Learn Hardcore Greek: Οι πληροφορίες για την εκδρομή θα γραφτούν σε ένα μικρό σημείωμα. - The information about the excursion will be written on a small note.

In Greek, πληροφορίες (plural) is very commonly used when we mean “information” in a general or collective sense, just like English information (which is uncountable) but grammatically behaves like a plural in Greek.

Οι πληροφορίες = “the information / the details”
Η πληροφορία = “(one) piece of information / one bit of info”

You could say Η πληροφορία για την εκδρομή θα γραφτεί..., but it would sound like you are talking about one specific piece of information. The plural is more natural when referring to all the details about the trip.

What are the grammatical features of Οι πληροφορίες (gender, number, case)?

Οι πληροφορίες is:

Gender: feminine
Number: plural
Case: nominative (it’s the subject of the verb)

Article and noun agree:

οι – nominative plural feminine definite article
πληροφορίες – nominative plural feminine noun

Why do we say για την εκδρομή and not something like για η εκδρομή?

The preposition για (“for / about”) always takes the accusative case.
So the noun η εκδρομή (the trip) changes to the accusative:

Nominative: η εκδρομή
Accusative: την εκδρομή

That’s why we say για την εκδρομή (“about the trip / for the trip”), not για η εκδρομή.

What does θα γραφτούν mean grammatically, and how is it formed?

Θα γραφτούν is:

tense/aspect: future simple
voice: passive
person/number: 3rd person plural

It comes from the verb γράφω (to write).

Active aorist stem: έγραψα → passive aorist: γράφτηκα
Future simple passive: θα γραφτώ (I will be written), θα γραφτούν (they will be written)

So θα γραφτούν = “will be written.”

Why is the passive θα γραφτούν used instead of an active form like θα γράψουν?

Greek often uses the passive when:

The doer (who writes the information) is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from context.
The focus is on what happens to the information, not on who does it.

Active:

Θα γράψουν τις πληροφορίες σε ένα μικρό σημείωμα.
“They will write the information on a small note.”

Passive (original sentence):

Οι πληροφορίες … θα γραφτούν σε ένα μικρό σημείωμα.
Focus is on “the information will be written,” not on who writes it.

Why do we say σε ένα μικρό σημείωμα and not something else like στο μικρό σημείωμα here?

Σε ένα μικρό σημείωμα uses:

σε = “in / on / at” (here “on a note”)
ένα = indefinite article “a”
μικρό = “small”
σημείωμα = “note”

So it means: “on a small note” (not a specific, known one).

If you said στο μικρό σημείωμα (from σε + το = στο), it would mean:

“on the small note” (a particular note that both speaker and listener already know about)

The original sentence introduces the note as something not previously specified, so σε ένα μικρό σημείωμα (“on a small note”) is appropriate.

Why is it ένα μικρό σημείωμα and not ένας μικρός σημείωμα?

Because σημείωμα is a neuter noun.

Neuter singular article and adjective:

Nominative/Accusative: το σημείωμα, ένα σημείωμα, μικρό σημείωμα

So:

ένα – neuter singular indefinite article
μικρό – neuter singular adjective
σημείωμα – neuter singular noun

They all match in gender (neuter), number (singular), and case (here, accusative after σε).

What is the function of θα in θα γραφτούν?

Θα is the particle that marks the future tense in Modern Greek. It comes before the verb and doesn’t change form.

γράφονται = “they are written / are being written” (present)
θα γραφτούν = “they will be written” (future simple passive)

To make it negative, you place δεν before θα:

Δεν θα γραφτούν σε ένα μικρό σημείωμα.
“They will not be written on a small note.”

Could we say θα γράφονται σε ένα μικρό σημείωμα instead of θα γραφτούν? What is the difference?

Yes, but it changes the meaning:

Θα γραφτούν – future simple, completed action in the future:
“They will (at some point) be written on a small note.”
Θα γράφονται – future continuous, ongoing or repeated action in the future:
“They will be (being) written on a small note,”
suggesting a process that goes on or happens repeatedly.

In this context, listing or putting the information on a note is usually seen as a single completed action, so θα γραφτούν is the natural choice.

Can we change the word order, for example put για την εκδρομή at the end?

Yes, Greek word order is relatively flexible. All of these are possible, with slight changes in emphasis:

Οι πληροφορίες για την εκδρομή θα γραφτούν σε ένα μικρό σημείωμα.
(neutral: “the information about the trip” is the theme)
Οι πληροφορίες θα γραφτούν σε ένα μικρό σημείωμα για την εκδρομή.
Slight emphasis that the note is “for the trip.”
Για την εκδρομή, οι πληροφορίες θα γραφτούν σε ένα μικρό σημείωμα.
Emphasis on “as for the trip, the information will be written on a small note.”

The original order is the most neutral and common.

Why is there a definite article with την εκδρομή but not with μικρό σημείωμα?

την εκδρομή = “the trip” (a specific trip everyone already knows about)
(σε) ένα μικρό σημείωμα = “on a small note” (not a specific, previously known note)

Greek uses the definite article quite often when referring to specific, known items (like a planned trip), but uses the indefinite article (ένα / μια) when mentioning something new, non-specific, or not yet identified (a note that will be written).

Where do the stress accents fall, and are they important?

Yes, accents are essential in Greek; they can distinguish words and affect pronunciation. In this sentence:

Οι (no accent, it’s a short unstressed word)
πληροφορίες – accent on ρι → πληροφορίες
για (no accent)
την (no accent)
εκδρομή – accent on μή → εκδρομή
θα (no accent)
γραφτούν – accent on τούν → γραφτούν
σε (no accent)
ένα – accent on έ → ένα
μικρό – accent on ρό → μικρό
σημείωμα – accent on μεί → σημείωμα

Writing and pronouncing the accents correctly is part of standard Greek orthography.