Σήμερα έχουμε μάθημα ελληνικών στην τάξη.

to have

Breakdown of Σήμερα έχουμε μάθημα ελληνικών στην τάξη.

• σήμερα: today
• σε: in
• ελληνικός: Greek

Questions & Answers about Σήμερα έχουμε μάθημα ελληνικών στην τάξη.

Why is there no word for a in μάθημα ελληνικών? In English we say a Greek lesson.

Greek has no separate word for the indefinite article a / an.
So:

• μάθημα = lesson / class
• μάθημα ελληνικών = a Greek lesson / a Greek class

Whether you mean a or the is understood from context:

• 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?