Breakdown of Η φίλη μου σπουδάζει στο τμήμα ψυχολογίας και μοιράζεται μαζί μου τις σημειώσεις της.
και
and
η φίλη
the female friend
μου
my
μαζί
together
Questions & Answers about Η φίλη μου σπουδάζει στο τμήμα ψυχολογίας και μοιράζεται μαζί μου τις σημειώσεις της.
Why do we say Η φίλη μου with both the article Η and the possessive μου? Could I just say φίλη μου or η φίλη?
In Greek, the normal way to say my friend (as a specific person) is with both the article and the possessive:
- η φίλη μου = my (particular) friend
If you change it:
φίλη μου (without the article) is usually:
- used after the verb είμαι: Είναι φίλη μου. = She is a friend of mine.
- or as a form of address: Φίλη μου, έλα εδώ. = My friend, come here.
η φίλη alone just means the (female) friend with no idea of my.
So in your sentence, Η φίλη μου is exactly my friend, specific and definite, and you normally keep both the article and μου.
Why is it φίλη and not φίλος? What is the difference?
Greek makes a gender distinction:
- ο φίλος = (male) friend
- η φίλη = (female) friend
Since the person in the sentence is female, the feminine form η φίλη is used. The possessive μου (my) doesn’t change with gender; only the noun and its article do:
- ο φίλος μου = my (male) friend
- η φίλη μου = my (female) friend
Why is there no word for she in the sentence? How do we know it means she studies?