Learn Hardcore Greek: Ένας ηλικιωμένος συνταξιούχος κάθεται στο παγκάκι και διαβάζει εφημερίδα. - An elderly retiree sits on the bench and reads a newspaper.

It shows that we are talking about one, non‑specific person (not a particular, known pensioner).
It agrees in gender (masculine) and number (singular) with συνταξιούχος.

Why is it Ένας and not Ο at the beginning?

Ο (o) is the definite article “the”; Ένας (énas) is the indefinite article “a”.

Ένας ηλικιωμένος συνταξιούχος = an elderly pensioner (we don’t know which one).
Ο ηλικιωμένος συνταξιούχος = the elderly pensioner (a specific one, already known from context).

So Ένας is used because the sentence describes some elderly pensioner in general, not a particular, identified person.

Is ηλικιωμένος an adjective or a noun, and how does it work here?

ηλικιωμένος (ilikoménos) is an adjective meaning “elderly”.

It agrees with συνταξιούχος in gender (masculine), number (singular) and case (nominative).
The full noun phrase is:
- Ένας (article)
- ηλικιωμένος (adjective)
- συνταξιούχος (noun)

Other forms of the adjective:

Masculine: ηλικιωμένος
Feminine: ηλικιωμένη
Neuter: ηλικιωμένο

What kind of word is συνταξιούχος? Does it change for male/female?

συνταξιούχος (syntaksiúhos) is a noun meaning “pensioner” or “retiree”.

It is grammatically masculine here (because of Ένας and ηλικιωμένος).
The form of the noun itself usually stays the same for both men and women; what changes is the article and any adjectives:
- ένας ηλικιωμένος συνταξιούχος = an elderly (male) pensioner
- μία ηλικιωμένη συνταξιούχος = an elderly (female) pensioner

So native speakers indicate gender mainly through the article and adjectives, not by changing συνταξιούχος.

Why is ηλικιωμένος placed before συνταξιούχος? Can it go after?

The normal position of adjectives in Modern Greek is before the noun:

ηλικιωμένος συνταξιούχος = elderly pensioner

You can sometimes place adjectives after the noun (especially in more literary or emphatic styles), but you would usually add an article:

ο συνταξιούχος ο ηλικιωμένος – literally “the pensioner, the elderly one”, more emphatic, a bit heavier in tone.

In everyday speech, ηλικιωμένος συνταξιούχος (adjective before noun) is the standard and most natural order.

How would I say “an elderly female pensioner” using this structure?

You mainly change the article and adjective to the feminine; the noun can stay the same:

Μία ηλικιωμένη συνταξιούχος κάθεται στο παγκάκι και διαβάζει εφημερίδα.
= An elderly (female) pensioner is sitting on the bench and reading a newspaper.

Here:

Μία = feminine singular indefinite article
ηλικιωμένη = feminine form of ηλικιωμένος
συνταξιούχος stays the same in form, but is understood as female from the context.

What tense is κάθεται, and why is it translated as “is sitting” rather than just “sits”?

κάθεται (káthetai) is present tense, 3rd person singular, middle/passive form of the verb κάθομαι (“to sit”, “to be sitting”).

Modern Greek present tense usually covers both:

English simple present: “he sits”
English present continuous: “he is sitting”

Context determines which English form sounds more natural.
Here, because the action is happening “right now” in a scene, English prefers “is sitting”.

Is κάθεται a reflexive verb? How is κάθομαι conjugated?

κάθομαι (káthome) behaves like a reflexive / middle verb in form, but in Modern Greek it is just the normal way to say “to sit”. You do not add a reflexive pronoun (like “myself”).

Present tense conjugation:

(εγώ) κάθομαι – I sit / I am sitting
(εσύ) κάθεσαι – you sit / you are sitting
(αυτός/αυτή/αυτό) κάθεται – he/she/it sits / is sitting
(εμείς) καθόμαστε – we sit / are sitting
(εσείς) κάθεστε or καθόσαστε – you (pl./formal) sit / are sitting
(αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά) κάθονται – they sit / are sitting

What does στο mean, and why is it written as one word?

στο (sto) is a contraction of the preposition σε (se = “in, on, at, to”) and the neuter singular definite article το (to = “the”):

σε + το = στο → “on the / in the / at the”

So στο παγκάκι literally is “on the bench”.

Other common contractions with σε:

σε + τον = στον (masc. sg.)
σε + την = στην (fem. sg.)
σε + τους = στους, σε + τις = στις, σε + τα = στα (plurals)

What is παγκάκι exactly? Is it different from πάγκος?

παγκάκι (pangáki) is a neuter noun meaning “bench” (like a park bench).

It is formed from πάγκος (pángkos = “bench, counter”) plus the diminutive suffix -άκι, which often suggests something smaller or more specific.
In practice, παγκάκι is the usual word for a park bench.

Grammatically here, παγκάκι is in accusative singular (object of στο), but neuter nouns have the same form in nominative and accusative, so it looks like the dictionary form.

Why is there no article before εφημερίδα? Why not την εφημερίδα?

In διαβάζει εφημερίδα, leaving out the article makes εφημερίδα (efimerída = “newspaper”) more indefinite / generic:

διαβάζει εφημερίδα ≈ “he is reading a newspaper / he is reading (the) newspaper(s) in general.”

If you say:

διαβάζει την εφημερίδα = “he is reading the newspaper”

then you usually refer to a specific newspaper, for example one he bought earlier, or “his usual” newspaper.

Greek often omits the article with singular count nouns when talking about an unspecified example or an activity in general, especially with verbs like “read”, “drink”, “buy” etc. (compare English “He is reading newspaper” – which is ungrammatical in English but normal in Greek).

What is the difference in meaning between διαβάζει εφημερίδα and διαβάζει την εφημερίδα?

διαβάζει εφημερίδα
- Focus: the activity of reading a newspaper.
- The newspaper is not identified; it could be any newspaper.
- Often used when the actual title or identity is unimportant.
διαβάζει την εφημερίδα
- Refers to a particular newspaper, known from context (e.g. the one on the bench, or his usual one).
- Sounds more specific and definite.

So the article την makes the object specific.

Can I change the word order, for example put στο παγκάκι at the end?

Greek word order is fairly flexible, and several variations are grammatical:

Ένας ηλικιωμένος συνταξιούχος κάθεται στο παγκάκι και διαβάζει εφημερίδα.
Ένας ηλικιωμένος συνταξιούχος κάθεται και διαβάζει εφημερίδα στο παγκάκι.
Στο παγκάκι κάθεται ένας ηλικιωμένος συνταξιούχος και διαβάζει εφημερίδα.

The basic meaning stays the same, but the focus / emphasis can shift:

Starting with Στο παγκάκι emphasizes the location.
Keeping στο παγκάκι right after κάθεται is the most neutral and natural for “is sitting on the bench”.

How are these Greek words pronounced, and where is the stress?

Stress in Greek is marked by the accent (´) over a vowel. Roughly (IPA in slashes, stressed syllable in caps):

Ένας – /É-nas/
ηλικιωμένος – /i-li-kio-MÉ-nos/
συνταξιούχος – /sin-tax-i-Ú-hos/
κάθεται – /KÁ-the-te/ or /KÁ-the-te̞/
στο – /sto/
παγκάκι – /pan-GÁ-ki/
εφημερίδα – /e-fi-me-RÍ-ða/ (the δ is like the th in “this”).

Each word has one stressed syllable, and correct stress is important for natural pronunciation and sometimes for distinguishing different words.