Ο κήπος της γιαγιάς μου είναι μικρός αλλά υπέροχος την άνοιξη.

My grandmother’s garden is small but wonderful in spring.

Breakdown of Ο κήπος της γιαγιάς μου είναι μικρός αλλά υπέροχος την άνοιξη.

• είμαι: to be
• μου: my
• αλλά: but
• μικρός: small
• η γιαγιά: the grandmother
• την άνοιξη: in spring
• ο κήπος: the garden
• υπέροχος: wonderful

Questions & Answers about Ο κήπος της γιαγιάς μου είναι μικρός αλλά υπέροχος την άνοιξη.

Why does the sentence start with Ο κήπος and not just Κήπος?

In Greek, nouns almost always take a definite or indefinite article.

• Ο is the definite article, masculine, singular, nominative (the subject form).
• κήπος is a masculine noun meaning garden.

Because ο κήπος is the subject of the sentence and refers to a specific garden (the grandmother’s garden), you use the definite article ο.
Leaving the article out (κήπος της γιαγιάς μου είναι…) would sound incomplete or very poetic/unusual in modern standard Greek.

Why is possession expressed as της γιαγιάς μου instead of something like English my grandmother’s garden?

Greek usually shows possession with the genitive case rather than with an ’s ending.

• η γιαγιά = the grandmother (nominative)
• της γιαγιάς = of the grandmother (genitive)

So:

• ο κήπος της γιαγιάς μου = the garden of my grandmother / my grandmother’s garden

The order is usually:

article + noun (owner) + μου in the genitive: της γιαγιάς μου

This is the natural way to say my grandmother’s in Greek when it’s attached to another noun (garden here).

What exactly is the role of της in της γιαγιάς μου?

της here is the genitive singular feminine article (corresponding to η in the nominative).

• η γιαγιά = the grandmother (subject form)
• της γιαγιάς = of the grandmother (possessive form)

So της marks:

1. Case: genitive (shows possession/relationship)
2. Gender: feminine
3. Number: singular

Together, της γιαγιάς means of the grandmother. Adding μου gives of my grandmother.

Why do we need μου after της γιαγιάς? Isn’t της already “her”?

In this phrase, της is not her (as a pronoun) but the article in the genitive, part of the noun phrase.

• της γιαγιάς = of the grandmother
• της γιαγιάς μου = of my grandmother

The actual “my” idea is carried by μου:

• μου is a possessive pronoun (genitive of εγώ): of me → my

So:

• της γιαγιάς = of the grandmother (could be any grandmother previously known)
• της γιαγιάς μου = of my grandmother (specifically mine)

Why are the adjectives μικρός and υπέροχος in the form ending in -ος?

Adjectives in Greek agree with the noun they describe in:

• Gender
• Number
• Case

Here:

• κήπος is masculine, singular, nominative
• So adjectives must also be masculine, singular, nominative

Hence:

• μικρός (small) – masculine, singular, nominative
• υπέροχος (wonderful) – masculine, singular, nominative

If the noun changed, the adjectives would change too:

• η αυλή είναι μικρή αλλά υπέροχη (feminine)
• το σπίτι είναι μικρό αλλά υπέροχο (neuter)

Why is the structure είναι μικρός αλλά υπέροχος instead of putting the adjectives before κήπος?

In this sentence, μικρός and υπέροχος are predicative adjectives:

• Ο κήπος … είναι μικρός αλλά υπέροχος
  → The garden is small but wonderful.

They come after the verb είναι and describe the subject.

You could also put them before the noun, as attributive adjectives:

• Ο μικρός αλλά υπέροχος κήπος της γιαγιάς μου…
  → My grandmother’s small but wonderful garden…

Difference:

• Predicative (είναι μικρός αλλά υπέροχος) is a neutral, simple description.
• Attributive (ο μικρός αλλά υπέροχος κήπος) sounds more descriptive/literary, as if you’re presenting that garden as a character/important element.

Why use αλλά and not και or something else between the adjectives?

