Σήμερα η προτεραιότητά μου είναι το μάθημα.

Today my priority is the lesson.

Breakdown of Σήμερα η προτεραιότητά μου είναι το μάθημα.

• είμαι: to be
• σήμερα: today
• μου: my
• το μάθημα: the lesson
• η προτεραιότητα: the priority

Questions & Answers about Σήμερα η προτεραιότητά μου είναι το μάθημα.

What is the word‑by‑word breakdown of Σήμερα η προτεραιότητά μου είναι το μάθημα?

Here’s how each word lines up with English:

• Σήμερα = today
• η = the (feminine singular definite article, nominative case)
• προτεραιότητά = priority (nominative singular, with an extra accent because of μου)
• μου = my (literally “of me”; unstressed possessive pronoun)
• είναι = is (3rd person singular of “to be”)
• το = the (neuter singular definite article, nominative case)
• μάθημα = lesson / class

So the structure is literally:
Today the priority‑of‑mine is the lesson.
Natural English: Today my priority is the lesson.

How do I pronounce this sentence, and which syllables are stressed?

A simple phonetic rendering (with stressed syllables in CAPITALS):

• Σήμερα → SEE‑me‑ra
• η προτεραιότητά μου → ee pro‑te‑re‑o‑ti‑TA mu
• είναι το μάθημα → EE‑ne to MA‑thi‑ma

Putting it together:

SEE‑me‑ra ee pro‑te‑re‑o‑ti‑TA mu EE‑ne to MA‑thi‑ma.

Key points:

• Σήμερα: stress on Σή‑ → SEE‑
• προτεραιότητά: main lexical stress is on -τι- (προτεραιότητα), and an extra written accent appears on the last syllable because of μου (see next question).
• είναι: stress on εί‑.
• μάθημα: stress on Μά‑.

Why does προτεραιότητά have that extra accent on the last syllable?

The basic noun is η προτεραιότητα (“priority”), with one accent on -ό-: προτεραιότητα.

When you add the unstressed possessive pronoun μου (“my”), Greek often adds a second accent to the last syllable of the noun:

• η προτεραιότητα → η προτεραιότητά μου

This happens because μου is an enclitic (an unstressed word that “leans” on the previous word). To keep the rhythm and clarity, Greek sometimes doubles the accent: one on the original stressed syllable, and one on the last syllable.

You’ll see the same pattern in phrases like:

• το πρόσωπο → το πρόσωπό μου (“my face”)
• η φίλη → η φίλη μου (no extra space for a second accent here because it’s only two syllables)

What is μου exactly? Is it like “my” or like “of me”? Why does it come after the noun?

μου is the unstressed (enclitic) genitive form of εγώ (“I”), and it means “my” or “of me”.

• η προτεραιότητά μου literally: “the priority of‑me”
• In natural English: “my priority”

In Greek, these unstressed possessive pronouns (μου, σου, του, της, μας, σας, τους) follow the noun:

• το βιβλίο μου = my book
• η μητέρα σου = your mother
• το σπίτι μας = our house

You can also use a stressed form like η δική μου προτεραιότητα (“my own priority”), but that adds emphasis (“MY priority” as opposed to someone else’s).

Why is the article η used with προτεραιότητά, and το used with μάθημα?

Because Greek nouns have grammatical gender, and the definite article must match that gender (as well as number and case):

• η προτεραιότητα is feminine → it takes η in the nominative singular.
• το μάθημα is neuter → it takes το in the nominative singular.

So:

• η προτεραιότητά μου = my priority (feminine subject)
• το μάθημα = the lesson / the class (neuter complement)

You generally have to learn the gender with the noun:

• Feminine often ends in ‑η, ‑α, ‑ότητα (like προτεραιότητα).
• Neuter often ends in ‑ο, ‑ι, ‑μα (like μάθημα).

Why is there an article (το) before μάθημα? In English we just say “Today my priority is lesson / class” without “the”.

