Learn Hardcore Greek: Η δασκάλα μας λέει ότι είναι σημαντικό να ξέρουμε τα δικαιώματά μας, εκτός αν προτιμάμε να τα αφήνουμε όλα στους άλλους. - Our teacher tells us that it is important to know our rights, unless we prefer to leave everything to others.

Η δασκάλα μας λέει ότι είναι σημαντικό να ξέρουμε τα δικαιώματά μας, εκτός αν προτιμάμε να τα αφήνουμε όλα στους άλλους.

Our teacher tells us that it is important to know our rights, unless we prefer to leave everything to others.

Breakdown of Η δασκάλα μας λέει ότι είναι σημαντικό να ξέρουμε τα δικαιώματά μας, εκτός αν προτιμάμε να τα αφήνουμε όλα στους άλλους.

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Questions & Answers about Η δασκάλα μας λέει ότι είναι σημαντικό να ξέρουμε τα δικαιώματά μας, εκτός αν προτιμάμε να τα αφήνουμε όλα στους άλλους.

In Η δασκάλα μας λέει, why do we have η and μας? Is that literally “the teacher our”?

Yes, literally η δασκάλα μας is “the teacher our”, but in Greek that structure means “our teacher”.

η = the (feminine singular article)
δασκάλα = teacher (female)
μας = our

In Greek, possessive pronouns like μας (our), μου (my), σου (your) usually come after the noun:

το βιβλίο μου = my book
ο φίλος σου = your friend
η δασκάλα μας = our teacher

You almost always keep the article:

η δασκάλα μας (not ❌ δασκάλα μας)

If μας already means “our”, how do I say “Our teacher tells us…”? Is μας used twice?

You can use μας twice, because it has two different roles:

η δασκάλα μας = our teacher (possessive)
μας λέει = tells us (object pronoun “to us”)

So:

Η δασκάλα μας μας λέει ότι…
= Our teacher tells us that…

In your sentence, Η δασκάλα μας λέει ότι…, Greek doesn’t need the second μας, because it’s obvious she is telling us, her students.

Both are possible:

Η δασκάλα μας λέει ότι… (natural, common)
Η δασκάλα μας μας λέει ότι… (also correct, a bit heavier)

Why is λέει in the simple present? In English I could say “is telling us” or “tells us”. Does Greek make a difference?

Greek simple present (λέει) covers both:

ongoing actions: “is telling”
general / repeated actions: “tells”

So Η δασκάλα μας λέει ότι… can mean:

Our teacher is telling us (now) that…
Our teacher tells us (in general) that…

Context decides. If you really want to stress “right now”, you can add time words:

Αυτή τη στιγμή η δασκάλα μας λέει ότι…
Right now our teacher is telling us that…

What exactly does ότι do in λέει ότι είναι σημαντικό…? Is it like “that” in English? Could I use πως instead?

Yes. Here ότι introduces a reported clause, like English “that”:

Η δασκάλα μας λέει ότι είναι σημαντικό…
= Our teacher says (that) it is important…

You can normally replace ότι with πως in this meaning:

Η δασκάλα μας λέει πως είναι σημαντικό…

In modern Greek, ότι and πως are very often interchangeable when they mean “that” after verbs like λέω, νομίζω, ξέρω.

Be careful not to confuse:

ότι = that (conjunction)
ό,τι (with comma) = whatever / anything that
- Κάνε ό,τι θέλεις. = Do whatever you want.

Why do we say είναι σημαντικό να ξέρουμε… and not something like “είναι σημαντικό ξέρουμε” without να?

Greek does not have an infinitive like “to know”. Instead it uses να + verb (subjunctive).

So English:

“It is important to know our rights”

becomes in Greek:

Είναι σημαντικό να ξέρουμε τα δικαιώματά μας.

Structure:

είναι σημαντικό = it is important
να ξέρουμε = that we know / to know

After many adjectives and expressions (σημαντικό, καλό, εύκολο, πρέπει…), Greek uses να + subjunctive:

Είναι καλό να διαβάζεις. = It’s good to study.
Είναι δύσκολο να το πω. = It’s hard to say it.

What’s the difference between ξέρουμε and γνωρίζουμε? Could I say να γνωρίζουμε τα δικαιώματά μας?

Both relate to “knowing”, but they’re used a bit differently.

ξέρω = to know (very common, everyday)
γνωρίζω = to know, to be acquainted with (more formal or specific)

In this sentence:

να ξέρουμε τα δικαιώματά μας is the most natural, everyday choice.
να γνωρίζουμε τα δικαιώματά μας is correct but sounds more formal / official, like something in a speech or legal text.

