Learn Hardcore Greek: Σήμερα μαθαίνω λεξιλόγιο για τα συναισθήματα και τις σχέσεις. - Today I am learning vocabulary for feelings and relationships.

μαθαίνω ends in -ω, which marks 1st person singular: I learn / I am learning.
Because the verb already tells you the subject, you normally don’t need εγώ.

You would add εγώ mainly for emphasis or contrast, for example:

Εγώ σήμερα μαθαίνω λεξιλόγιο, όχι εσύ.
I am learning vocabulary today, not you.

So the sentence Σήμερα μαθαίνω λεξιλόγιο… already means “Today I am learning vocabulary…” without needing εγώ.

Why is μαθαίνω translated as “I am learning” and not “I learn”? Does Greek have a separate continuous tense?

Modern Greek has one present tense form for both:

I learn (simple present)
I am learning (present continuous)

The verb μαθαίνω can mean both, depending on context:

Κάθε μέρα μαθαίνω νέες λέξεις.
I learn new words every day. (habit)
Σήμερα μαθαίνω λεξιλόγιο…
Today I am learning vocabulary… (right now / today’s activity)

So Greek doesn’t have a separate continuous form like English; the same present tense covers both meanings.

Could σήμερα go somewhere else in the sentence, like in English “I am learning vocabulary today”?

Yes. Greek word order is flexible. These are all correct:

Σήμερα μαθαίνω λεξιλόγιο για τα συναισθήματα και τις σχέσεις.
Μαθαίνω σήμερα λεξιλόγιο για τα συναισθήματα και τις σχέσεις.
Μαθαίνω λεξιλόγιο σήμερα για τα συναισθήματα και τις σχέσεις.

The most neutral and common here is the original: Σήμερα μαθαίνω…, which slightly emphasizes “today”. Moving σήμερα later still sounds fine; it just shifts the focus a little, like in English.

Why is there no article before λεξιλόγιο? Why not το λεξιλόγιο?

Greek often omits the article with:

uncountable/abstract nouns in a general sense
things like “vocabulary, music, love, water” when you mean them in general, not a specific set

Here, λεξιλόγιο is used like “vocabulary (in general)”, so no article is needed:

Μαθαίνω λεξιλόγιο. = I’m learning vocabulary. (general)
Μαθαίνω το λεξιλόγιο του μαθήματος. = I’m learning the vocabulary of the lesson. (specific set)

So το λεξιλόγιο would be correct, but it would sound more like “the specific vocabulary”, not just vocabulary in general.

What gender and number is λεξιλόγιο, and how do I recognize it?

λεξιλόγιο is:

Gender: neuter
Number: singular
Article: το λεξιλόγιο

A quick rule of thumb: many neuter nouns end in -ο in the singular:

το βιβλίο (book)
το σπίτι (house – ends in -ι, also neuter)
το λεξιλόγιο (vocabulary)

In this sentence it’s singular and uncountable, like English “vocabulary”.

Why do we use the preposition για here? Does it mean “for” or “about”?

The preposition για is very common and usually means:

for
about
regarding

In this sentence, για τα συναισθήματα και τις σχέσεις can be understood as:

vocabulary about emotions and relationships
vocabulary for emotions and relationships

So για here introduces the topic or purpose of the vocabulary, and it always takes the accusative case afterwards (which is why we see τα, τις).

What case are τα συναισθήματα and τις σχέσεις, and why?

Both are in the accusative plural, because they follow the preposition για, which always uses the accusative:

τα συναισθήματα
- Nominative plural: τα συναισθήματα
- Accusative plural: τα συναισθήματα (same form in neuter)
τις σχέσεις
- Nominative plural: οι σχέσεις
- Accusative plural: τις σχέσεις

So after για, you say:

για τα συναισθήματα
για τις σχέσεις

Both are objects of the preposition για, hence accusative.

Why is the article τα used with συναισθήματα and τις with σχέσεις?

Because the two nouns have different genders:

το συναίσθημα (feeling, emotion) → neuter
- plural nominative/accusative: τα συναισθήματα
η σχέση (relationship) → feminine
- plural nominative: οι σχέσεις
- plural accusative: τις σχέσεις

So:

τα = neuter plural article (nom./acc.)
τις = feminine plural article (accusative)

They both match the gender, number, and case of their nouns.

Why is the article repeated in για τα συναισθήματα και τις σχέσεις? Could we say για τα συναισθήματα και σχέσεις?

You need to repeat the article here, because the two nouns:

have different genders (neuter vs feminine)
belong to different noun phrases

So:

✅ για τα συναισθήματα και τις σχέσεις (correct, natural)
❌ για τα συναισθήματα και σχέσεις (wrong / unnatural)

Even when the gender is the same, Greek often prefers repeating the article for clarity. With different genders, repeating is basically required.

What are the singular forms of συναισθήματα and σχέσεις, and how do their plurals work?

το συναίσθημα → τα συναισθήματα
- Pattern: many neuter nouns ending in -μα form plural in -ματα
- Examples:
  - το γράμμα → τα γράμματα (letter)
  - το μάθημα → τα μαθήματα (lesson)
η σχέση → οι σχέσεις (nom. pl.), τις σχέσεις (acc. pl.)
- Pattern: many feminine nouns in -ση form the plural in -σεις
- Examples:
  - η άσκηση → οι ασκήσεις (exercise)
  - η λέξη → οι λέξεις (word – similar pattern)

So in the sentence, both words are plural because we’re talking about emotions and relationships in general, as categories.

What exactly is the difference between συναίσθημα and σχέση in meaning?

το συναίσθημα (plural τα συναισθήματα)
- means feeling / emotion
- emotional states: happiness, anger, sadness, love, etc.
η σχέση (plural οι σχέσεις / τις σχέσεις)
- means relationship / relation
- can be:
  - romantic relationships
  - friendships
  - family relationships
  - professional or social connections

So λεξιλόγιο για τα συναισθήματα και τις σχέσεις is vocabulary about inner feelings and how people are connected to each other.

How do you correctly pronounce the sentence? Where is the stress?

Stress in Greek is marked by the accent (´) on one syllable of each word:

Σήμερα → ΣΊ-με-ρα (stress on ΣΊ)
μαθαίνω → μα-ΘΈ-νω (stress on ΘΈ)
λεξιλόγιο → λε-ξι-ΛÓ-γιο (stress on ΛÓ)
για → για (one syllable, no accent mark because it’s a small unstressed word)
τα → τα (unstressed)
συναισθήματα → συ-ναι-ΣΘΉ-μα-τα (stress on ΣΘΉ)
και → και (unstressed)
τις → τις (unstressed)
σχέσεις → ΣΧΈ-σεις (stress on ΣΧΈ)

Said smoothly:

ΣΊμερα μαΘΈνω λεξιΛÓγιο για τα συναίσΘΉματα και τις ΣΧΈσεις.