Learn Hardcore Greek: Στο ραδιόφωνο ακούω μια ενδιαφέρουσα εκπομπή για την υγεία. - On the radio I listen to an interesting program about health.

στο ραδιόφωνο focuses on where the program is being broadcast or heard: “on the radio”.
από το ραδιόφωνο would literally be “from the radio” and sounds more like you’re focusing on the source of the sound.

In everyday Greek, for shows, music, etc., the idiomatic expression is:

στο ραδιόφωνο ακούω… = “I listen to … on the radio.”

What tense is ακούω and does it mean “I listen” or “I am listening”?

Ακούω is the present tense (first person singular) of ακούω = to hear / to listen.

In Greek, the present tense usually covers both:

I listen (habitual/general)
I am listening (right now)

So ακούω here can be translated as:

“I am listening to an interesting program…” or
“I listen to an interesting program…”

Context decides which English form is more natural; Greek doesn’t need a separate “-ing” form here.

Why is it μια and not μία? Is there a difference?

Spelling:

μια and μία are variants of the same word: the feminine form of “one” used as the indefinite article (“a / an”).
In modern usage, μια is much more common in everyday writing and speech.

Meaning:

μια εκπομπή = “an / one program”
In this sentence it functions like the English article “an”, not a counted “one” for emphasis.

So you can think of μια here simply as “an”.

How does ενδιαφέρουσα relate to εκπομπή grammatically?

Ενδιαφέρουσα is an adjective meaning “interesting”, and it must agree with the noun εκπομπή in:

Gender: εκπομπή = feminine → ενδιαφέρουσα (feminine form)
Number: singular noun → singular adjective
Case: accusative (because it’s the direct object) → adjective also in accusative

So:

μια (fem. acc. sg.) ενδιαφέρουσα (fem. acc. sg.) εκπομπή (fem. acc. sg.)

All three words match in gender, number, and case.

Why is εκπομπή in the accusative case?

In the sentence:

(Εγώ) ακούω μια ενδιαφέρουσα εκπομπή…

The verb ακούω (I listen/hear) takes a direct object:

τι ακούω; = “what do I listen to?”
μια ενδιαφέρουσα εκπομπή answers that question → direct object.

In Greek, direct objects are usually in the accusative case, so εκπομπή appears as εκπομπή (feminine accusative singular).

Why is there την before υγεία? English doesn’t say “about the health”.

Για την υγεία literally means “about the health”, but in English we normally drop “the” and just say “about health”.

In Greek:

Many abstract nouns (like υγεία = health) take the definite article even when English would not use “the”.
Για (“for / about”) usually takes a noun phrase in the accusative with its article:

Examples:

για την υγεία = about health
για την αγάπη = about love
για την οικονομία = about the economy

So την here is the feminine accusative definite article agreeing with υγεία:

η υγεία (nom.) → την υγεία (acc.)

What does για mean here, and why does it require the accusative case?

Για is a preposition. Common meanings:

for (purpose, benefit)
about (topic)
because of (in some contexts)

Here it means “about / on the subject of”:

εκπομπή για την υγεία = “a program about health”

In modern Greek, για is normally followed by a noun in the accusative case:

για τον φίλο μου
για την υγεία
για το σχολείο

So την υγεία is accusative because of για.

Is ραδιόφωνο treated as a concrete object (“a radio”) or more like “radio” in general, like the medium?

Ραδιόφωνο can mean both, depending on context:

The physical device:
- Αγόρασα ένα ραδιόφωνο. = I bought a radio.
The medium / radio as such:
- Μου αρέσει να ακούω ραδιόφωνο. = I like listening to the radio.

In στο ραδιόφωνο ακούω…, it naturally refers to the medium, like English “…on the radio” (not “inside the device” literally, but that’s how we say it).

Could the word order be Ακούω στο ραδιόφωνο μια ενδιαφέρουσα εκπομπή για την υγεία? Is that also correct?

Yes, that word order is also correct and natural:

Ακούω στο ραδιόφωνο μια ενδιαφέρουσα εκπομπή για την υγεία.

Greek word order is relatively flexible. The original:

Στο ραδιόφωνο ακούω… puts emphasis slightly more on the location/medium (“On the radio, I’m listening…”).

While:

Ακούω στο ραδιόφωνο… feels slightly more neutral: “I’m listening on the radio to an interesting program…”

Both are grammatical and idiomatic; context and emphasis decide which sounds better.

Why does στο ραδιόφωνο use the same form as the accusative (το ραδιόφωνο) when it seems to mean “in/on the radio” (like a location)?

Greek doesn’t have a separate “locative” case today. Instead:

The preposition σε (“in / at / on”) is used with the accusative case to express location.

So:

σε + το ραδιόφωνο → στο ραδιόφωνο
- grammatically: preposition σε
  - accusative το ραδιόφωνο
- functionally: expresses location (“on the radio”)

This is why the form looks accusative but is used with a “place” meaning.

What’s the difference between εκπομπή and πρόγραμμα? Could I say πρόγραμμα instead?

Both exist, but they’re not identical:

εκπομπή:
- A show / broadcast / program (a specific TV or radio show)
- E.g. a talk show, news show, documentary episode.
πρόγραμμα:
- The schedule (the listing of shows: TV guide)
- Or a program in a broader sense (plan, software program, etc.)

In your sentence, εκπομπή is the natural choice:

μια ενδιαφέρουσα εκπομπή για την υγεία = “an interesting (radio) show about health”

Πρόγραμμα here would sound off, more like “an interesting (overall) radio schedule about health,” which isn’t what is meant.