Οι πιο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές κάνουν φίλους πιο γρήγορα.

The more sociable students make friends faster.

Breakdown of Οι πιο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές κάνουν φίλους πιο γρήγορα.

• πιο: more
• γρήγορα: fast
• ο φοιτητής: the student
• κοινωνικός: sociable
• κάνω φίλους: to make friends

Questions & Answers about Οι πιο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές κάνουν φίλους πιο γρήγορα.

What does πιο mean here, and why is it used twice?

πιο means more (comparative marker).

• Οι πιο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές → the more / the most sociable students
• πιο γρήγορα → more quickly / faster

So the structure is:
Οι πιο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές κάνουν φίλους πιο γρήγορα.
→ The more sociable students make friends more quickly.

Greek often uses πιο + adjective/adverb to make the comparative, just like more + adj/adv in English.

Is Οι πιο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές comparative (the more sociable students) or superlative (the most sociable students)?

It can be understood in both ways, depending on context:

• Comparative / subset meaning:
  Οι πιο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές = the more sociable students (as opposed to the less sociable ones)
  → a group within all students.

• Superlative meaning:
  In some contexts, οι πιο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές can be interpreted as the most sociable students (like “the students who are the most sociable of all”).

In this general statement, most learners and speakers will read it as:
The more sociable students make friends more quickly (i.e., if you are more sociable, you make friends faster).

Why is κοινωνικοί masculine plural? What if the students are female?

κοινωνικοί is masculine plural, because it agrees with φοιτητές, which is a masculine plural noun.

• ο φοιτητής = (male) university student
• η φοιτήτρια = (female) university student
• οι φοιτητές = plural form used:
  • for a group of only male students
  • or a mixed group (male + female)
  • or as a generic plural (“students” in general)

Agreement:

• οι φοιτητές (masc. plural) → οι πιο κοινωνικοί (masc. plural)

If you were talking only about female students and wanted to make that explicit, you could say:

• Οι πιο κοινωνικές φοιτήτριες κάνουν φίλους πιο γρήγορα.
  (κοινωνικές = feminine plural to agree with φοιτήτριες)

But in everyday Greek, οι φοιτητές is often used generically for “students” unless you specifically want to emphasize female gender.

Why is the article Οι needed? Could I say Πιο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές κάνουν φίλους…?

You need the definite article Οι here.

• Οι πιο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές = The more / the most sociable students (a specific group in a general statement)
• Πιο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές κάνουν φίλους…
  sounds incomplete/unnatural; without the article, it feels like you’re saying “More sociable students make friends…” as a bare description, which Greek normally doesn’t do in this way.

Greek typically uses the definite article with general groups in generic statements:

• Οι άνθρωποι δουλεύουν. = People work.
• Οι φοιτητές διαβάζουν. = Students study.

So here Οι is natural and expected.

Could I say οι περισσότερο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές instead of οι πιο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές?

Yes, but it sounds heavier and more formal.

• οι πιο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές → the usual, everyday way
• οι περισσότερο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές → grammatically correct, more formal or written style

In modern Greek, πιο + adjective is the standard comparative and often used even in careful speech.
περισσότερο(ς) is used more when πιο might be ambiguous, or for stylistic variation, or in somewhat more formal registers.

Why is it κάνουν φίλους (plural) and not κάνουν φίλο (singular)?

The Greek expression κάνω φίλους is idiomatic and normally used in the plural, just like English “make friends”, not “make a friend”.

• κάνω φίλους = to make friends (in general, several, or the ability to make friends)
• κάνω έναν φίλο = to make one friend (singular, specific number)

In a general statement about sociability, Greek prefers the plural:

• Οι πιο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές κάνουν φίλους πιο γρήγορα.
  = Sociable students make friends faster (in general).

What’s the difference between κάνω φίλους and γίνομαι φίλος με κάποιον?

Both relate to friendship, but they’re used differently:

• κάνω φίλους

  • literally: “I make friends”
  • focus: the ability or tendency to form friendships
  • used in general statements:
    
    • Τα παιδιά κάνουν εύκολα φίλους. = Children make friends easily.

