Η δασκάλα εξηγεί πρώτα στα ελληνικά και μετά στα αγγλικά.

The teacher explains first in Greek and then in English.

Breakdown of Η δασκάλα εξηγεί πρώτα στα ελληνικά και μετά στα αγγλικά.

• και: and
• μετά: then
• πρώτα: first
• η δασκάλα: the female teacher
• εξηγώ: to explain
• στα ελληνικά: in Greek
• στα αγγλικά: in English

Questions & Answers about Η δασκάλα εξηγεί πρώτα στα ελληνικά και μετά στα αγγλικά.

What does Η mean before δασκάλα, and do I always need the article with professions?

Η is the definite article “the” in Greek, feminine, singular, nominative. It agrees with δασκάλα (which is feminine).

• Η δασκάλα = the teacher (a specific teacher, and female).
• In Greek, when a profession is the subject and you are talking about a specific person, you almost always use the article:
  • Η δασκάλα εξηγεί. = The teacher explains.
• But after the verb “to be”, you usually drop the article:
  • Η Μαρία είναι δασκάλα. = Maria is a teacher. (no article before δασκάλα here)

Why is it δασκάλα and not δάσκαλος in this sentence?

Greek marks grammatical gender on nouns, and many professions have different masculine and feminine forms:

• ο δάσκαλος = the (male) teacher
• η δασκάλα = the (female) teacher

Because the article is η (feminine), the noun must also be feminine: η δασκάλα.
If you were talking about a male teacher, you would say:

• Ο δάσκαλος εξηγεί πρώτα στα ελληνικά…

What exactly is the verb form εξηγεί?

εξηγεί is:

• 3rd person singular (he/she/it)
• present tense, indicative, active
• of the verb εξηγώ = to explain

So εξηγεί can mean both:

• she explains (simple present)
• she is explaining (present progressive)

Greek doesn’t separate these two the way English does; the same present form covers both.

Can εξηγεί stand alone like this in Greek, without saying what she explains or to whom?

Yes. In Greek you can leave out the object if it is obvious from context.

• Η δασκάλα εξηγεί πρώτα στα ελληνικά…
  = The teacher explains first in Greek… (it’s understood she is explaining the lesson, the text, the exercise, etc.)

If you want to be explicit, you can add an object:

• Η δασκάλα εξηγεί το μάθημα.
• Η δασκάλα μας εξηγεί την άσκηση. = The teacher explains the exercise to us.

What does πρώτα mean, and could it go in another position?

πρώτα is an adverb meaning “first / at first / first of all.”

In this sentence it shows the order of actions:

• εξηγεί πρώτα στα ελληνικά και μετά στα αγγλικά
  = she explains first in Greek and then in English.

Greek word order is fairly flexible. You could also say:

• Η δασκάλα πρώτα εξηγεί στα ελληνικά και μετά στα αγγλικά.
• Η δασκάλα εξηγεί στα ελληνικά πρώτα και μετά στα αγγλικά.

The original word order is the most neutral and common, but the others are still natural.

What exactly is στα in στα ελληνικά and στα αγγλικά?

στα is a contraction of:

• σε (preposition “in / at / to”)
• τα (definite article “the”, neuter plural, accusative)

So:

• σε + τα = στα

Literally, στα ελληνικά means “in the Greek (language)” and στα αγγλικά means “in the English (language)”.
In practice you just learn στα + [language] as the normal way to say “in [language]”.

Why are ελληνικά and αγγλικά in the plural and neuter?

Words for languages in Greek are often adjectives used as neuter plural nouns:

• ελληνικός (Greek – adjective) → τα ελληνικά (the Greek language)
• αγγλικός (English – adjective) → τα αγγλικά (the English language)

So grammatically they are neuter plural (like “the Greek things / words”), but in meaning they function as “the Greek language / the English language.”

That’s why the article is τα, and with σε you get στα ελληνικά, στα αγγλικά.

Can I drop the article and say σε ελληνικά instead of στα ελληνικά?

Not when you mean “in Greek (language).”

• στα ελληνικά is the normal, idiomatic form for “in Greek.”
• σε ελληνικά without the article sounds wrong in this meaning.

You might see σε ελληνικά only if ελληνικά is clearly an adjective modifying some plural noun understood from context, e.g. σε ελληνικά βιβλία = “in Greek books.”
On its own, stick to στα ελληνικά / στα αγγλικά for languages.

How would I say “in the Greek language” more literally, and is it different from στα ελληνικά?

More literal versions are:

• στην ελληνική γλώσσα = in the Greek language
• στην ελληνική (with γλώσσα understood) = in Greek (language)

Meaning-wise, they are essentially the same as στα ελληνικά.
Differences:

• στα ελληνικά – most common, neutral, everyday.
• στην ελληνική γλώσσα – more formal, explicit, or emphatic (for example in linguistic or educational contexts).

Why aren’t ελληνικά and αγγλικά capitalized in Greek?

In modern Greek spelling:

• Names of countries, peoples, and cities are capitalized:
  
  • Ελλάδα (Greece), Αγγλία (England), Έλληνας (a Greek man)
• Adjectives for nationality and names of languages are not capitalized:
  
  • ελληνικά, αγγλικά, γαλλικά, ιταλικά

So στα ελληνικά, στα αγγλικά are correctly written with lowercase initials.

Can I change the word order, like Η δασκάλα πρώτα εξηγεί στα ελληνικά και μετά στα αγγλικά?

Yes. Some common variants:

• Η δασκάλα εξηγεί πρώτα στα ελληνικά και μετά στα αγγλικά. (original)
• Η δασκάλα πρώτα εξηγεί στα ελληνικά και μετά στα αγγλικά.
• Πρώτα η δασκάλα εξηγεί στα ελληνικά και μετά στα αγγλικά.

All are grammatical and natural. The differences are small:

• Putting πρώτα earlier (Πρώτα η δασκάλα…) slightly emphasizes the sequence (“first… then…”).
• The original order is the most neutral for everyday speech.

Do I need the και before μετά, or could I say πρώτα στα ελληνικά, μετά στα αγγλικά?

Both are correct:

• …εξηγεί πρώτα στα ελληνικά και μετά στα αγγλικά.
• …εξηγεί πρώτα στα ελληνικά, μετά στα αγγλικά.

With και, the two parts feel more tightly connected as a single sequence.
Without και, it sounds a bit more like a list: “first in Greek, then in English.” In everyday speech you will hear both versions.

How do you pronounce αγγλικά, especially the γγ?

αγγλικά is stressed on the last syllable: α-γγλι-ΚΑ → [aŋɟliˈka] (approximately).

• α = “a” as in “father”
• γγ before ι is pronounced like ng + “y” sound together (a palatal sound), roughly like “ngy”:
  
  • A good approximation for English speakers is “an-yee-KA” or “ang-yee-KA.”

So αγγλικά is closer to “ang-yee-KA” than to “ag-lee-KA.”