Learn Hardcore Greek: Η εξήγηση στο βιβλίο δεν είναι αρκετά ξεκάθαρη, γι’ αυτό ρωτάω τη δασκάλα. - The explanation in the book is not clear enough, so I ask the teacher.

Η εξήγηση στο βιβλίο δεν είναι αρκετά ξεκάθαρη, γι’ αυτό ρωτάω τη δασκάλα.

The explanation in the book is not clear enough, so I ask the teacher.

Breakdown of Η εξήγηση στο βιβλίο δεν είναι αρκετά ξεκάθαρη, γι’ αυτό ρωτάω τη δασκάλα.

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Questions & Answers about Η εξήγηση στο βιβλίο δεν είναι αρκετά ξεκάθαρη, γι’ αυτό ρωτάω τη δασκάλα.

Why does the sentence start with Η εξήγηση and not just Εξήγηση? What does Η do here?

Η is the feminine singular definite article in the nominative case, meaning “the.”

Η εξήγηση = “the explanation”
Without the article, εξήγηση would sound more like “(an) explanation” in a generic or more abstract sense.

Greek uses the definite article much more often than English, even with abstract nouns. In this sentence we’re talking about a specific explanation in a specific book, so the article Η is required.

What does στο βιβλίο literally mean, and why is it written as one word στο?

στο is a contraction of σε + το:

σε = in / at / on / to (general preposition)
το = the (neuter singular, nominative/accusative)

So:

σε το βιβλίο → στο βιβλίο = “in the book”

This contraction is completely standard and almost always used in speech and writing:

σε το σπίτι → στο σπίτι (in/at the house)
σε τον κήπο → στον κήπο (in the garden)

So στο βιβλίο literally means “in the book.”

Why is εξήγηση feminine, and how can I tell? How do I know to use ξεκάθαρη and not ξεκάθαρο?

In Greek, nouns have grammatical gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter.
εξήγηση (“explanation”) is feminine.

You can tell because:

It takes the feminine article η → η εξήγηση
Its typical feminine ending is -η in the nominative singular.

Adjectives must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.
The base form of the adjective here is:

ξεκάθαρος (masc)
ξεκάθαρη (fem)
ξεκάθαρο (neuter)

Since εξήγηση is feminine singular nominative, the adjective must be:

ξεκάθαρη → η εξήγηση … είναι ξεκάθαρη (“the explanation … is clear”)

So:

η εξήγηση είναι ξεκάθαρη ✅
η εξήγηση είναι ξεκάθαρο ❌ (wrong gender agreement)

What exactly does αρκετά mean here? Is it “quite clear” or “clear enough”?

αρκετά can mean both “quite / pretty” and “enough / sufficiently,” depending on context.

In a negative sentence like this:

δεν είναι αρκετά ξεκάθαρη

the sense is “not clear enough / not sufficiently clear,” i.e. it doesn’t reach the needed level of clarity.

If it were positive, like:

Η εξήγηση είναι αρκετά ξεκάθαρη.

that would usually be understood as:

“The explanation is quite/pretty clear” (and probably sufficient).

So in your sentence with δεν, it’s best read as “not clear enough.”

Why is the negation written as δεν είναι and not something like είναι δεν?

In Greek, the standard word order for negating a verb is:

δεν + verb

So:

είναι → δεν είναι (is → is not)
καταλαβαίνω → δεν καταλαβαίνω (I understand → I don’t understand)

You normally cannot put δεν after the verb.
So είναι δεν αρκετά ξεκάθαρη would be incorrect.

In your sentence the structure is:

Η εξήγηση … δεν είναι αρκετά ξεκάθαρη
→ The explanation is not clear enough.

What is γι’ αυτό exactly? Is it one word or two, and what does it literally mean?

γι’ αυτό is written as two words with an apostrophe:

γι’ = για with the final vowel α dropped (elision)
αυτό = this / that (neuter pronoun)

Literally, για αυτό means “for this” or “because of this.”
In practice, the fixed phrase γι’ αυτό = “that’s why / for that reason.”

So:

…, γι’ αυτό ρωτάω τη δασκάλα.
“…, that’s why I’m asking the teacher.”

The apostrophe (για → γι’) shows that the vowel α has been dropped in front of the following vowel (αυτό). Pronunciation: roughly [yaf-TÓ].

Why is there a comma before γι’ αυτό?

