Learn Hardcore Greek: Σήμερα έχουμε μάθημα ελληνικών στην τάξη. - Today we have a Greek lesson in the classroom.

Έχουμε μάθημα ελληνικών. = We have a/our Greek class.
Έχουμε το μάθημα ελληνικών. = We have the Greek lesson (a specific one already known).

In everyday speech, when talking about school, people usually drop the article and just say μάθημα ελληνικών for Greek class.

What does έχουμε mean exactly, and why don’t we say εμείς έχουμε?

έχουμε is the 1st person plural (we) of the verb έχω (to have).

έχω = I have
έχεις = you (sg) have
έχει = he/she/it has
έχουμε = we have
έχετε = you (pl) have
έχουν(ε) = they have

Greek usually drops the subject pronoun (εμείς = we), because the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.

Έχουμε μάθημα. = We have class.
Εμείς έχουμε μάθημα. = We have class. (with extra emphasis on we, e.g. we have class, not someone else.)

Why is it μάθημα ελληνικών and not something like ελληνικό μάθημα?

Both are grammatically possible, but they don’t mean the same thing:

μάθημα ελληνικών literally = lesson of Greek (language)
- This is the standard way to say Greek class / Greek lesson.
- ελληνικών is in the genitive plural and really means of Greek (language).
ελληνικό μάθημα literally = Greek lesson as an adjective + noun
- This can mean a Greek-style lesson or a lesson that is Greek (e.g. not English or French), but it doesn’t naturally mean a lesson in the Greek language.
- It sounds unusual for language class; people would interpret it more broadly.

So, for language lessons, Greek prefers μάθημα + [language] in the genitive:

μάθημα ελληνικών = Greek lesson
μάθημα αγγλικών = English lesson
μάθημα γαλλικών = French lesson

Why is ελληνικών in the plural and in the genitive case?

For languages, Greek often uses the neuter plural:

τα ελληνικά = the Greek language (literally the Greek things)
τα αγγλικά = English
τα γαλλικά = French

The form ελληνικών is the genitive plural of τα ελληνικά:

τα ελληνικά (nominative)
των ελληνικών (genitive) → here we just see ελληνικών

In μάθημα ελληνικών, it means:

μάθημα ελληνικών = lesson of Greek (language)

So the plural and the genitive are both normal and expected in this structure.

What exactly does στην in στην τάξη mean?

στην is a combination of:

σε = in, at, to
την = the (feminine, accusative singular)

So:

σε + την = στην

στην τάξη therefore literally means in the class / in the classroom.

This contraction also happens with other genders:

σε + τον → στον (masc.)
σε + το → στο (neuter)

Does τάξη mean class, classroom, or grade here?

τάξη can mean several things depending on context:

classroom / classroom session
- Είμαστε στην τάξη. = We are in the classroom / in class.
class / group of students
- Η τάξη μου είναι θορυβώδης. = My class is noisy.
school grade (e.g. third grade)
- Πάω στην τρίτη τάξη. = I’m in third grade.

In Σήμερα έχουμε μάθημα ελληνικών στην τάξη, the natural reading is:

…στην τάξη = in the classroom / in class (not online, not outside, etc.)

Can I change the word order, for example say Σήμερα στην τάξη έχουμε μάθημα ελληνικών?

Yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English. All of these are natural:

Σήμερα έχουμε μάθημα ελληνικών στην τάξη.
Σήμερα στην τάξη έχουμε μάθημα ελληνικών.
Σήμερα έχουμε στην τάξη μάθημα ελληνικών.
Έχουμε σήμερα μάθημα ελληνικών στην τάξη.

The basic information stays the same. Changing the order slightly changes the emphasis, not the core meaning.
Starting with Σήμερα is especially common when you want to highlight today.

Does έχουμε μάθημα mean we have class right now, or just sometime today?

It can mean either, depending on context and tone:

Right now / very soon:
If you are already at school or about to start, Σήμερα έχουμε μάθημα… can mean Today we have (are having) a lesson… (soon or now).
Scheduled sometime today:
It can also mean simply We have Greek class today (on the timetable), not necessarily at this moment.

Greek present tense often covers both current and scheduled/regular actions; context clarifies which one is meant.

Why isn’t there a word for we (εμείς) in the sentence?

Greek is a pro‑drop language: it usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows who the subject is.

έχουμε already tells you it’s we.
Εμείς έχουμε μάθημα ελληνικών… is grammatically correct but adds emphasis:
- We have Greek class today (maybe in contrast to another group).

So the shorter sentence without εμείς is the normal, neutral version.

What is the difference between έχουμε μάθημα and κάνουμε μάθημα?

Both are common in school contexts:

έχουμε μάθημα ελληνικών
- Literally we have a Greek lesson
- Neutral, often refers to the schedule: we have this subject.
κάνουμε μάθημα ελληνικών
- Literally we do a Greek lesson
- Often focuses more on the activity itself: we are doing/having a lesson (studying, working).

In many everyday situations, they can be used almost interchangeably.
In your sentence, έχουμε μάθημα ελληνικών is perfectly natural for we have Greek class.

How do you pronounce the sentence, especially έχουμε and ελληνικών?

Approximate pronunciation (stress marked with bold syllables):

ΣΉ‑με‑ρα = SÍ‑me‑ra (SEE-meh-rah)
Έ‑χου‑με = É‑chou‑me (EH-hu-meh; χ like the ch in German Bach)
ΜΆ‑θη‑μα = MÁ‑thi‑ma (MA-thee-mah; θ like th in think)
ε‑λλη‑ni‑ΚΏΝ = e-li-ni-KÓN (eh-lee-nee-KON)
στην = stin
ΤΆ‑ξη = TÁ‑xi (TAK-see; ξ = ks)

Spoken together:
SÍ‑me‑ra É‑chou‑me MÁ‑thi‑ma e-li-ni-KÓN stin TÁ‑xi.

Could I say Σήμερα έχουμε ελληνικό μάθημα στην τάξη to mean Today we have Greek class in the classroom?

It’s grammatical, but it doesn’t sound natural for language class.

Σήμερα έχουμε μάθημα ελληνικών στην τάξη.
– This is what native speakers say for Today we have Greek class in the classroom.
Σήμερα έχουμε ελληνικό μάθημα στην τάξη.
– Sounds more like Today we have a Greek-type lesson in the classroom (maybe taught in a Greek style, or about something Greek), not clearly a Greek language lesson.

For language classes, stick with μάθημα + [language] in the genitive, e.g. μάθημα ελληνικών.