Breakdown of Καθώς μιλάει η αστυνομικός, στο δωμάτιο υπάρχει απόλυτη σιωπή.
Questions & Answers about Καθώς μιλάει η αστυνομικός, στο δωμάτιο υπάρχει απόλυτη σιωπή.
In this sentence, Καθώς means as / while, introducing an action that happens at the same time as another one.
- Καθώς μιλάει η αστυνομικός…
→ As / While the police officer is speaking…
Rough comparison with similar conjunctions:
- Καθώς – focuses on simultaneity (as / while).
- ενώ – can also mean while, but often suggests a contrast (while / whereas).
- όταν – mostly when / whenever, more neutral in time, not necessarily emphasizing that the two actions are strictly simultaneous.
Here, Καθώς suggests that her speaking and the absolute silence in the room are happening at the same time.
Μιλάει is present tense, indicative mood, 3rd person singular of the verb μιλάω / μιλώ (to speak).
In Greek, the present tense covers both:
- English present simple: she speaks
- English present continuous: she is speaking
So μιλάει can mean she speaks or she is speaking, depending on context.
Here, with Καθώς, the meaning is clearly “as she is speaking / while she is speaking.”
Greek doesn’t form a separate continuous tense with “to be + -ing” the way English does; the same present form covers both, and the context and time expressions (e.g. τώρα, συχνά, etc.) tell you which sense is meant.
All of these forms are related to the same verb μιλάω / μιλώ (to speak) and are all understood.
- μιλάω – 1st person singular, present: I speak / I am speaking
- μιλώ – an alternative, slightly more formal or “bookish” 1st person singular: I speak / I am speaking
- μιλάει – 3rd person singular, present: he/she/it speaks / is speaking
- μιλά – alternative 3rd person singular form, especially in informal / spoken Greek: he/she/it speaks / is speaking
So:
- Καθώς μιλάει η αστυνομικός and Καθώς μιλά η αστυνομικός are both correct.
- In everyday speech, μιλάει and μιλά are both very common.
- In more formal writing, you’ll often see μιλά or μιλεί (older/very formal), and μιλώ rather than μιλάω.
As a learner, you can safely use:
- μιλάω for I speak
- μιλάει for he/she speaks
and you’ll sound natural.
Αστυνομικός is a common-gender noun: the same noun form is used for both male and female police officers. The article shows the gender:
- ο αστυνομικός = the (male) police officer
- η αστυνομικός = the (female) police officer
So the -ος ending here doesn’t automatically mean “masculine person”; it just tells you the declension type of the noun. Many job titles and professions work like this in Modern Greek.
Basic singular forms:
- Nominative: ο / η αστυνομικός (subject)
- Genitive: του / της αστυνομικού
- Accusative: τον / την αστυνομικό
Plural nominative (for a mixed or unspecified group):
- οι αστυνομικοί (the police officers)
Η αστυνομικίνα does exist, but you should use it with caution:
- It is colloquial and often sounds informal, diminutive, or even slightly disrespectful.
- In neutral or formal speech (news, writing, polite conversation), speakers strongly prefer η αστυνομικός.
So, for a learner:
- Use η αστυνομικός for a female police officer.
- Avoid η αστυνομικίνα unless you specifically want to imitate informal, slangy, or possibly mocking speech.
In Greek:
- υπάρχει = there is / there exists
- είναι = is / are, used to identify or describe a subject
Υπάρχει is the usual verb to express existence in a place:
- Στο δωμάτιο υπάρχει απόλυτη σιωπή.
→ There is absolute silence in the room.
Using είναι here would sound unnatural:
- ✗ Στο δωμάτιο είναι απόλυτη σιωπή. – not idiomatic
You’d use είναι if you directly describe the room itself:
- Το δωμάτιο είναι ήσυχο. – The room is quiet.
So, think:
- υπάρχει + noun = there is/are (something present)
- είναι + adjective / noun = is (something is X / equals X)
Both are possible, but without the article is more natural here.
- Υπάρχει απόλυτη σιωπή.
→ There is absolute silence. (general statement; silence as an uncountable / abstract concept) - Υπάρχει μια απόλυτη σιωπή.
→ There is an absolute silence. (more dramatic, emphasizing “a kind of silence,” stylistic)
Greek often omits the indefinite article (ένας / μία / ένα) with abstract or uncountable nouns, especially:
- after υπάρχει
- when making a general statement rather than pointing to a specific instance
English behaves similarly here: “There is absolute silence in the room” is more natural than “There is an absolute silence in the room.”
Απόλυτη literally means absolute, total, complete.
It’s the feminine singular nominative form of the adjective:
- απόλυτος (masculine)
- απόλυτη (feminine)
- απόλυτο (neuter)
In Greek, adjectives must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.
- σιωπή (silence) is feminine, singular, nominative
- so the adjective must also be feminine, singular, nominative → απόλυτη
Hence: (η) απόλυτη σιωπή = absolute silence.
Word order:
- απόλυτη σιωπή – normal, everyday order
- σιωπή απόλυτη – possible but more emphatic / poetic
Yes, in this structure the comma is standard and expected.
Καθώς μιλάει η αστυνομικός, στο δωμάτιο υπάρχει απόλυτη σιωπή.
You have a dependent (subordinate) clause first (Καθώς μιλάει η αστυνομικός) and then the main clause. In Greek, just like in English, when a subordinate clause comes at the beginning, you normally separate it with a comma.
If you reverse the order:
- Στο δωμάτιο υπάρχει απόλυτη σιωπή καθώς μιλάει η αστυνομικός.
In this case, a comma before καθώς is not necessary and is often omitted, especially when the clauses are short and closely tied in meaning.
Yes. Greek is a pro‑drop language: it can omit subjects when they are clear from context.
So if the speaker and listener already know who is being talked about, you can say:
- Καθώς μιλάει, στο δωμάτιο υπάρχει απόλυτη σιωπή.
→ As she speaks, there is absolute silence in the room.
The verb ending (μιλάει = 3rd person singular) already tells you “he/she/it”, and context tells you which person this is.
However, if this is the first time you mention her, or you want to avoid ambiguity, it’s clearer to keep the noun:
- Καθώς μιλάει η αστυνομικός, …