Learn Hardcore Greek: Η μαμά μου φροντίζει τον σκύλο κάθε μέρα.

Η is the feminine definite article η (the), but at the beginning of the sentence it’s written with a capital Η.
If this phrase appeared in the middle of a sentence, you would write η μαμά μου.

So the capitalization is about sentence position, not a special grammatical form.

Why does μου (my) come after μαμά (mom) instead of before it, like in English?

Greek usually puts possessive pronouns after the noun:

η μαμά μου = my mom
το σπίτι μου = my house
ο αδερφός μου = my brother

So the pattern is: article + noun + possessive.

English: my mom
Greek: η μαμά μου (literally: the mom my)

What exactly is μου here? Is it a separate word, and does it change with gender?

Μου is a clitic possessive pronoun meaning my.

Important points:

It is a separate word, but it is pronounced closely with the noun (η μαμά μου).
It does not change for gender or number of the person who owns something.
- η μαμά μου = my mom
- ο μπαμπάς μου = my dad
- οι γονείς μου = my parents
It stays μου for my, whether the speaker is male or female.

So, for possession, the noun and article change with gender/number, but μου stays the same.

What form of the verb is φροντίζει and what does it tell us?

Φροντίζει is:

the 3rd person singular of the verb φροντίζω (to take care of)
in the present tense and active voice

So:

φροντίζω = I take care (of)
φροντίζεις = you take care (of)
φροντίζει = he / she / it takes care (of)

In this sentence, φροντίζει refers to η μαμά μου (my mom), so it means she takes care of / she is taking care of.

Greek present tense usually covers both simple present (takes care) and present continuous (is taking care), and the context shows that this is a habitual action (every day).

Why is it τον σκύλο and not ο σκύλος?

This is about case in Greek.

ο σκύλος is nominative (used for the subject of the sentence).
τον σκύλο is accusative (used for the direct object).

In this sentence:

Subject: η μαμά μου (my mom)
Verb: φροντίζει (takes care of)
Object: τον σκύλο (the dog – the one being taken care of)

So we need the object form: τον σκύλο, not ο σκύλος.

Why do we use τον and not το in τον σκύλο?

Because σκύλος (dog) is masculine in Greek.

Masculine definite article:

Nominative: ο σκύλος (the dog – subject)
Accusative: τον σκύλο (the dog – object)

Neuter nouns would use το in both nominative and accusative (e.g. το παιδί / το παιδί). But since σκύλος is masculine, its object form takes τον.

So:

Ο σκύλος τρώει. = The dog eats. (subject → ο)
Βλέπω τον σκύλο. = I see the dog. (object → τον)

Why is it σκύλο and not σκύλος?

Again, this is the accusative case.

For many masculine nouns in -ος:

Nominative (subject): ο σκύλος
Accusative (object): τον σκύλο

The -ς ending usually marks the nominative for masculine nouns.
When you use the word as a direct object, the final -ς drops: σκύλο.

Could we drop the article and just say Η μαμά μου φροντίζει σκύλο κάθε μέρα like in English “My mom takes care of dog every day”?

In standard Greek, you normally keep the article with a specific singular noun:

Η μαμά μου φροντίζει τον σκύλο κάθε μέρα.
= My mom takes care of the dog every day.

Saying φροντίζει σκύλο sounds incomplete or strange in most contexts, as if you’re talking about “some dog” in a very non-specific or slightly unnatural way.

Articles are used more often in Greek than in English. When you mean a specific dog (for example, the family pet), you almost always use τον σκύλο.

What does κάθε μέρα literally mean, and is there a difference from καθημερινά?

κάθε μέρα = every day (literally: every + day)
καθημερινά = daily / every day (adverb)

In this sentence:

Η μαμά μου φροντίζει τον σκύλο κάθε μέρα.
Η μαμά μου φροντίζει τον σκύλο καθημερινά.

Both are correct and natural, meaning she takes care of the dog on a daily basis.
Κάθε μέρα is slightly more neutral and common in everyday speech; καθημερινά can sound a bit more "formal" or "compressed", but is still normal.

Why is it μέρα and not ημέρα? Are they different words?

Μέρα and ημέρα are essentially the same word, but:

η μέρα is informal / everyday speech
η ημέρα is more formal / literary or used in fixed expressions

In this sentence, κάθε μέρα is the most natural everyday choice.
You might also see κάθε ημέρα in more official or written contexts, but the meaning is the same: every day.

Is the word order fixed? Could I say Η μαμά μου κάθε μέρα φροντίζει τον σκύλο?

Greek word order is flexible, because the endings show who does what.

All of these are possible and correct, with slight differences in emphasis:

Η μαμά μου φροντίζει τον σκύλο κάθε μέρα.
(Neutral: My mom takes care of the dog every day.)
Η μαμά μου κάθε μέρα φροντίζει τον σκύλο.
(Emphasis on every day; almost: My mom, every day, takes care of the dog.)
Κάθε μέρα η μαμά μου φροντίζει τον σκύλο.
(Strong emphasis on every day at the start.)

The basic informational structure is the same: subject – verb – object – time is the most typical and learner‑friendly order.

How do you pronounce φροντίζει and are any letters silent?

Φροντίζει is pronounced approximately: frron-DEE‑zee

Breakdown:

φρ = like fr in from, but with rolled/trilled r
ον = like on in on (but a bit shorter)
τί = tee (stressed syllable)
ζει = zee (the ει is pronounced like i in machine)

No letters are truly silent; Greek spelling is quite phonetic. The stress mark on φροντίζει shows that the ‑τί‑ syllable is stressed.

Why does μαμά have an accent but μου doesn’t?

Modern Greek uses one accent mark to show word stress.

μαμά has two syllables: μα‑μά. The stress falls on the last syllable, so it takes an accent: μαμά.
μου has only one syllable, so the stress is automatically on that syllable and there is no accent mark.

In general, Greek words of two or more syllables usually have an accent mark on the stressed vowel. One‑syllable words normally do not (with a few special exceptions like ή = or, ή = or vs η = the (fem.) in ambiguity cases).