Learn Hardcore Greek: Οι συνταξιούχοι στην πόλη έχουν φθηνότερα εισιτήρια στα δημόσια μέσα μεταφοράς. - Retirees in the city have cheaper tickets on public transport.

Οι συνταξιούχοι = the pensioners / the retired people
It shows:
- definiteness (we’re talking about a specific, known group)
- number (plural)
- case (nominative, so it marks the subject of the sentence)

In Greek, a general statement about a whole group very often uses the definite article:

Οι συνταξιούχοι έχουν… ≈ Pensioners have… (in general)

What exactly is συνταξιούχοι, and what is the singular form?

Συνταξιούχοι means pensioners / retired people.

Grammatically:

It is a noun, not an adjective.
Here it is:
- masculine plural
- nominative case (subject of the verb)
The singular form is συνταξιούχος:
- ο συνταξιούχος = the (male or generic) pensioner
- η συνταξιούχος = the (female) pensioner

So:

ο συνταξιούχος → οι συνταξιούχοι (singular → plural)

How do you pronounce συνταξιούχοι, and why does -οι sound like -i?

Pronunciation (rough guide): seen‑tah‑ksee‑OO‑khi

Syllables: συ‑ντα‑ξι‑ού‑χοι
Stress: on ού (ξιού)

About -οι:

In modern Greek, the endings -ι, -η, and -οι are all pronounced /i/.
-οι here is a spelling/grammar marker (nominative plural), not a different sound.

So συνταξιούχοι ends with the /i/ sound, spelled οι because of its grammatical role.

What does στην πόλη mean, and what is στην exactly?

Στην πόλη means in the city.

σε = a very common preposition, usually in / at / on / to in English.
την = feminine singular definite article in the accusative (for η πόλη).

In actual use:

σε + την contracts to στην:
- σε την πόλη → στην πόλη

So:

στην πόλη = in the city / in town, with πόλη in the accusative, because Greek uses σε + accusative for location and direction.

Why is it στην and not στη before πόλη?

Both στην and στη are contractions of σε την.
The final -ν in στην is kept before certain sounds (k, p, t, x, ps, etc.) and vowels, mainly for ease of pronunciation.

Since πόλη starts with π, Greek normally keeps the -ν:

στην πόλη (preferred, standard)

You might see στη πόλη in informal writing, but στην πόλη is the grammatically careful form.

Why is the verb έχουν used? In English we might say “pay less for tickets”.

Έχουν literally means they have.

Greek often expresses this idea with έχω instead of a verb like pay:

Οι συνταξιούχοι έχουν φθηνότερα εισιτήρια =
Pensioners have cheaper tickets → Pensioners pay less for tickets / get cheaper tickets

So:

έχουν + [type of ticket] is a common way to say someone is entitled to / gets / pays for a certain kind of ticket.
Using πληρώνουν λιγότερο για εισιτήρια (they pay less for tickets) would also be correct, but sounds more explicit; έχουν φθηνότερα εισιτήρια is the natural, concise phrasing.

What is φθηνότερα, and how is it different from just φθηνά?

Φθηνός = cheap (adjective)
Φθηνά = cheaply / cheap tickets (neuter plural form; here it could mean simply cheap tickets)

Φθηνότερα is the comparative form:

φθηνός → φθηνότερος (more cheap = cheaper)
Neuter plural: φθηνότερα

So:

φθηνά εισιτήρια = cheap tickets
φθηνότερα εισιτήρια = cheaper tickets (compared to someone else’s tickets or to the normal price)

You might also hear:

πιο φθηνά εισιτήρια = literally more cheap tickets → also cheaper tickets
This is also correct and very common; φθηνότερα is the “single‑word” comparative.

What does εισιτήρια mean, and why is there no article like τα?

Εισιτήρια means tickets.

Grammar details:

It is neuter plural, accusative case (direct object of έχουν).
Dictionary form: το εισιτήριο (ticket) → τα εισιτήρια (tickets).

No article:

Τα εισιτήρια = the tickets
(φθηνότερα) εισιτήρια without article is more general / indefinite:
- φθηνότερα εισιτήρια = cheaper tickets (not a specific, known set of tickets)

Greek can drop the article where English might use one, especially with indefinite or generic objects after έχω:

Έχω εισιτήριο = I have a ticket.
Έχουν φθηνότερα εισιτήρια = They have cheaper tickets.

What does στα mean before δημόσια μέσα μεταφοράς?

Στα is another contraction with σε plus an article:

σε + τα = στα

So:

στα δημόσια μέσα μεταφοράς = on/for the public means of transport
(more idiomatically: on public transport)

Again, σε + accusative is used for place or domain:

στα μέσα μεταφοράς = on (the) means of transport / in public transport

What is the structure of δημόσια μέσα μεταφοράς? Why is μεταφοράς in that form?

The phrase is:

δημόσια = public (adjective, neuter plural, agreeing with μέσα)
μέσα = means (here: vehicles/modes; neuter plural noun)
μεταφοράς = of transport (genitive singular of η μεταφορά = transport)

So the structure is:

[δημόσια] [μέσα] [μεταφοράς]
= public means of transport

Μεταφοράς is genitive because Greek often uses:

noun + noun in genitive to show possession/relationship:
- μέσα μεταφοράς = means of transport
- literally means of transport (where transport describes what kind of means)

Together with στα:

στα δημόσια μέσα μεταφοράς = on public transport

Why is δημόσια neuter plural? I thought δημόσιος is masculine.

The base adjective is:

δημόσιος (masc.)
δημόσια (fem.)
δημόσιο (neut. sg.)

For plural neuter, the form is δημόσια.

Here it modifies μέσα, which is:

τα μέσα = neuter plural

So the adjective must agree in gender, number, and case:

δημόσια μέσα (both neuter plural, accusative)

This is why you see δημόσια μέσα, not δημόσια μεταφορές or something else.

Can the word order be different, like Στην πόλη οι συνταξιούχοι έχουν…?

Yes, Greek word order is fairly flexible.

Your options (all correct, with slightly different emphasis):

Οι συνταξιούχοι στην πόλη έχουν φθηνότερα εισιτήρια στα δημόσια μέσα μεταφοράς.
Neutral order; subject first.
Στην πόλη, οι συνταξιούχοι έχουν φθηνότερα εισιτήρια στα δημόσια μέσα μεταφοράς.
Emphasizes in the city (contrast with other places).
Οι συνταξιούχοι έχουν φθηνότερα εισιτήρια στα δημόσια μέσα μεταφοράς στην πόλη.
Still understandable, but στην πόλη sounds more attached to μέσα μεταφοράς here.

The original order is the most straightforward and natural for a general statement.