Breakdown of Πίσω από την αγορά υπάρχει μια παλιά γέφυρα που περνάει πάνω από τον δρόμο.
Questions & Answers about Πίσω από την αγορά υπάρχει μια παλιά γέφυρα που περνάει πάνω από τον δρόμο.
In Modern Greek, most prepositions (including από) are followed by the accusative case.
- η αγορά = nominative (used for the subject)
- την αγορά = accusative (used after prepositions like από)
Since πίσω από is a prepositional phrase, the noun has to be in the accusative:
- πίσω από την αγορά = behind the market
Πίσω by itself means behind but usually needs something to complete it:
- πίσω = behind (in general / as an adverb)
- πίσω από κάτι = behind something (preposition + object)
To say behind the market, you need to specify behind what, so you use:
- πίσω από την αγορά = behind the market
You might hear πίσω στην αγορά or πίσω από την αγορά in different contexts, but to mean physical location behind an object, πίσω από is the standard pattern.
No, that would be ungrammatical in standard Modern Greek.
To connect πίσω with a noun, you need a preposition:
- πίσω από την αγορά ✅ correct
- πίσω η αγορά ❌ incorrect
- πίσω την αγορά ❌ incorrect
There are cases where πίσω can stand alone (e.g. Κοίτα πίσω! = Look behind!), but when you specify an object (behind the market), you use πίσω από + accusative.
Υπάρχει and είναι can both translate as there is in English, but they are not identical:
υπάρχει literally means exists / there is and is used to introduce or point out the existence of something:
- Πίσω από την αγορά υπάρχει μια παλιά γέφυρα.
= Behind the market there is an old bridge.
- Πίσω από την αγορά υπάρχει μια παλιά γέφυρα.
είναι is the verb to be, often used to identify or describe:
- Η γέφυρα είναι παλιά. = The bridge is old.
- Εκεί είναι μια γέφυρα. = There is a bridge over there.
In this sentence you are saying there exists an old bridge behind the market, so υπάρχει is the most natural choice.
Yes, that is also correct:
- Πίσω από την αγορά υπάρχει μια παλιά γέφυρα…
- Υπάρχει μια παλιά γέφυρα πίσω από την αγορά…
Both are grammatical. Greek word order is relatively flexible. The original version puts πίσω από την αγορά at the beginning to emphasize the location first. The alternative version emphasizes the existence of the bridge first.
Meaning is essentially the same; it’s mostly a matter of emphasis and style.
Μια and μία are the same word historically, but in modern usage there’s a practical difference:
μια = the indefinite article a / an (most common spelling in everyday Greek)
- μια παλιά γέφυρα = an old bridge
μία = usually stressed as the number “one”, or used when you want to strongly emphasize one (and not another):
- μία γέφυρα μόνο υπάρχει εδώ. = Only one bridge exists here.
In your sentence, the meaning is simply an old bridge, not one single bridge for contrast, so μια παλιά γέφυρα is the natural choice.
The most common and neutral position for an adjective in Greek is:
article + adjective + noun
Examples:
- μια παλιά γέφυρα = an old bridge
- η μεγάλη αγορά = the big market
So μια παλιά γέφυρα follows the standard pattern: μια (article) + παλιά (adjective) + γέφυρα (noun).
You can also see the adjective after the noun, but that usually has a slightly different nuance or requires repeating the article (η γέφυρα η παλιά, more emphatic or stylistic). For a simple an old bridge, the form in your sentence is the normal one.
Yes, in this sentence που works as a relative pronoun, similar to that / which / who in English.
- μια παλιά γέφυρα που περνάει πάνω από τον δρόμο
= an old bridge that goes over the road
In everyday Modern Greek, που is the most common way to introduce a relative clause:
- ο άνθρωπος που είδα = the man that I saw
- το σπίτι που μένω = the house (that) I live in
More formal options like ο οποίος, η οποία, το οποίο exist, but που is default in spoken and informal written Greek.
Note: που here is not the question word πού (where). They differ in accent and function.
Περνάει is:
- present tense
- third person singular
- from the verb περνάω / περνώ (to pass, to go across, to cross, to spend [time])
Conjugation (present, informal style) of περνάω:
- εγώ περνάω / περνώ = I pass
- εσύ περνάς = you pass
- αυτός/αυτή/αυτό περνάει / περνά = he/she/it passes
So η γέφυρα περνάει πάνω από τον δρόμο literally means the bridge passes over the road → idiomatically, the bridge goes over / crosses the road.
You may also see περνά instead of περνάει; both are acceptable in modern usage, with περνάει sounding slightly more colloquial in some regions.
Πάνω means on / above, but when you want to say over/above something, you normally use:
- πάνω από + accusative
→ πάνω από τον δρόμο = over the road / above the road
Structures:
- πάνω (adverb, by itself):
- Κοίτα πάνω. = Look up / look above.
- πάνω σε + accusative:
- πάνω στον δρόμο = on the road (physically on its surface)
- πάνω από + accusative:
- πάνω από τον δρόμο = over / above the road (spanning it)
Πάνω τον δρόμο and πάνω δρόμου are not correct in standard Greek. You need a preposition (σε or από) and the noun in the accusative.
Greek nouns have grammatical gender, which determines the article form:
- η αγορά (feminine)
- accusative: την αγορά
- η γέφυρα (feminine)
- accusative: τη(ν) γέφυρα (with μια here instead of the definite article)
- ο δρόμος (masculine)
- accusative: τον δρόμο
So:
- πίσω από την αγορά → αγορά is feminine → την
- μια παλιά γέφυρα → γέφυρα is feminine → μια
- πάνω από τον δρόμο → δρόμος is masculine → τον
In English this is also common: The bridge *goes over the river, even though the bridge doesn’t literally move; it *extends over it.
Greek uses the same idea:
- Η γέφυρα περνάει πάνω από τον δρόμο.
= literally: The bridge passes over the road.
= naturally: The bridge goes over / crosses the road.
The present tense in Greek here describes a permanent characteristic or structure, not an action happening right now. This is the normal way to describe things like roads, bridges, rivers, etc., in both Greek and English.