Learn Hardcore Greek: Η δασκάλα μάς δίνει έναν συγκεκριμένο στόχο για αυτή τη βδομάδα, προκειμένου να έχουμε καθαρή κατεύθυνση. - The teacher gives us a specific goal for this week, in order for us to have a clear direction.

μας (without accent) = weak, unstressed: us / to us / our
μάς (with accent) = stressed, usually for contrast or emphasis: us (as opposed to someone else)

In Η δασκάλα μάς δίνει…, the accent suggests emphasis on μάς:

Η δασκάλα μάς δίνει… = The teacher gives *us…* (maybe as opposed to another group).

Without a wider context, it could also just be written as μας; in everyday writing many people don’t mark this contrast carefully.

Why does μάς go before the verb δίνει and not after it?

Object pronouns like με, σε, τον, την, το, μας, σας, τους normally go before the verb in standard sentences:

Η δασκάλα μάς δίνει στόχο. = The teacher gives us a goal.

You only put them after the verb in a few specific cases, mainly:

with positive imperatives: Δώσε μας τον στόχο. (Give us the goal.)
sometimes in very informal speech with να / θα etc., but that’s non‑standard: να μας δώσει is standard, να δώσει μας is not.

So in this sentence, μάς δίνει is the normal order.

Why is it έναν συγκεκριμένο στόχο and not ένα συγκεκριμένο στόχο?

Because στόχος is masculine:

Masculine: ένας, έναν στόχος
Neuter: ένα παιδί
Feminine: μία / μια μέρα

In the accusative singular masculine, the indefinite article is έναν (or sometimes ένα in speech, but έναν is more careful/standard before a consonant):

έναν στόχο = a goal (masculine, accusative)
έναν συγκεκριμένο στόχο = a specific goal

So έναν matches the gender and case of στόχο.

Why does the adjective συγκεκριμένο come between έναν and στόχο?

The normal pattern for adjectives before a noun is:

article – adjective – noun

έναν συγκεκριμένο στόχο
το μεγάλο σπίτι
μια ωραία μέρα

So έναν συγκεκριμένο στόχο is the default order: article (έναν) + adjective (συγκεκριμένο) + noun (στόχο).

You might also see adjectives after the noun in other patterns (with repeated article), but that has slightly different nuances. Here, the simple pre‑nominal position is used.

What case is έναν συγκεκριμένο στόχο in, and why?

It’s in the accusative singular masculine:

έναν (accusative, masc. sg.)
συγκεκριμένο (accusative, masc. sg.)
στόχο (accusative, masc. sg., from στόχος)

The accusative is used because στόχο is the direct object of the verb δίνει (gives what? → a specific goal).

What is the function of για in για αυτή τη βδομάδα? Could we just say αυτή τη βδομάδα?

για literally means for. In για αυτή τη βδομάδα, it marks the time span for which the goal is set:

έναν στόχο για αυτή τη βδομάδα = a goal for this week

If you say αυτή τη βδομάδα without για, it tends to mean this week (in general) as an adverbial time expression, like:

Αυτή τη βδομάδα δουλεύω πολύ. = This week I’m working a lot.

Here, with στόχο, για αυτή τη βδομάδα sounds more natural, because you’re specifying a goal for a particular period.

Why is it τη βδομάδα and not την βδομάδα?

The feminine article has two accusative forms: την and τη. In modern spelling, the final -ν is usually dropped before many consonants, especially before β, γ, δ, ζ, λ, μ, ν, ρ:

την εβδομάδα → την εβδομάδα (kept before vowel / ε)
την βδομάδα → τη βδομάδα (drop the ν before β)

So τη βδομάδα follows the modern rule of dropping the ν in that position. You will also see people always writing την, which is also acceptable, just more old‑fashioned / hyper‑correct.

What’s the difference between βδομάδα and εβδομάδα?

They mean the same thing: week.

εβδομάδα is a bit more formal / standard.
βδομάδα is a very common colloquial / everyday pronunciation and spelling.

In speech, many people say /vδoˈmaða/, so the ε often disappears. Both forms are correct in modern Greek.

What does προκειμένου να mean, and how is it used?

προκειμένου να means roughly in order to / so as to, and it introduces a purpose clause:

…προκειμένου να έχουμε καθαρή κατεύθυνση. = …in order for us to have a clear direction.

Structure:

προκειμένου να + verb in the subjunctive (να + present/aorist form)

It’s more formal than για να, which is the very common everyday equivalent:

…για να έχουμε καθαρή κατεύθυνση. ≈ …προκειμένου να έχουμε…

So προκειμένου να fits well in written or more careful speech.

Why is the verb έχουμε used after να, and how is that a subjunctive?

After να, Greek uses a subjunctive form. For many verbs, the present subjunctive looks identical to the present indicative.

Indicative: έχουμε = we have
Present subjunctive: (να) έχουμε = (that) we have / in order that we have

So:

να έχουμε is subjunctive, even though it looks the same as the indicative.
The context (να after προκειμένου) tells you it’s subjunctive.

In purpose clauses (in order to…), να + subjunctive is the standard construction in modern Greek.

What does καθαρή κατεύθυνση mean literally, and why are both words feminine?

Literally:

καθαρή = clear, clean
κατεύθυνση = direction

So καθαρή κατεύθυνση literally is clear direction.

Both are feminine singular and must agree in gender, number, and case:

καθαρή: feminine, nominative/accusative singular
κατεύθυνση: feminine, nominative/accusative singular

Agreement is obligatory, so you can’t say καθαρός κατεύθυνση or καθαρό κατεύθυνση.

Could we say Η δασκάλα δίνει σε εμάς έναν συγκεκριμένο στόχο instead of Η δασκάλα μάς δίνει…? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say:

Η δασκάλα δίνει σε εμάς έναν συγκεκριμένο στόχο.

Differences:

μάς is a weak object pronoun (clitic) and is the normal, neutral way to say to us.
σε εμάς is the strong (stressed) form with the preposition σε. It tends to:
- add extra emphasis: to us (and not to others)
- sound heavier / more formal or contrastive.

Typical neutral version:

Η δασκάλα μάς δίνει έναν συγκεκριμένο στόχο…

Very emphatic:

Η δασκάλα δίνει σε εμάς έναν συγκεκριμένο στόχο, όχι σε αυτούς.
(The teacher gives a specific goal to us, not to them.)

Why is there a comma before προκειμένου?

The comma marks the boundary between the main clause and the subordinate purpose clause:

Main clause: Η δασκάλα μάς δίνει έναν συγκεκριμένο στόχο για αυτή τη βδομάδα,
Subordinate clause: προκειμένου να έχουμε καθαρή κατεύθυνση.

In Greek, when a longer subordinate clause of purpose, reason, concession, etc. follows the main clause, it is usually introduced by a comma, much like in English.

Could we omit the article and say Η δασκάλα μάς δίνει συγκεκριμένο στόχο…? Would that change the meaning?

You could say it, but it sounds less natural and slightly different.

έναν συγκεκριμένο στόχο = a specific goal (more natural here; an indefinite but clearly defined goal)
συγκεκριμένο στόχο (without έναν) can sound more like specific goal in a generic sense, and in this position it feels a bit clipped in everyday modern Greek.

In practice, with countable nouns like στόχος, native speakers almost always include the indefinite article here:

μάς δίνει έναν συγκεκριμένο στόχο is the idiomatic version.