Ο πεζόδρομος είναι δημόσιος χώρος και είναι πιο ασφαλής για τα παιδιά.

The pedestrian street is a public space and is safer for children.

Breakdown of Ο πεζόδρομος είναι δημόσιος χώρος και είναι πιο ασφαλής για τα παιδιά.

• είμαι: to be
• και: and
• πιο: more
• για: for
• το παιδί: the child
• ασφαλής: safe
• ο χώρος: the space
• ο πεζόδρομος: the pedestrian street
• δημόσιος: public

Questions & Answers about Ο πεζόδρομος είναι δημόσιος χώρος και είναι πιο ασφαλής για τα παιδιά.

Why does the sentence start with Ο πεζόδρομος and not Ένας πεζόδρομος?

In Greek, when you talk about a thing in general, you very often use the definite article (Ο, Η, ΤΟ), not the indefinite one (Ένας, Μία, Ένα).

• Ο πεζόδρομος είναι δημόσιος χώρος...
  • Means: “The pedestrian street (as a type / in general) is a public space…”
  • This is like saying in English: “A pedestrian street is a public space…” (generic statement).

If you said:

• Ένας πεζόδρομος είναι δημόσιος χώρος...

this would sound more like “A (certain, some) pedestrian street is a public space…”, less like a general rule and more like “there exists at least one such street”.

So:

• Greek often uses the definite article where English uses a/an for general truths or definitions.
• That’s why Ο πεζόδρομος is natural here.

What exactly does πεζόδρομος mean, and how is it formed?

Πεζόδρομος is a compound word:

• πεζός = pedestrian, on foot
• δρόμος = road, street

So πεζό + δρόμος → πεζόδρομος = pedestrian street, i.e. a street reserved for people walking, not for cars.

Some details:

• Gender: masculine
• Article: ο πεζόδρομος
• Plural: οι πεζόδρομοι
• Stress: πεζΟ-δρο-μος (stress on the -ζό- syllable)

Don’t confuse it with:

• πεζοδρόμιο = sidewalk / pavement, the part at the side of a road where people walk.

So:

• πεζόδρομος = a whole street with no cars (usually)
• πεζοδρόμιο = the raised walking area next to a normal road

Why is it δημόσιος χώρος and not χώρος δημόσιος?

The normal, neutral word order in Greek is:

• adjective + noun
  → δημόσιος χώρος (public space)

You can say χώρος δημόσιος, but:

• That sounds marked or emphatic, a bit like “a space that is public” – it gives special emphasis to the adjective, often as new or contrastive information.

In this sentence we just have a straightforward description, so the standard order δημόσιος χώρος is used.

So:

• δημόσιος χώρος = normal, neutral way to say public space
• χώρος δημόσιος = more emphatic or stylistic, not the default

Why is it δημόσιος (with -ος) and not δημόσιο or δημόσια?

Δημόσιος is an adjective and it must agree with the noun χώρος in:

• Gender: masculine
• Number: singular
• Case: nominative (it’s part of the subject complement after είναι)

Χώρος is:

• masculine
• singular
• nominative

So the adjective must also be:

• δημόσιος (masc. nom. sg.)

Other forms of the adjective would be:

• δημόσια (feminine)
• δημόσιο (neuter)

Examples:

• δημόσιος χώρος (masc.) – public space
• δημόσια πλατεία (fem.) – public square
• δημόσιο κτίριο (neut.) – public building

In this sentence, because the noun is ο χώρος, we must use δημόσιος.

What is the difference between δημόσιος and δημοτικός?

Both exist in Greek, but they’re used differently:

• δημόσιος

  • Means public in the sense of belonging to the state / open to the public.
  • δημόσιος χώρος = public space
  • δημόσια υπηρεσία = public service

• δημοτικός

  • Means municipal, of the municipality / city council.
  • δημοτικός κήπος = municipal garden
  • δημοτικό σχολείο = primary school (literally “municipal school”, though today it’s a standard term)

In δημόσιος χώρος, we mean space that is generally public, not specifically municipal, so δημόσιος is correct.

How does πιο ασφαλής work? Is this the normal comparative of ασφαλής?

Yes. Πιο ασφαλής is a periphrastic comparative (using πιο + adjective), which is the most common way in modern Greek to form comparatives.

• ασφαλής = safe
• πιο ασφαλής = safer
• ο πιο ασφαλής = the safest

So in the sentence:

• είναι πιο ασφαλής για τα παιδιά = it is safer for children

There is also an older/synthetic comparative:

• ασφαλέστερος = safer
• ο ασφαλέστερος = the safest

This is grammatical, but in everyday modern speech πιο ασφαλής is more common and sounds more natural in most contexts.