The sentence has two clauses:

Η εξήγηση στο βιβλίο δεν είναι αρκετά ξεκάθαρη
γι’ αυτό ρωτάω τη δασκάλα

They are linked by γι’ αυτό (“that’s why / therefore”), which introduces a result or consequence clause. Greek normally uses a comma to separate such clauses, much like English:

“The explanation in the book is not clear enough, so I’m asking the teacher.”

So the comma marks the pause between the reason (1) and the result (2).

Why is it ρωτάω and not ρωτώ? Are both correct?

Both ρωτάω and ρωτώ are correct present-tense forms of the same verb ρωτάω / ρωτώ = “to ask.”

ρωτάω is more common in modern everyday speech.
ρωτώ sounds a bit shorter and slightly more formal/literary, but it’s also perfectly correct and used.

They mean exactly the same:

ρωτάω τη δασκάλα = ρωτώ τη δασκάλα
→ “I (am) ask(ing) the teacher.”

So you can safely use ρωτάω in everyday conversation; you’ll hear it a lot.

Why is it τη δασκάλα and not η δασκάλα? What does τη show?

δασκάλα (“female teacher”) is the object of the verb ρωτάω.
In Greek, the object of the verb takes the accusative case.

The feminine article is:

η → nominative (subject): η δασκάλα = the teacher (as subject)
τη(ν) → accusative (object): τη δασκάλα = the teacher (as object)

In your sentence:

ρωτάω τη δασκάλα
→ “I’m asking the teacher.” (teacher = object)

So τη shows that δασκάλα is in the accusative, i.e. the person being asked.

Why do we say ρωτάω τη δασκάλα without a word like “to”? In English it’s “ask the teacher,” but sometimes “speak to the teacher.”

The Greek verb ρωτάω / ρωτώ directly takes a person as its object, without a preposition:

ρωτάω τη δασκάλα = I ask the teacher
ρωτάω τον φίλο μου = I ask my friend
ρωτάω την καθηγήτρια = I ask the professor (fem.)

So Greek patterns like English “ask someone”, not like “speak to someone.”
If you add a preposition like σε here (ρωτάω σε τη δασκάλα), it becomes ungrammatical.

Does ρωτάω here mean “ask (a question)” or “ask for something”? Could I use ζητάω instead?

ρωτάω normally means “to ask (a question)” or “ask someone about something.”

In your sentence:

ρωτάω τη δασκάλα
→ “I ask the teacher” (i.e. I ask her a question, or I ask her to explain.)

ζητάω means “to ask for / request / demand.” It focuses on wanting something:

ζητάω βοήθεια = I ask for help
ζητάω ένα βιβλίο = I ask for a book

So here:

ρωτάω τη δασκάλα ✅ (I ask the teacher a question / to clarify)
ζητάω τη δασκάλα ❌ (would sound like “I’m requesting the teacher” – odd in this context)

So ρωτάω is the right choice.

How would this change if the teacher were male? Would the rest of the sentence stay the same?

For a male teacher, the noun and article change to the masculine forms:

ο δάσκαλος = the (male) teacher (subject, nominative)
τον δάσκαλο = the (male) teacher (object, accusative)

So the second part of the sentence becomes:

… γι’ αυτό ρωτάω τον δάσκαλο.

The rest of the sentence (Η εξήγηση στο βιβλίο δεν είναι αρκετά ξεκάθαρη, γι’ αυτό …) stays exactly the same.

Could I replace ξεκάθαρη with another word like σαφής? Is there a difference?

Yes, you could use σαφής instead of ξεκάθαρη, but there is a small nuance.

ξεκάθαρη (from ξεκάθαρος) → “clear,” “unambiguous,” quite common and colloquial.
σαφής → also “clear / explicit,” a bit more formal or “precise” in tone.

If you use σαφής, you must match the feminine form:

Η εξήγηση στο βιβλίο δεν είναι αρκετά σαφής.

Both δεν είναι αρκετά ξεκάθαρη and δεν είναι αρκετά σαφής are correct and natural; ξεκάθαρη simply sounds a bit more neutral/everyday.

In English we distinguish “I ask” vs “I am asking.” Does ρωτάω here mean both?

Yes. Modern Greek present tense usually covers both:

ρωτάω τη δασκάλα can mean:
- “I ask the teacher” (habitually / generally)
- “I am asking the teacher” (right now / in this situation)

Context usually tells you which is meant. In your sentence, combined with γι’ αυτό and the specific situation, the natural English is:

“That’s why I’m asking the teacher.” (a present action in this context)