Η συμπεριφορά του συναδέλφου μου στη συνάντηση ήταν πολύ ήρεμη.

My colleague’s behavior in the meeting was very calm.

Breakdown of Η συμπεριφορά του συναδέλφου μου στη συνάντηση ήταν πολύ ήρεμη.

• είμαι: to be
• πολύ: very
• μου: my
• σε: at
• η συνάντηση: the meeting
• ο συνάδελφος: the colleague
• ήρεμος: calm
• η συμπεριφορά: the behavior

Questions & Answers about Η συμπεριφορά του συναδέλφου μου στη συνάντηση ήταν πολύ ήρεμη.

What does the article Η tell me about συμπεριφορά?

Η is the feminine singular nominative definite article: ο / η / το = the (masc / fem / neuter).

So Η συμπεριφορά tells you:

• Gender: feminine
• Number: singular
• Case: nominative (it’s the subject of the sentence)

Because συμπεριφορά is feminine, its article must also be feminine (η).

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What form is συμπεριφορά here, and what is its role in the sentence?

συμπεριφορά is:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative

It is the subject of the sentence: the thing we are describing as calm.
Η συμπεριφορά … ήταν πολύ ήρεμη = The behavior … was very calm.

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Why is it του συναδέλφου μου and not something like ο συνάδελφος μου?

του συναδέλφου μου is in the genitive case, which is used for possession/relationship, roughly like English of or the ’s form.

• του = of the (masc/neut genitive singular)
• συναδέλφου = genitive singular of συνάδελφος
• μου = my (weak/clitic possessive pronoun)

So του συναδέλφου μου literally means of my colleague, i.e. my colleague’s.
If you said ο συνάδελφος μου, that would be my colleague as a subject, not my colleague’s behavior.

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How does συνάδελφος change in the singular? What is συναδέλφου exactly?

συνάδελφος (colleague) is usually masculine. In the singular:

• Nominative: ο συνάδελφος (subject)
• Genitive: του συναδέλφου (of the colleague)
• Accusative: τον συνάδελφο (object)
• Vocative: συνάδελφε (when calling someone)

In the sentence, συναδέλφου is the genitive singular form (after του), used to show possession: η συμπεριφορά του συναδέλφου μου = my colleague’s behavior.

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Why does μου come after συναδέλφου? Could I say η συμπεριφορά μου του συναδέλφου?

Weak possessive pronouns like μου, σου, του, της, μας, σας, τους normally come after the noun phrase they belong to.

• του συναδέλφου μου = of my colleague
  (literally: of-the colleague my)

You cannot say η συμπεριφορά μου του συναδέλφου for my colleague’s behavior. That would sound like my behavior of the colleague, which is wrong.

The correct structure is:

• η συμπεριφορά του συναδέλφου μου
  (behavior of-the colleague my)

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What is στη exactly? How is it related to σε and τη(ν)?

στη is a contraction of the preposition σε + the feminine accusative article τη:

• σε
  • τη → στη

So:

• σε τη συνάντηση → στη συνάντηση

Greek often contracts:

• σε + τον → στον
• σε + το → στο
• σε + τη(ν) → στη / στην

In this sentence, στη συνάντηση = in/at the meeting.

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Why is συνάντηση in the accusative case after σε / στη?

In modern Greek, the preposition σε (in, at, to) is normally followed by the accusative case.

So:

• σε + η συνάντηση → στη συνάντηση (accusative singular)

συνάντηση is feminine, and the accusative singular of η συνάντηση is also τη(ν) συνάντηση, so the form doesn’t change visibly from nominative here, but its function is object of the preposition σε.

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What is ήταν, grammatically?

ήταν is the past tense (imperfect) of the verb είμαι (to be).

• είμαι = I am
• ήμουν = I was (1st person singular)
• ήταν = he/she/it was (also they were in everyday speech)

In the sentence, ήταν links the subject (η συμπεριφορά…) with the adjective πολύ ήρεμη:

• Η συμπεριφορά … ήταν πολύ ήρεμη = The behavior … was very calm.

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Why is ήρεμη feminine, and why doesn’t it change case?

ήρεμη is an adjective in the feminine singular nominative form. It agrees with the subject:

• Subject: η συμπεριφορά (feminine, singular, nominative)
• Predicate adjective: ήρεμη (feminine, singular, nominative)

Predicate adjectives after είμαι match the gender and number of the subject, and they also stand in the nominative:

• Η συμπεριφορά ήταν ήρεμη.
• Ο συνάδελφος ήταν ήρεμος.
• Το παιδί ήταν ήρεμο.

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What is the function of πολύ before ήρεμη?

πολύ here is an adverb meaning very. It modifies the adjective ήρεμη:

• ήρεμη = calm
• πολύ ήρεμη = very calm

Position:

• It typically comes before the adjective it modifies: πολύ ήρεμη.

You can intensify more with πάρα πολύ ήρεμη = extremely / really very calm.

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Could I move στη συνάντηση to the beginning of the sentence? Would it change the meaning?

Yes, you can move it for emphasis or style:

• Στη συνάντηση, η συμπεριφορά του συναδέλφου μου ήταν πολύ ήρεμη.

The basic meaning stays the same (at the meeting, my colleague’s behavior was very calm).
Greek word order is relatively flexible; moving στη συνάντηση to the front puts a bit more emphasis on the setting (at the meeting) but does not change the core meaning.

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Are there synonyms for ήρεμη here, and would the grammar change?

Common near-synonyms include:

• ήσυχη
• καθησυχαστική (more like reassuring)
• ψύχραιμη (calm / composed)

For example:

• Η συμπεριφορά του συναδέλφου μου στη συνάντηση ήταν πολύ ήσυχη.
• … ήταν πολύ ψύχραιμη.

The grammar stays the same: you still use the feminine singular nominative form of the adjective to agree with η συμπεριφορά.