Learn Hardcore Greek: Της εξηγώ ότι το μεταπτυχιακό είναι απαραίτητο μόνο σε μερικά επαγγέλματα. - I explain to her that a master’s is necessary only in some professions.

Της εξηγώ = I explain to her.
In Greek, these clitic pronouns usually go before the verb in the present tense and in simple statements:
- Της μιλάω. = I talk to her.
- Του γράφω. = I write to him.

You cannot say ✗ Εξηγώ της in standard modern Greek; the pronoun goes before the verb in this context: Της εξηγώ.

Why is της in the genitive case? How does Greek express the indirect object “to her”?

Modern Greek doesn’t really use a separate dative case. Instead, it usually uses:

Genitive clitic pronouns for indirect objects:
- της = (to) her
- του = (to) him / (to) it
- τους = (to) them

and

σε + accusative for full forms:
- σε αυτήν = to her
- σε αυτόν = to him

So in your sentence:

Της εξηγώ… = I explain to her…
You could (more emphatically) say: Εξηγώ σε αυτήν ότι…, but in everyday speech the clitic της is much more natural.

Could I say Σε αυτήν εξηγώ ότι… instead of Της εξηγώ ότι…? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say Σε αυτήν εξηγώ ότι…, but there is a nuance:

Της εξηγώ ότι…
- Neutral and most natural in everyday speech.
- Uses a clitic; feels lighter and more common.
Σε αυτήν εξηγώ ότι…
- More emphatic: It’s *to her that I’m explaining (not to someone else).*
- You are stressing αυτήν as a contrast.

So both are grammatically correct, but Της εξηγώ… is the default, unmarked version.

What is the difference between εξηγώ and verbs like λέω or μιλάω? Why use εξηγώ here?

εξηγώ = to explain → making something clear, giving reasons or details.
- Της εξηγώ ότι… = I explain to her that…
λέω = to say / to tell (very general).
- Της λέω ότι… = I tell her that… (not necessarily detailed explanation).
μιλάω (της) = I speak (to her).
- Της μιλάω για το μεταπτυχιακό. = I’m talking to her about the master’s degree.

In this sentence we are clarifying a fact (when a master’s degree is necessary), so εξηγώ fits best.

Why is ότι used here? Could we also use πως? Do they both mean “that”?

Yes, ότι and πως can both introduce a content clause (“that …”) after verbs of saying/thinking/etc.

Της εξηγώ ότι το μεταπτυχιακό είναι απαραίτητο…
Της εξηγώ πως το μεταπτυχιακό είναι απαραίτητο…

In modern Greek, in this use:

ότι is slightly more neutral and often preferred in formal or written language.
πως is very common in spoken language and also correct in writing.

One warning: ό,τι with a comma (ό,τι) is different; it means “whatever / anything that” and is not the same as ότι (“that”). Here we need ότι (no comma).

What exactly does το μεταπτυχιακό mean? Why is it neuter singular with the article το?

το μεταπτυχιακό is short for something like:

το μεταπτυχιακό πρόγραμμα = the postgraduate program
το μεταπτυχιακό δίπλωμα / πτυχίο = the master’s degree

In everyday Greek, people often just say:

Κάνω μεταπτυχιακό. = I’m doing a master’s (degree / program).
Έχω μεταπτυχιακό. = I have a master’s degree.

It’s neuter singular because the underlying words like πτυχίο, πρόγραμμα, δίπλωμα are neuter.

The article το is natural because we’re talking about “the master’s degree” as a category:

Το μεταπτυχιακό είναι απαραίτητο… = A master’s degree (in general) is necessary…

Greek often uses the definite article where English would use a bare noun or “a/an” in a generic sense.

Why is απαραίτητο in the neuter? What does it agree with?

απαραίτητο is an adjective meaning “necessary / essential”.

Adjectives in Greek agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe. Here:

Noun: το μεταπτυχιακό → neuter, singular, nominative.
Adjective: απαραίτητο → also neuter, singular, nominative.

So the pattern is:

το μεταπτυχιακό είναι απαραίτητο
- neuter noun + neuter adjective.

If the subject were feminine plural, for example:

Οι σπουδές είναι απαραίτητες. = Studies are necessary.

Why is είναι singular, even though σε μερικά επαγγέλματα is plural?

The verb είναι (is/are) must agree with the subject, not with other nouns in the sentence.

