Breakdown of Η δασκάλα έχει πολλή υπομονή με τους αρχάριους μαθητές.
Questions & Answers about Η δασκάλα έχει πολλή υπομονή με τους αρχάριους μαθητές.
Η here is the definite article in Greek, not a pronoun.
- Η = the (for feminine, singular, nominative nouns)
- It goes with η δασκάλα → the teacher (female teacher)
So:
- η δασκάλα = the (female) teacher
- η is not she. The pronoun she in Greek would be αυτή.
Because δασκάλα is grammatically feminine.
Greek articles change according to gender, number, and case:
- Feminine, singular, nominative: η
- Masculine, singular, nominative: ο
- Neuter, singular, nominative: το
The word δασκάλα (female teacher) is feminine, so it takes η:
- η δασκάλα = the (female) teacher
By contrast: - ο δάσκαλος = the (male) teacher
Yes. έχει is the 3rd person singular of έχω = to have.
Here, έχει is used just like English has:
- Η δασκάλα έχει πολλή υπομονή
→ The teacher has a lot of patience.
So it’s regular possession of an abstract noun (patience), just like in English.
Greek distinguishes between:
πολύ as an adverb:
- Μιλάει πολύ. = He/She talks a lot.
πολύς / πολλή / πολύ as an adjective, which must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun:
- πολύς (masculine, singular, nominative)
- πολλή (feminine, singular, nominative or accusative)
- πολύ (neuter, singular, nominative or accusative)
Here, πολλή modifies υπομονή:
- υπομονή is feminine, singular.
- In έχει πολλή υπομονή, υπομονή is in the accusative (object of the verb), and feminine singular accusative of πολύς is πολλή.
So:
- πολλή υπομονή = a lot of patience (feminine noun → πολλή)
In Greek, every noun has a grammatical gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter), which you usually have to memorize with the article.
- η υπομονή = (the) patience → feminine
Some general clues:
- Many nouns ending in -η (like υπομονή, στιγμή, λύση) are feminine.
- But endings are not a 100% reliable rule, so it’s best to learn them as pairs:
- η υπομονή (the patience)
- η πόλη (the city)
- η αρχή (the beginning)
Here:
- Because υπομονή is feminine, you get πολλή υπομονή, not πολύ υπομονή.
The preposition με means with, and it is the normal choice here:
- με
- accusative = with someone / something
- έχει υπομονή με κάποιον = have patience with someone
So:
- με τους αρχάριους μαθητές = with the beginner students
Using σε would change the meaning and sound unnatural in this sentence.
σε is closer to to / at / in, not with.
Because τους is the accusative form of the plural masculine article, and after με we need the accusative case.
Masculine plural definite article:
- οι (nominative) – used for the subject: Οι μαθητές έρχονται. = The students are coming.
- τους (accusative) – used for the object or after prepositions: Βλέπω τους μαθητές. = I see the students.
Here, the phrase is governed by the preposition με:
- με + accusative → με τους μαθητές
So:
- τους (not οι) because of the preposition and accusative case.
μαθητές is the plural of μαθητής (student, usually male or mixed group).
Masculine noun pattern:
- Singular nominative: ο μαθητής = the (male) student
- Plural nominative: οι μαθητές = the students
- Plural accusative: τους μαθητές (same form μαθητές, different article)
In με τους αρχάριους μαθητές:
- μαθητές is masculine plural accusative (object of the preposition με)
- The article τους marks both gender and case clearly.
The -ές ending is typical of many masculine plural nouns.
αρχάριους is an adjective meaning beginner, and it must agree with μαθητές in gender, number, and case.
- μαθητές = masculine, plural, accusative
- So αρχάριος (masc. sg. nom.) changes to:
- masc. pl. acc.: αρχάριους
Agreement:
- με τους αρχάριους μαθητές
- τους → masc. pl. acc.
- αρχάριους → masc. pl. acc.
- μαθητές → masc. pl. acc.
All three match.
Yes, but the meaning / emphasis changes a bit.
τους αρχάριους μαθητές (adjective before noun)
- Normal, neutral: the beginner students, students who are beginners.
τους μαθητές αρχάριους (adjective after noun, without an article repeated)
- More like: the students (who are) beginners, slightly more descriptive or contrastive.
In everyday speech, τους αρχάριους μαθητές is the standard way to say beginner students as a group.
Both are possible, but they sound a bit different:
με τους αρχάριους μαθητές
→ with the beginner students
(refers to a specific group that speaker and listener probably know about)με αρχάριους μαθητές
→ with beginner students (in general)
(more general: with beginner students as a type of students)
In context (a specific teacher and her students), με τους αρχάριους μαθητές is very natural: it suggests her own beginner students.
A careful pronunciation (with syllable breaks and stress marks):
- Η δασκάλα έχει πολλή υπομονή με τους αρχάριους μαθητές.
Syllable by syllable (stressed syllables in caps):
- Η | δα-ΣΚΑ-λα | É-χει | πο-ΛΉ | υ-πο-μο-ΝΉ | με | τους | αρ-ΧΆ-ρι-ους | μα-θη-ΤΈΣ
Key points:
- η at the start is pronounced like i in machine.
- δ is a soft sound, like th in this, not like English d.
- χ is a Greek kh/h sound, produced in the back of the mouth.
- Stress moves: δασκάλα, έχει, πολλή, υπομονή, αρχάριους, μαθητές all have one stressed syllable each.
Greek word order is fairly flexible, but not all orders sound equally natural.
Most natural here:
- Η δασκάλα έχει πολλή υπομονή με τους αρχάριους μαθητές.
You could say:
- Η δασκάλα με τους αρχάριους μαθητές έχει πολλή υπομονή.
This is grammatically correct, but it slightly shifts the focus onto με τους αρχάριους μαθητές, as if contrasting her behavior with beginners vs others. In isolation, the original order is more neutral and typical.
In standard grammar, with the noun υπομονή (feminine), you should use:
- πολλή υπομονή = a lot of patience
πολύ υπομονή is common in casual speech, but it’s technically not correct, because:
- υπομονή is feminine,
- the adjective must agree → πολλή (fem. sg. acc.) + υπομονή.
So for careful, correct Greek, especially in writing, use πολλή υπομονή.