Learn Hardcore Greek: Για μένα είναι δίκαιο να μιλάει ο κάθε άνθρωπος στην τάξη, και άδικο να διακόπτουμε τους άλλους. - For me it is fair for every person to speak in class, and unfair to interrupt others.

So Για μένα είναι δίκαιο... = “For me / In my view it is fair that...”
It’s very common in spoken Greek to introduce a personal opinion this way, similar to English “to me” or “in my view”.

Why is it είναι δίκαιο and άδικο in the neuter, not δίκαιος / άδικος?

The adjectives are:

δίκαιος, δίκαιη, δίκαιο = fair / just
άδικος, άδικη, άδικο = unfair / unjust

Here they appear as δίκαιο and άδικο in the neuter singular, because they are used in an impersonal pattern:

Είναι δίκαιο να… = It is fair to…
Είναι άδικο να… = It is unfair to…

Greek often uses the neuter singular adjective in such impersonal expressions, where English uses “it” as a dummy subject:

Είναι δύσκολο να φύγω. – It is difficult for me to leave.
Είναι σημαντικό να διαβάζεις. – It is important to study.

So είναι δίκαιο doesn’t refer to a masculine or feminine noun; it’s like English “it’s fair” in general.

Why do we say να μιλάει and not an infinitive like English “to speak”? What is this να?

Modern Greek doesn’t have an infinitive. Where English uses “to + verb”, Greek usually uses να + a finite verb form.

So:

να μιλάει ≈ “to speak” / “for (someone) to speak”

Here:

να is a particle that typically introduces the subjunctive mood.
μιλάει is 3rd person singular (he/she/it speaks) of μιλάω / μιλώ.

The structure:

Είναι δίκαιο να μιλάει ο κάθε άνθρωπος…
Literally: It is fair that each person speaks…
Functionally: It’s fair for each person to speak…

Any time you want to say “to do X” after an adjective like “it’s good / bad / easy / hard”, Greek will typically use είναι + adjective + να + verb.

What is the difference between μιλάει and μιλά?

Both μιλάει and μιλά are correct 3rd person singular forms of μιλάω / μιλώ (to speak).

μιλάει = more colloquial / spoken form
μιλά = shorter, slightly more formal or literary form

Meaning is the same: “(he/she/it) speaks” or here “(for each person) to speak.”

In everyday speech you will hear μιλάει very often. In writing, both appear; some writers prefer the shorter μιλά for style.

Why is it ο κάθε άνθρωπος instead of just κάθε άνθρωπος? Does the article ο change the meaning?

Both are possible, but there is a nuance:

κάθε άνθρωπος = each person / every person (neutral)
ο κάθε άνθρωπος = each and every person / any given person, often with a bit of emphasis.

Using the article ο before κάθε tends to:

Stress that the statement applies to every single individual, no exceptions.
Make it a bit more colloquial / emphatic.

So:

να μιλάει ο κάθε άνθρωπος στην τάξη
≈ for each and every person in the class to speak
(not only some special people, but everyone)

If ο κάθε άνθρωπος is singular (“each person”), why is the meaning more like “everyone”? Why not a plural?

Greek often uses a generic singular to talk about all people in general.

ο κάθε άνθρωπος literally: each person (singular)
But functionally: “everyone / every person” (generic)

This is similar to English saying:

Each person has the right to speak.
(referring to everyone, but using singular person and has)

So, ο κάθε άνθρωπος is grammatically singular, but it’s understood as a universal statement about all individuals in that set.

What is στην τάξη exactly? How is it formed?

στην τάξη comes from:

σε (in, at, to) + την (the, feminine accusative) = στη(ν)
τάξη (class, classroom)

So:

σε + την τάξη → στην τάξη = “in the class / in class / in the classroom.”

The ν at the end of στην can be dropped or kept depending on the following sound, but στην τάξη is standard and natural.

Why is it να διακόπτουμε and not να διακόψουμε? What’s the difference?

Both forms are subjunctive of διακόπτω (to interrupt), but with different aspect:

να διακόπτουμε = imperfective aspect
→ focuses on ongoing / repeated / habitual action
να διακόψουμε = perfective aspect
→ focuses on one complete action / one event

In this sentence:

είναι άδικο να διακόπτουμε τους άλλους
= it is unfair to (be) interrupt(ing) others / to interrupt others (in general)

The speaker is talking about a general rule / habitual behavior in class. So the imperfective (να διακόπτουμε) is natural, because it refers to interrupting as a repeated or ongoing behavior, not one specific interruption.

What does τους άλλους mean here, and why is there an article τους?

άλλους is the masculine accusative plural of άλλος = other.
τους is the masculine accusative plural definite article = the.

Together:

τους άλλους = “the others”, i.e. the other people (in the class).

In Greek, an adjective can act as a noun if you add the article:

ο καλός = the good (man)
η καλή = the good (woman)
οι άλλοι = the others (people)

So να διακόπτουμε τους άλλους = “to interrupt others / the other people.”

Why is there a comma before και: ..., και άδικο να διακόπτουμε τους άλλους? Is that normal in Greek?

Yes, it’s normal. Greek punctuation allows (and often prefers) a comma before και when it separates two full clauses, even if English would usually omit it.

Here we effectively have two parallel clauses:

είναι δίκαιο να μιλάει ο κάθε άνθρωπος στην τάξη
(είναι) άδικο να διακόπτουμε τους άλλους

They are linked with και, and the comma marks a pause and separation between the two ideas:

Για μένα είναι δίκαιο …, και άδικο …
= For me, it is fair …, and (it is) unfair …

In English, we’d usually write “and unfair” without a comma, but in Greek the comma here is both acceptable and common.

Could we say Είναι δίκαιο για μένα να μιλάει ο κάθε άνθρωπος… instead of Για μένα είναι δίκαιο…? Is there a difference?

You could say it, and it’s grammatically possible, but the natural way to express “in my opinion” is:

Για μένα, είναι δίκαιο να…
Κατά τη γνώμη μου, είναι δίκαιο να…

If you say:

Είναι δίκαιο για μένα να μιλάει ο κάθε άνθρωπος…

this tends to be interpreted more literally as:

It is fair *for me that each person speaks…
(with *για μένα being more closely tied to the adjective “fair,” not clearly to “my opinion.”)

So:

Για μένα είναι δίκαιο… = In my view, it is fair… (opinion)
Είναι δίκαιο για μένα… can sound more like It is fair *to me / with respect to me…*, which is not what we usually mean when stating an opinion.

That’s why the original word order Για μένα είναι δίκαιο… is the most natural for “In my opinion, it’s fair…”.