Why is it πιο ασφαλής (ending in -ης) and not πιο ασφαλή?

Ασφαλής is a two-ending adjective (like ευγενής, σταθερής, etc.). Its forms are:

• Masculine/Feminine nominative singular: ασφαλής
• Neuter nominative/accusative singular: ασφαλές

In the sentence:

• Subject: ο πεζόδρομος (masc., nom., sg.)
• Predicate adjective describing the subject: πιο ασφαλής (must agree in masc., nom., sg.)

So:

• Ο πεζόδρομος είναι πιο ασφαλής. = The pedestrian street is safer.

Πιο ασφαλή would be:

• masculine/feminine plural accusative, or
• neuter plural nominative/accusative,

which does not match ο πεζόδρομος (singular).

You would use πιο ασφαλή with a plural subject, e.g.:

• Οι δρόμοι αυτοί είναι πιο ασφαλείς. (more archaic/planned style)
• More naturally: Οι δρόμοι αυτοί είναι πιο ασφαλείς (still masc. nom. pl.)
  (Note: here you see a different pattern; the key idea is agreement in number and gender with the subject.)

Why is the verb είναι repeated? Could we say Ο πεζόδρομος είναι δημόσιος χώρος και πιο ασφαλής για τα παιδιά?

Both versions are grammatically correct.

1. With repetition:

   • Ο πεζόδρομος είναι δημόσιος χώρος και είναι πιο ασφαλής για τα παιδιά.
   • Two separate statements:
     • It is a public space.
     • It is safer for children.

   Repeating είναι makes both parts clearly parallel and can slightly emphasize that there are two distinct properties.

2. Without repetition:

   • Ο πεζόδρομος είναι δημόσιος χώρος και πιο ασφαλής για τα παιδιά.
   • The single είναι is understood for both parts.
   • Very natural in modern Greek; sounds a bit more compact.

So:

• Omitting the second είναι is allowed and common.
• Keeping it is also fine and can add a touch of clarity or emphasis.

Why is it για τα παιδιά and not something like για των παιδιών?

The preposition για (“for”) in modern Greek almost always takes the accusative case.

• για + accusative:
  • για τα παιδιά = for the children
  • για εσένα = for you
  • για τον φίλο μου = for my friend

So:

• τα παιδιά is accusative plural of το παιδί (the child).
  • Nom. sg.: το παιδί
  • Acc. pl.: τα παιδιά

Των παιδιών is genitive plural (“of the children”), which is not used after για in modern standard Greek.

Therefore:

• για τα παιδιά = correct: for the children
• για των παιδιών = incorrect in modern standard Greek.

How do you pronounce the whole sentence?

Here is a rough pronunciation guide, with stressed syllables in capitals and an approximate English-like transcription:

• Ο πεζόδρομος → o peZO-dro-mos
  
  • ζ like z in zoo
  • δ like th in this
• είναι → EE-ne
• δημόσιος → dhi-MO-si-os
  
  • δ (again) like th in this
• χώρος → HO-ros
  
  • χ is a voiceless sound, like the ch in German Bach or Scottish loch, not like English h or k
• και → ke (or ce, like ke in kettle)
• είναι → EE-ne
• πιο → pio (one syllable, like “pyo”)
• ασφαλής → as-fa-LIS
  
  • final -ής pronounced like -is
• για → ya
• τα παιδιά → ta pe-DHIÁ
  
  • παι sounds like pe in pet but shorter, then διά with stress and δ as th in this

So, smooth sentence-level pronunciation:

• o peZOdromos EEne dhiMOsios HOros ke EEne pio asfaLIS ya ta peDHIÁ.

(Transcription is approximate; main point is where the stress goes and sounds of χ and δ.)

Is the word order fixed? Could we say Ο πεζόδρομος είναι πιο ασφαλής για τα παιδιά και δημόσιος χώρος?

Yes, that alternative is grammatically correct:

• Ο πεζόδρομος είναι πιο ασφαλής για τα παιδιά και δημόσιος χώρος.

Here, a single είναι applies to both:

• πιο ασφαλής για τα παιδιά
• δημόσιος χώρος

This version slightly changes the emphasis:

• The original:
  Ο πεζόδρομος είναι δημόσιος χώρος και είναι πιο ασφαλής για τα παιδιά.
  → first highlights that it’s a public space, then adds that it’s safer for children.
• Your alternative:
  Ο πεζόδρομος είναι πιο ασφαλής για τα παιδιά και δημόσιος χώρος.
  → emphasizes safety for children first, then adds that it’s a public space.

Greek word order is fairly flexible, but:

• You still have to keep adjective–noun agreement correct.
• You must keep elements that belong together (like πιο + adjective, or adjective + noun) in a natural grouping.