Ο φούρνος μας είναι τόσο παλιός όσο και το ψυγείο, αλλά ακόμα δουλεύει.

Our oven is as old as the fridge, but it still works.

Breakdown of Ο φούρνος μας είναι τόσο παλιός όσο και το ψυγείο, αλλά ακόμα δουλεύει.

• είμαι: to be
• αλλά: but
• δουλεύω: to work
• ακόμα: still
• παλιός: old
• το ψυγείο: the fridge
• και: also
• μας: our
• τόσο ... όσο: as ... as
• ο φούρνος: the oven

Questions & Answers about Ο φούρνος μας είναι τόσο παλιός όσο και το ψυγείο, αλλά ακόμα δουλεύει.

In the phrase ο φούρνος μας, why does μας come after φούρνος instead of before the noun like in English “our oven”?

In Greek, the possessive pronoun (my, your, our, etc.) usually comes after the noun:

• ο φούρνος μας = our oven
• το σπίτι μου = my house
• τα παιδιά τους = their children

You cannot say ο μας φούρνος; that word order is wrong in modern Greek.

So the pattern is:
article + noun + possessive pronoun
not like English, which has: possessive + noun.

Why is it ο φούρνος but το ψυγείο? How do I know which article to use?

Greek nouns have grammatical gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter. The definite article must match the noun’s gender:

• ο (masculine singular): ο φούρνος (the oven)
• η (feminine singular): η πόρτα (the door)
• το (neuter singular): το ψυγείο (the fridge)

You just have to learn the gender together with each noun:

• ο φούρνος → masculine
• το ψυγείο → neuter

The adjective will also agree in gender, number, and case (see next question).

Why is it παλιός and not παλιό or παλιά? How does the adjective agree with φούρνος?

Παλιός is the masculine singular form of the adjective “old.” It must agree with ο φούρνος, which is masculine singular.

Basic forms of παλιός:

• Masculine: παλιός
• Feminine: παλιά
• Neuter: παλιό

So:

• ο φούρνος είναι παλιός (masc.) – the oven is old
• η καρέκλα είναι παλιά (fem.) – the chair is old
• το ψυγείο είναι παλιό (neut.) – the fridge is old

Why is the adjective placed after the verb (είναι τόσο παλιός) instead of before the noun, like ο παλιός φούρνος μας?

Greek uses adjectives in two main ways:

1. Attributive position (before or after the noun, describing it as a characteristic):

   • ο παλιός φούρνος μας = our old oven (old is just a description)

2. Predicative position (with a linking verb like είμαι “to be”):

   • ο φούρνος μας είναι παλιός = our oven is old (a statement about its state)

In your sentence, είναι τόσο παλιός όσο… is a full comparison:
ο φούρνος μας είναι τόσο παλιός = our oven is so/as old…
So the adjective belongs in predicative position with είναι.

What does the structure τόσο … όσο mean? Is it the same as “as … as” in English?

Yes. Τόσο … όσο is the standard way to say “as … as” in comparisons of equality.

Pattern:

• είναι τόσο + adjective + όσο + noun/pronoun

Examples:

• είναι τόσο παλιός όσο το ψυγείο = he/it is as old as the fridge
• είμαι τόσο κουρασμένος όσο εσύ = I am as tired as you

In your sentence:

• είναι τόσο παλιός όσο και το ψυγείο = is as old as the fridge

Why is there a και in όσο και το ψυγείο? Is it necessary?

In comparisons, όσο can appear either:

• without και:
  
  • τόσο παλιός όσο το ψυγείο
• with και:
  
  • τόσο παλιός όσο και το ψυγείο

Both are correct and mean “as old as the fridge.”
The και here adds a small emphasis, a bit like saying “as old as the fridge too,” but in practice it’s very common and usually not strongly emphatic. You will often hear and see όσο και in modern Greek.

Can I drop τόσο and just say είναι παλιός όσο το ψυγείο?

Native speakers sometimes drop τόσο in casual speech, but the full, standard pattern is τόσο … όσο.

• είναι τόσο παλιός όσο το ψυγείο – clear, standard
• είναι παλιός όσο το ψυγείο – understandable, but feels more informal or slightly incomplete.

As a learner, it’s safer and more natural to keep τόσο when you form “as … as” comparisons.

What tense and aspect is δουλεύει? Why not δουλεύει ακόμα vs other forms?

Δουλεύει is the present tense, active voice, 3rd person singular of δουλεύω (“to work / function”).

Here it has a progressive / ongoing meaning: “it is working / it still works.”

• ακόμα δουλεύει or δουλεύει ακόμα both mean it still works.

You would not use a past tense like δούλεψε here, because you’re talking about its current state, not a completed past action.

Is there a difference between ακόμα δουλεύει and δουλεύει ακόμα?

In everyday speech, they are almost interchangeable:

• ακόμα δουλεύει
• δουλεύει ακόμα

Both mean “it still works / it continues to work.”

Slight nuances:

• ακόμα δουλεύει puts a tiny bit more focus on “still”;
• δουλεύει ακόμα sounds a little more neutral.

But functionally, you can treat them as the same for now.

What is the difference between ακόμα and πάλι? I know both can translate as “still” or “again.”

They are not interchangeable in this sentence.

• ακόμα (or ακόμη) usually means “still / yet”:

  • ακόμα δουλεύει = it still works
  • δεν έχει έρθει ακόμα = he hasn’t come yet

• πάλι usually means “again / once more / on the other hand”:

  • το έκανα πάλι = I did it again
  • αυτός είναι ψηλός, εγώ πάλι είμαι κοντός = he is tall, I on the other hand am short

In your sentence, only ακόμα δουλεύει is correct for “it still works.”
πάλι δουλεύει would mean something like “it works again” (after it had stopped working).

Why is there a comma before αλλά in ..., αλλά ακόμα δουλεύει?

Αλλά means “but” and introduces a contrast. In Greek, as in English, when αλλά connects two full clauses, you usually put a comma before it:

• είναι παλιός, αλλά δουλεύει = he/it is old, but it works
• θέλω να έρθω, αλλά δεν μπορώ = I want to come, but I can’t

If αλλά connects very short phrases without full clauses, it may appear without a comma, but in your sentence the comma is standard and correct.

Are there other common ways to say “as old as the fridge” in Greek?

Yes, there are a few alternatives, close in meaning:

• είναι το ίδιο παλιός με το ψυγείο
  = he/it is the same (equally) old as the fridge

• είναι εξίσου παλιός με το ψυγείο
  = he/it is equally old as the fridge (a bit more formal)

The pattern τόσο … όσο (και), though, is the most straightforward and very common in everyday Greek.