Ο φίλος μου είναι χορτοφάγος, γι’ αυτό παραγγέλνει μόνο σαλάτα στο εστιατόριο.

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Breakdown of Ο φίλος μου είναι χορτοφάγος, γι’ αυτό παραγγέλνει μόνο σαλάτα στο εστιατόριο.

• μου: my
• ο φίλος: the male friend
• σε: at

Questions & Answers about Ο φίλος μου είναι χορτοφάγος, γι’ αυτό παραγγέλνει μόνο σαλάτα στο εστιατόριο.

What does Ο mean in Ο φίλος μου, and what would change if the friend is female?

Ο is the masculine singular definite article in the nominative case, meaning “the.” So Ο φίλος μου literally means “the friend of mine”, understood as “my (male) friend.”

Articles in the nominative singular are:

• Masculine: ο (e.g. ο φίλος – the (male) friend)
• Feminine: η (e.g. η φίλη – the (female) friend)
• Neuter: το (e.g. το παιδί – the child)

If the friend is female, you would say:

• Η φίλη μου είναι χορτοφάγος… = My (female) friend is a vegetarian…

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Why is μου placed after φίλος in Ο φίλος μου instead of before, like in English “my friend”?

In Greek, the weak (clitic) possessive pronouns normally come after the noun they possess:

• ο φίλος μου = my friend
• το βιβλίο σου = your book
• η μητέρα του = his mother

These little words (μου, σου, του, της, μας, σας, τους) are unstressed genitive pronouns. Their natural position is post‑nominal: noun + possessive.

You can also use strong forms like δικός μου for emphasis or contrast, e.g.:

• Ο φίλος είναι δικός μου. = The friend is mine (not someone else’s).

But in normal, neutral possession, the pattern is [article] + [noun] + [weak possessive]: ο φίλος μου.

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