αλλά means but, showing contrast:

• μικρός αλλά υπέροχος = small but wonderful

If you used και (and):

• μικρός και υπέροχος = small and wonderful (no contrast, just two qualities)

You’d use:

• αλλά when the second part contrasts with or counterbalances the first.
• και when you simply add another similar or neutral piece of information.

You might also see μα (also but), which is more colloquial/expressive:

• μικρός μα υπέροχος – stylistic, a bit more emotional.

Why is it την άνοιξη with an article and in the accusative case for in spring?

Greek often uses the accusative case without a preposition to express time (when something happens).

• την άνοιξη = literally the spring (accusative) → interpreted as in (the) spring

Details:

• η άνοιξη = spring (nominative)
• την άνοιξη = spring (accusative)

So την άνοιξη functions as a time expression:

• Ο κήπος … είναι υπέροχος την άνοιξη.
  → The garden is wonderful in (the) spring.

Using the article (την) with seasons is very common in Greek. You will also hear the article dropped in some contexts (άνοιξη είναι υπέροχος), but την άνοιξη is the most natural and standard here.

Why isn’t there a preposition like σε before την άνοιξη, as in σε την άνοιξη?

For seasons, parts of the day, and many time expressions, Greek usually prefers bare accusative instead of a preposition:

• την άνοιξη – in (the) spring
• το καλοκαίρι – in (the) summer
• την Κυριακή – on Sunday

You can say την άνοιξη without any preposition, and that is the normal, idiomatic way.
σε την άνοιξη would contract to στην άνοιξη, but in this context it sounds less natural; you’d keep στην άνοιξη for special emphasis or contrast (for example, contrasting different seasons: το χειμώνα είναι άδειος, αλλά στην άνοιξη είναι υπέροχος).

Could we move την άνοιξη to the beginning of the sentence?

Yes. Greek word order is relatively flexible. You can say:

• Την άνοιξη, ο κήπος της γιαγιάς μου είναι μικρός αλλά υπέροχος.

Meaning stays the same. The difference:

• Putting Την άνοιξη first emphasizes “As for spring / In spring” more strongly.
• Leaving it at the end is more neutral and common for simple statements.

Why is the verb είναι used here and can it ever be omitted?

είναι is the present tense of είμαι (to be):

• ο κήπος … είναι μικρός αλλά υπέροχος
  → the garden is small but wonderful

In standard modern Greek prose and normal speech, you keep είναι; it’s required here.

You may see είναι omitted in:

• Very colloquial speech or
• Headlines, titles, slogans, or informal notes, e.g. Ο κήπος της γιαγιάς μου, μικρός αλλά υπέροχος την άνοιξη.

But in a full, neutral sentence, you should say είναι.

How is γιαγιάς pronounced and why are there two γ?

γιαγιάς is pronounced roughly like:

• [ya‑YÁS] (stress on the second syllable)

Breakdown:

• για → [ya] (like ya in yard)
• γιά → again [ya] but stressed
• Final ς is the standard Greek s sound.

The γ before ι/ε often sounds like the y in yes. Writing για gives the ya sound in Greek spelling. So the two γ letters are there because of Greek spelling rules, not because you actually pronounce a hard g twice.

Is there any difference in meaning between Ο κήπος της γιαγιάς μου είναι μικρός αλλά υπέροχος την άνοιξη and Ο μικρός αλλά υπέροχος κήπος της γιαγιάς μου είναι…?

Both can describe the same reality, but the focus and style change.

1. Ο κήπος της γιαγιάς μου είναι μικρός αλλά υπέροχος την άνοιξη.

   • Neutral statement.
   • First introduces the garden of my grandmother, then comments on it.

2. Ο μικρός αλλά υπέροχος κήπος της γιαγιάς μου είναι…

   • The adjectives become part of the name/identity of the garden.
   • Feels more literary, descriptive, or expressive, as if this is a special, well‑known garden with this set of qualities.

For everyday speech, the first version (with είναι + adjectives) is more common and natural.