Breakdown of Μετά το διαγώνισμα, ο καθηγητής άφηνε τα διαγωνίσματα πάνω σε ένα θρανίο και έλεγε ποιος πήρε πάνω από τον μέσο όρο.
Questions & Answers about Μετά το διαγώνισμα, ο καθηγητής άφηνε τα διαγωνίσματα πάνω σε ένα θρανίο και έλεγε ποιος πήρε πάνω από τον μέσο όρο.
Άφηνε is the imperfect tense (past continuous/habitual), while άφησε is the aorist (a single, completed past action).
- Άφηνε τα διαγωνίσματα... suggests a repeated or habitual action in the past – something the teacher used to do every time there was a test.
- If you said άφησε τα διαγωνίσματα..., it would sound more like a single event on one particular occasion.
So here, άφηνε means roughly: "the teacher would leave / used to leave the tests on a desk".
Again, it’s the imperfect vs aorist contrast:
- Έλεγε ποιος πήρε πάνω από τον μέσο όρο = “he (habitually) said / would say who got above the average.”
- Είπε ποιος πήρε... would usually describe what he said on one specific occasion.
Paired with άφηνε, έλεγε paints a picture of a routine or regular practice the teacher followed after each test.
The tenses here have different jobs:
- Άφηνε / έλεγε (imperfect): describe ongoing, repeated background actions – what the teacher regularly did after tests.
- Πήρε (aorist): refers to a single, complete event – a student getting a certain grade in each instance.
So in each repetition of this routine:
- The teacher used to leave the tests,
- used to say the names,
- and each student got (completed action) a grade.
Greek often combines imperfect for the frame (background, habit) and aorist for the events that happen within that frame.
Μετά means after and takes the accusative case.
- το διαγώνισμα is neuter singular accusative of το διαγώνισμα (the test/exam).
- So Μετά το διαγώνισμα = After the test.
In time expressions, μετά is normally followed by a noun in the accusative:
- μετά το μάθημα – after the class
- μετά την ταινία – after the movie
Both relate to tests, but they’re used a bit differently:
το διαγώνισμα
- Common in schools.
- Usually means a written test or quiz given in a class.
- Often shorter, more frequent.
η εξέταση
- More general: examination or exam.
- Can be written or oral.
- Often sounds more formal, used for big exams, medical exams, etc.
In a typical school-class context, διαγώνισμα is the natural word.
- Σε ένα θρανίο = on a desk in the sense of “at a desk” (location), but not very specific about being on top.
- Πάνω σε ένα θρανίο emphasizes on top of the desk (physically placed on its surface).
You cannot say πάνω ένα θρανίο here; πάνω needs σε (or a pronoun like του) to show the relationship:
- πάνω σε ένα θρανίο – on (top of) a desk
- πάνω στο τραπέζι – on the table
So πάνω σε is the natural way to say on top of.
το θρανίο
- A school desk, typically where students sit in a classroom.
- Often a long shared desk or a standard student desk.
το τραπέζι
- A table in general (dining table, coffee table, etc.).
το γραφείο
- Means (1) desk (like a work desk in an office or home), and also (2) office (the room or workplace).
Here, θρανίο fits because the scene is in a classroom or school setting.
Πήρε (aorist) is the normal, simple way to say who got (a mark) in a narrative.
- ποιος πήρε πάνω από τον μέσο όρο = “who got above the average.”
- ποιος είχε πάρει is the past perfect (“who had gotten”), and would usually be used only if:
- You are talking from the point of view of an even later time, and
- You need to show that getting the grade happened before some other past event.
Since the sentence is just describing what the teacher did at that time, πήρε is the natural and sufficient form.
Literally:
- πάνω από = above / over
- ο μέσος όρος = the average (literally “the middle value”)
In the sentence:
- τον μέσο όρο is the masculine singular accusative form of ο μέσος όρος, because it follows από.
- Greek typically uses the definite article with such nouns:
- ο μέσος όρος – the average (of this test, of this class, etc.)
So πάνω από τον μέσο όρο = above the average.
You might occasionally see πάνω από μέσο όρο, but:
- In standard, natural Greek, πάνω από τον μέσο όρο is strongly preferred.
- The definite article τον is normally used with μέσος όρος, because we usually refer to a specific average (of this test, this group, etc.), not to “average-ness” in the abstract.
So for learners, you should treat πάνω από τον μέσο όρο as the correct, idiomatic form.
Yes, mainly in how they’re used:
πάνω από τον μέσο όρο
- Very natural, almost fixed phrase for grades, scores, statistics.
- Literally “above the average.”
- Used widely for marks, income, performance, etc.
περισσότερο από τον μέσο όρο
- Literally “more than the average.”
- Grammatically correct, but less idiomatic for exam results.
- Sounds more like comparing amounts (e.g. “He earns more than the average salary”).
For student grades, πάνω από τον μέσο όρο is the normal phrase.
Yes, Greek word order is flexible, and both are possible:
- ο καθηγητής άφηνε τα διαγωνίσματα πάνω σε ένα θρανίο
- ο καθηγητής άφηνε πάνω σε ένα θρανίο τα διαγωνίσματα
Both mean the same thing. The first order is more neutral; the second puts a bit more focus on the location (on a desk) before mentioning what he left there.
All of these would also be acceptable:
- ο καθηγητής άφηνε πάνω σε ένα θρανίο τα διαγωνίσματα
- ο καθηγητής άφηνε τα διαγωνίσματα σε ένα θρανίο πάνω
The differences are subtle and mostly about rhythm and emphasis, not basic meaning.