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

• With general categories or school subjects
• With things that are contextually specific

In το μάθημα:

• It usually means “the class / the lesson” in a specific sense:
  • the lesson you have today,
  • the particular class you’re talking about.

Some possible nuances in English:

• Today my priority is the class.
• Today my priority is my lesson.

You could sometimes drop the article in Greek (e.g. in very general, idiomatic expressions), but in this specific, concrete sentence, το μάθημα is the natural and standard form.

What grammatical roles do η προτεραιότητά μου and το μάθημα play in the sentence?

The verb είναι (“is”) is a linking verb, like “to be” in English. Both sides of it are in the nominative case, and they are logically equivalent:

• η προτεραιότητά μου = subject (“my priority”)
• είναι = is
• το μάθημα = predicate nominative / complement (“the lesson”)

So the structure is:

[Subject] η προτεραιότητά μου
[Verb] είναι
[Complement] το μάθημα

Just like English: My priority is the lesson.

Could I also say Το μάθημα είναι η προτεραιότητά μου? Does the meaning change?

Yes, you can say:

• Το μάθημα είναι η προτεραιότητά μου.

Grammatically it’s still:

• το μάθημα = subject
• η προτεραιότητά μου = complement

The basic meaning is the same: “The lesson is my priority.”

The difference is mainly one of emphasis / focus:

• Σήμερα η προτεραιότητά μου είναι το μάθημα.
  Slightly stronger focus on “my priority” (what is my priority? it’s the lesson).
• Σήμερα το μάθημα είναι η προτεραιότητά μου.
  Slightly stronger focus on “the lesson” (what is the lesson for me? it’s my priority).

Both sound natural; context and intonation decide the nuance.

Can σήμερα (today) go in another position in the sentence?

Yes. Greek word order is relatively flexible, so you can move σήμερα around:

• Σήμερα η προτεραιότητά μου είναι το μάθημα.
• Η προτεραιότητά μου σήμερα είναι το μάθημα.
• Η προτεραιότητά μου είναι σήμερα το μάθημα.
• Το μάθημα σήμερα είναι η προτεραιότητά μου.

All are understood and grammatically correct. The differences are in emphasis and rhythm:

• At the beginning (Σήμερα...): strong focus on “today”.
• After the subject (η προτεραιότητά μου σήμερα...): more neutral, part of the subject phrase.
• Between verb and complement: can sound a bit more marked or emphatic in speech.

For a learner, Σήμερα η προτεραιότητά μου είναι το μάθημα is a very natural default.

What form of “to be” is είναι, and does it agree with something in the sentence?

είναι is the 3rd person singular (and also 3rd person plural) form of the verb είμαι (“to be”).

Partial present tense of είμαι:

• (εγώ) είμαι = I am
• (εσύ) είσαι = you are (singular)
• (αυτός / αυτή / αυτό) είναι = he / she / it is
• (εμείς) είμαστε = we are
• (εσείς) είστε = you are (plural / formal)
• (αυτοί / αυτές / αυτά) είναι = they are

In η προτεραιότητά μου είναι το μάθημα,
είναι matches the 3rd person singular subject η προτεραιότητά μου (“my priority” = it).

Does το μάθημα mean “lesson”, “class”, or “course”? Are there any nuances I should know?

το μάθημα is flexible in meaning; context decides the best English word:

• lesson: the content of teaching (a specific piece of learning)
  • Έχουμε μάθημα αγγλικών. = We have an English lesson.
• class: a teaching session you attend
  • Χάνω το μάθημα σήμερα. = I’m missing class today.
• subject / course: school subject or ongoing course
  • Το αγαπημένο μου μάθημα είναι τα μαθηματικά.
    My favorite subject is math.

In Σήμερα η προτεραιότητά μου είναι το μάθημα, it most naturally means:

• the class I have today
  or
• my lesson / my course work, depending on context.