• γίνομαι φίλος με κάποιον

  • literally: “I become a friend with someone”
  • focus: entering a friendship with a specific person
  • example:
    
    • Έγινα φίλος με τον Νίκο. = I became friends with Nikos.

In your sentence, we’re talking about the general ability of sociable students, so κάνουν φίλους is the right choice.

What cases are φοιτητές and φίλους, and how can I tell?

• φοιτητές is nominative plural (subject of the verb).

  • singular: ο φοιτητής
  • plural nominative: οι φοιτητές

• φίλους is accusative plural (direct object of the verb).

  • singular: ο φίλος
  • plural accusative: τους φίλους

In the sentence:

• Οι πιο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές → subject (nominative)
• κάνουν → verb
• φίλους → direct object (accusative)

A quick rule of thumb:

• the doer of the action (here, the students) → nominative
• the thing/person affected by the action (here, the friends they make) → accusative

Why is it πιο γρήγορα and not γρηγορότερα? Are both correct?

Both are correct, but πιο γρήγορα is much more common in modern Greek.

• πιο γρήγορα = more quickly / faster (very natural, everyday Greek)
• γρηγορότερα = the synthetic comparative form, possible but sounds more formal or old-fashioned in many contexts

Modern spoken Greek strongly prefers:

• πιο + adjective/adverb over built‑in comparative forms like γρηγορότερος, γρηγορότερα.

So:

• κάνουν φίλους πιο γρήγορα is the most natural version in everyday use.

Is γρήγορα an adjective or an adverb here?

Here, γρήγορα is an adverb meaning quickly or fast.

Many Greek adverbs are identical in form to the neuter singular of the adjective:

• γρήγορος (m.) / γρήγορη (f.) / γρήγορο (n.) = fast / quick
• neuter singular form γρήγορο → adverb γρήγορα

So:

• γρήγορος φοιτητής = a fast/speedy student (adjective)
• διαβάζει γρήγορα = he studies quickly (adverb)

In πιο γρήγορα, πιο is modifying the adverb, just like more quickly in English.

Can the word order change? For example, can I say Οι φοιτητές οι πιο κοινωνικοί κάνουν πιο γρήγορα φίλους?

Greek word order is flexible, but not every possible order sounds natural.

Most natural options for your sentence are:

• Οι πιο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές κάνουν φίλους πιο γρήγορα.
• Οι πιο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές κάνουν πιο γρήγορα φίλους.

Both are fine; the second slightly emphasizes πιο γρήγορα.

However:

• Οι φοιτητές οι πιο κοινωνικοί κάνουν φίλους πιο γρήγορα.

is grammatically understandable but sounds marked and unnatural in ordinary speech. Putting the adjective phrase after the noun like that (οι φοιτητές οι πιο κοινωνικοί) is possible for emphasis or contrast in some contexts, but not typical here.

For a learner, it’s best to stick with:

• Οι πιο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές κάνουν φίλους πιο γρήγορα.

Why is the verb in the present tense κάνουν? Does it mean something happening right now?

The present tense κάνουν here expresses a general truth / habitual action, not something happening at this exact moment.

Greek uses the simple present for:

• general facts:
  
  • Το νερό βράζει στους 100 βαθμούς. = Water boils at 100 degrees.
• habits or typical behavior:
  
  • Οι άνθρωποι δουλεύουν τη μέρα. = People work during the day.

So:

• Οι πιο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές κάνουν φίλους πιο γρήγορα.
  = As a rule, the more sociable students tend to make friends more quickly.

It’s a generic present, just like English “Sociable students make friends faster.”

What’s the difference between φοιτητές and μαθητές?

Both mean students, but they’re used for different levels:

• μαθητής / μαθήτρια

  • pupil, student at school (primary, middle, high school)
  • οι μαθητές = school students / pupils

• φοιτητής / φοιτήτρια

  • student at university / college
  • οι φοιτητές = university students

So:

• Οι πιο κοινωνικοί μαθητές κάνουν φίλους πιο γρήγορα.
  → about school pupils
• Οι πιο κοινωνικοί φοιτητές κάνουν φίλους πιο γρήγορα.
  → about university students (the original sentence).