Learn Hardcore Greek: Το καυσαέριο δεν είναι καλό για την υγεία μας. - Exhaust fumes are not good for our health.

Here Το καυσαέριο literally is “the exhaust gas”, but in Greek that often corresponds to English generic “exhaust gas” or “exhaust fumes”.

So:

Το καυσαέριο δεν είναι καλό… → “Exhaust gas is not good…” (generic statement)

You could also say Τα καυσαέρια (plural) to talk about exhaust fumes in general, and you would still normally keep the article: Τα καυσαέρια δεν είναι καλά…

What gender is καυσαέριο, and how do I know from the article το?

Καυσαέριο is neuter.

In the nominative singular, the definite articles are:

ο – masculine
η – feminine
το – neuter

So το καυσαέριο tells you καυσαέριο is a neuter noun. The adjective καλό also appears in the neuter form to agree with it: το (ν.) καυσαέριο (ν.) είναι καλό (ν.).

What does καυσαέριο literally mean, and is it countable?

Καυσαέριο is a compound:

καύση = burning, combustion
αέριο = gas

So καυσαέριο literally means “gas from combustion”, i.e. exhaust gas/fumes.

It can behave like an uncountable mass noun (like “smoke” or “air”), but it also has a plural:

το καυσαέριο – the exhaust gas
τα καυσαέρια – exhaust gases / exhaust fumes

In everyday speech, τα καυσαέρια (plural) is very common when talking about car exhausts in cities.

Why is the adjective καλό in the neuter form? I thought καλός was “good”.

Greek adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe.

καλός – masculine
καλή – feminine
καλό – neuter

Since καυσαέριο is neuter singular nominative, the adjective must also be:

καλό (neuter singular nominative)

So:

ο καλός άνθρωπος – the good man
η καλή ιδέα – the good idea
το καλό παιδί / το καυσαέριο είναι καλό – the good child / the exhaust gas is good

Here: Το καυσαέριο δεν είναι καλό… → “Exhaust gas is not good …”

How does negation work with δεν είναι? Why is δεν before είναι?

The basic pattern for negating verbs in the indicative is:

δεν + verb

So:

είναι – it is
δεν είναι – it is not

Δεν always comes before the conjugated verb:

Δεν τρώω. – I do not eat.
Δεν καταλαβαίνω. – I do not understand.
Το καυσαέριο δεν είναι καλό. – Exhaust gas is not good.

Note: δεν is used in normal statements/questions (indicative). There is another negative word μη(ν) used in other structures (subjunctive, imperatives, etc.).

Why do we use για with την υγεία? Does για always mean “for”?

The preposition για most commonly means:

for, about, in order to, because of (depending on context)

In this sentence:

για την υγεία μας = for our health

Typical patterns:

για + accusative noun/pronoun
- για την υγεία – for (the) health
- για εμένα – for me
- για το παιδί – for the child

So για here is the straightforward “for”: it introduces the beneficiary/affected thing: our health.

Why is it την υγεία and not η υγεία? What case is that?

Την υγεία is accusative singular feminine:

η υγεία – nominative (subject)
την υγεία – accusative (object, after many prepositions)

The preposition για always takes the accusative case. That’s why the article and noun change:

η υγεία (subject):
- Η υγεία είναι σημαντική. – Health is important.
για την υγεία (object of “for”):
- Δεν είναι καλό για την υγεία. – It is not good for (the) health.

So: για + την (acc.) υγεία (acc.).

Why is there a definite article with υγεία? English says “for health”, not “for the health”.

Greek often uses the definite article with abstract nouns (like health, love, life) where English does not:

Η υγεία είναι πολύ σημαντική.
Literally: The health is very important.
Meaning: Health is very important.

Similarly:

για την υγεία μας
Literally: for the our health.
Meaning: for our health / for health.

So the article την is natural and almost required here in Greek, even though English omits “the”.

What exactly is μας here? Is it “us” or “our”? Why does it come after υγεία?

Μας is a clitic pronoun that can function as:

direct/indirect object: “us”
possessive: “our”

In την υγεία μας, it is possessive → “our health”.

In Greek, these short possessive pronouns normally come after the noun:

η υγεία μας – our health
το σπίτι μας – our house
οι φίλοι μας – our friends

So:

την υγεία μας = our health (accusative)
- article + noun + possessive clitic

Could I say της υγείας μας instead of την υγεία μας?

Yes, but that would be part of a different structure.

την υγεία μας = “our health” as a simple object (accusative)
της υγείας μας = “of our health” (genitive)

In this sentence, after για we need the accusative: για την υγεία μας.

You would use της υγείας μας in something like:

Η προστασία της υγείας μας είναι σημαντική.
– The protection of our health is important.

So they’re not interchangeable here; they belong to different grammatical roles.

Could the word order change, like Το καυσαέριο δεν είναι για την υγεία μας καλό?

Greek word order is relatively flexible, but not all permutations sound natural.

Possible and natural:

Το καυσαέριο δεν είναι καλό για την υγεία μας. (normal)
Το καυσαέριο δεν είναι καθόλου καλό για την υγεία μας. (with emphasis “not at all good”)

Putting καλό at the end as …για την υγεία μας καλό is grammatically possible but sounds unusual/marked in this simple sentence; it might be used only in very specific emphatic or poetic contexts.

For everyday speech and writing, keep:

[Subject] + δεν είναι + [adjective] + για + [object]
→ Το καυσαέριο δεν είναι καλό για την υγεία μας.

Why isn’t there an “it” in Greek, like “It is not good”? Shouldn’t it be αυτό δεν είναι καλό?

Greek normally drops subject pronouns when the subject is already clear from the verb form or from context. Here, the subject is explicitly stated:

Το καυσαέριο – exhaust gas

So the full structure is:

Το καυσαέριο (subject)
δεν είναι (verb “is not”)
καλό (adjective)

There is no need to add αυτό.

You would say Αυτό δεν είναι καλό. (“This is not good”) when “this” is the subject and you’re not naming it with a noun.

How do you pronounce υγεία, and why does it sound like “iyía”?

Υγεία is pronounced approximately:

[iˈʝia] – “ee-YEE-ah”

Letter by letter:

υ before γ here is pronounced /i/ (“ee”)
γ before ε, αι, ι, η, υ is pronounced like a soft “y” or “ghy” sound: /ʝ/
ία is pronounced like “ía” (“ee-ah”, one stressed syllable)

So:

υ → i
γ → soft y/ghy
ία → ía

That’s why it ends up sounding like “iyía” with the stress on the second syllable: υ-ΓΕΙ-α → υ-ΓΕΙ-α = υ-ΓΕΙ-α (υγεία).