So yes, you can say να γνωρίζουμε τα δικαιώματά μας, but να ξέρουμε is more neutral and common.

Why is it τα δικαιώματά μας and not τα δικαιώματα μας? Why does the accent move?

Basic form:

το δικαίωμα = the right
τα δικαιώματα = the rights

When you add an enclitic like μας, the stress often moves one syllable to the right to keep the word pronounceable:

τα δικαιώματα (accent on -αι-)
τα δικαιώματά μας (accent moves to -τά)

This is a regular rule with monosyllabic clitics (μου, σου, του, της, μας, σας, τους):

το βιβλίο → το βιβλίο μου
τα δικαιώματα → τα δικαιώματά μας
οι φίλοι → οι φίλοι μου (already on the last syllable, so it stays)

What does εκτός αν mean exactly? Is it like “unless”? How is it used?

Yes, εκτός αν means “unless” or “except if”.

Your sentence:

…είναι σημαντικό να ξέρουμε τα δικαιώματά μας, εκτός αν προτιμάμε να τα αφήνουμε όλα στους άλλους.
= “…it is important to know our rights, unless we prefer to leave everything to other people.”

You can think:

εκτός αν = except if / unless

More examples:

Θα πάμε βόλτα, εκτός αν βρέξει.
We’ll go for a walk, unless it rains.

Don’t confuse with εκτός από, which is usually “except (for)”:

Όλοι θα έρθουν, εκτός από τον Νίκο.
Everyone will come, except for Nikos.

In προτιμάμε να τα αφήνουμε, what does τα refer to, and why does it go before αφήνουμε?

τα is a direct object pronoun meaning “them”. Here it refers back to τα δικαιώματά μας (our rights).

So:

τα δικαιώματά μας → τα (them)

Greek object pronouns like τον, την, το, τους, τις, τα usually go before the verb in forms with να:

να το δω = to see it
να τους βοηθήσουμε = to help them
να τα αφήνουμε = to leave them

So προτιμάμε να τα αφήνουμε = we prefer to leave them.

Why is it να τα αφήνουμε (present) and not να τα αφήσουμε? What is the difference?

Greek has aspect: imperfective (ongoing / repeated) vs perfective (single / complete).

να αφήνουμε (imperfective) = to be leaving / to leave (in general, habitually)
να αφήσουμε (perfective) = to leave (once / in one act)

In your sentence:

να τα αφήνουμε όλα στους άλλους
suggests a general attitude / habit:
“to (habitually / generally) leave them all to others”.

If you said:

να τα αφήσουμε όλα στους άλλους
it would sound like “to leave them all to others (this time / in this specific case)”.

So να αφήνουμε matches the general meaning: people who prefer, in general, not to use their rights.

What does όλα do in να τα αφήνουμε όλα στους άλλους? Isn’t τα already “them”?

Yes, τα already means “them” (the rights). όλα here means “all (of them)” and works as an intensifier.

So:

να τα αφήνουμε = to leave them
να τα αφήνουμε όλα = to leave them all

Forms of “all”:

όλος (m. sg.), όλη (f. sg.), όλο (n. sg.)
όλοι (m. pl.), όλες (f. pl.), όλα (n. pl.)

Here όλα is neuter plural, matching τα (also neuter plural).

Compare:

Τρώω τα μπισκότα. = I eat the cookies.
Τα τρώω όλα. = I eat them all.

What does στους άλλους literally mean? Why στους and not σε τους?

στους is the usual spoken / written contraction of σε + τους:

σε = in / at / to
τους = them / the (masc. pl. article)

So:

στους άλλους = σε + τους άλλους = to the others / to other people

Literally, άλλους is masculine plural accusative of “other”, and here it means “other people”.

You could make it longer:

να τα αφήνουμε όλα στους άλλους ανθρώπους
= to leave them all to the other people

but usually στους άλλους is enough and natural.

Could I say τα δικαιώματά μας να ξέρουμε instead of να ξέρουμε τα δικαιώματά μας? How flexible is the word order here?

Greek word order is more flexible than English, but not every order sounds natural.

The normal, neutral order here is:

να ξέρουμε τα δικαιώματά μας
(verb + object)

Putting the object first:

τα δικαιώματά μας να ξέρουμε

is possible only in special contexts, usually for strong emphasis or poetic / dramatic style, something like:

Our rights, we must know them.

In everyday speech and writing, you should prefer:

είναι σημαντικό να ξέρουμε τα δικαιώματά μας.