενδιαφέρουσα, so you use the invariable πολύ, not πολλή.

What is the basic word order here, and can it be changed?

The sentence:

Αυτή η σκηνή στο θέατρο είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα.

follows a simple subject–verb–complement order:

• Subject: Αυτή η σκηνή στο θέατρο (This scene in the theater)
• Verb: είναι (is)
• Complement: πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα (very interesting)

Greek word order is more flexible than English. You could also say:

• Η σκηνή αυτή στο θέατρο είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα.
• Η σκηνή στο θέατρο αυτή είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα. (more marked)
• Στο θέατρο, αυτή η σκηνή είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα. (emphasis on “in the theater”)

The most neutral versions for “this scene is very interesting” are:

• Αυτή η σκηνή είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα.
• Η σκηνή αυτή είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα.

What is the function of στο θέατρο in this sentence? Could it be somewhere else?

Στο θέατρο is a prepositional phrase showing location: it tells you where the scene is.

Functionally, it’s like an adverbial phrase (of place):

• Αυτή η σκηνή (this scene)
• στο θέατρο (in the theater)
• → This scene (which is in the theater) is very interesting.

It’s quite mobile in Greek:

• Αυτή η σκηνή στο θέατρο είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα.
• Στο θέατρο, αυτή η σκηνή είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα.
• Αυτή η σκηνή είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα στο θέατρο.
  (The last one can suggest “it’s particularly interesting in the theater,” depending on context.)

Why is there no separate word for “it” like in “it is very interesting”?

In Greek, είναι already carries the idea of is / it is / he is / she is / they are, depending on context. Modern Greek often drops subject pronouns when they’re not needed.

English:

• It is very interesting.

Greek:

• Είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρον. (It is very interesting.)
• Είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα. (She/it is very interesting.)

If you want to stress the subject, you can add the pronoun:

• Αυτή είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα.
  (She / this one is very interesting.)

But in your sentence, the subject is clear: Αυτή η σκηνή… είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα. So there’s no separate “it.”

How do I pronounce Αυτή, and why is the υ pronounced like “f” sometimes and like “v” other times?

Αυτή is pronounced approximately [afˈti] (a-fTEE).

The αυ combination is pronounced:

• [av] before vowels and voiced consonants (β, γ, δ, ζ, λ, μ, ν, ρ)
• [af] before voiceless consonants (π, τ, κ, φ, θ, χ, σ, ξ, ψ)

Αυτή is followed by τ (voiceless consonant), so:

• αυ + τ → [af] → [afˈti]

Examples:

• αυγό (egg) → [avˈɣo]
• αυτό (this / that, neuter) → [afˈto]

Why does Αυτή have a capital letter here? Is it always capitalized?

In the sentence you gave, Αυτή is capitalized because it’s the first word of the sentence. That’s normal orthography.

The pronoun αυτή is not normally capitalized in the middle of a sentence:

• Μου αρέσει αυτή η σκηνή.
  (I like this scene.)

It only gets a capital when:

• It starts the sentence: Αυτή η σκηνή…
• It happens to be at a place where capitalization is required (titles, etc.).

Could I say Αυτή η σκηνή στο θέατρο ήταν πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα instead? What’s the difference?

Yes, that’s correct Greek, and it changes the tense:

• είναι = is (present tense)

  • είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα → is very interesting (now / generally)

• ήταν = was (past tense)

  • ήταν πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα → was very interesting (in the past)

So:

• Αυτή η σκηνή στο θέατρο είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα.
  → This scene in the theater is (currently / generally) very interesting.

• Αυτή η σκηνή στο θέατρο ήταν πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα.
  → This scene in the theater was very interesting (when you saw it).

Could I say Σε ένα θέατρο instead of στο θέατρο? What would change?

Yes, but the meaning shifts a bit:

• στο θέατρο = in the theater (specific, known theater, or “theater” as a general place)
• σε ένα θέατρο = in a theater (some theater, not specified which one)

Examples:

• Αυτή η σκηνή στο θέατρο είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα.
  → This scene (in the theater) is very interesting.

• Αυτή η σκηνή σε ένα θέατρο είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα.
  → This (kind of) scene, in a theater, is very interesting;
  or: This scene in some theater (not specified) is very interesting.

So ένα introduces indefiniteness (“a / an”) instead of το (“the”).