The subject here is:

το μεταπτυχιακό → singular

So we use:

το μεταπτυχιακό είναι απαραίτητο… = the master’s degree is necessary…

σε μερικά επαγγέλματα (“in some professions”) is just an adverbial phrase (a prepositional phrase), not the subject, so it does not control the verb’s number.

What does μόνο do in this sentence, and can it be placed somewhere else?

μόνο means “only” and here it limits the phrase σε μερικά επαγγέλματα:

…είναι απαραίτητο μόνο σε μερικά επαγγέλματα.
= …is necessary only in some professions.

Other possible positions:

…είναι μόνο απαραίτητο σε μερικά επαγγέλματα.
- Sounds like: it is only necessary (not something more) in some professions.
- Slightly different nuance; less common here.
…είναι απαραίτητο σε μερικά επαγγέλματα μόνο.
- Also possible, often with a spoken emphasis on μόνο, but the most neutral place is before the phrase it restricts: μόνο σε μερικά επαγγέλματα.

What is the difference between μερικά επαγγέλματα, κάποια επαγγέλματα, and λίγα επαγγέλματα?

All three involve “some”, but with different nuances:

μερικά επαγγέλματα
- Neutral “some professions” (an unspecified subset).
- That’s what we have in the sentence.
κάποια επαγγέλματα
- Also “some professions”, but often suggests unspecified / certain ones, maybe slightly more vague.
- Σε κάποια επαγγέλματα… = In certain professions…
λίγα επαγγέλματα
- Literally “few professions”.
- Implies a small number; gives a sense of “not many”.

So:

μερικά = some (neutral)
κάποια = some / certain (a bit more indefinite)
λίγα = few (emphasises small quantity)

Why is there no article before μερικά επαγγέλματα? Should it be σε τα μερικά επαγγέλματα or something like that?

After words like μερικά (“some”), Greek normally does not use a separate definite article:

μερικά επαγγέλματα = some professions
μερικά βιβλία = some books

You do not say:

✗ σε τα μερικά επαγγέλματα
✗ τα μερικά επαγγέλματα

The pattern is:

σε μερικά επαγγέλματα (preposition σε
- quantifier μερικά
  - noun επαγγέλματα)

The article is built into the meaning of μερικά (“some of them”), so another article would be redundant and incorrect.

How is the present tense εξηγώ used here? Does it mean “I explain” or “I am explaining”?

Greek present tense typically covers both English “I explain” and “I am explaining”, depending on context.

Της εξηγώ ότι…
- Can mean:
  - I’m explaining to her that… (right now / in this situation)
  - I (generally) explain to her that… (habitually)

If you specifically wanted a completed past explanation:

Της εξήγησα ότι… = I explained to her that… (a finished event in the past)

Is a comma needed before ότι in Greek, like in English “I explain to her, that …”?

No comma is used here in standard Greek punctuation.

Correct: Της εξηγώ ότι το μεταπτυχιακό είναι απαραίτητο…
A comma before ότι is generally wrong in this type of content clause.

In English we might write:

I explain to her that a master’s degree is necessary… (also usually without a comma).

Greek tends to use a comma before ότι mainly in other, more special structures, not in the ordinary “I say/think that…” clauses.

How do you pronounce μεταπτυχιακό and where is the stress?

μεταπτυχιακό is pronounced:

[me-ta-ptih-yi-a-KO] (approximate English-style transcription)

Syllable breakdown and stress:

με–τα–πτυ–χι–α–κό
The stress is on the last syllable: -κό.

Other words in the sentence with stress:

Της εξηγώ → εξ–η–γώ
απαραίτητο → α–πα–ραί–τη–το
επαγγέλματα → ε–πα–γγέλ–μα–τα

Where would της go in other tenses, for example future or past?

Clitic pronouns like της generally come before the main verb or the group of auxiliary + verb:

Present:
- Της εξηγώ ότι… = I explain to her that…
Future:
- Θα της εξηγήσω ότι… = I will explain to her that…
  (Particle θα
  - clitic της
    - verb εξηγήσω)
Simple past (aorist):
- Της εξήγησα ότι… = I explained to her that…
With another object pronoun:
- Της το εξήγησα. = I explained it to her.
  (The clitics usually come together before the verb: της το εξήγησα.)

The rule is: in normal statements, clitics do not go after the verb in these forms in standard modern Greek.