Breakdown of Ο ξένος ρωτάει πού είναι το ξενοδοχείο.
είμαι
to be
πού
where (question)
ρωτάω
to ask
το ξενοδοχείο
the hotel
Questions & Answers about Ο ξένος ρωτάει πού είναι το ξενοδοχείο.
What does Ο ξένος mean, and why do we have Ο in front of ξένος?
Ο ξένος means the foreigner / the stranger.
- ξένος is an adjective/noun meaning foreign / stranger / foreigner.
- Ο is the definite article for masculine singular nouns in the nominative case (used for the subject of the sentence).
So:
- ο ξένος = the foreigner / the stranger
- Without the article, ξένος would feel more like “a foreigner / foreign” in a looser, more descriptive way, and in most normal sentences you do use the article with a specific person.
Does ξένος mean “foreigner” or “stranger”? Which is more correct here?
ξένος can mean both:
- foreigner (someone from another country)
- stranger (someone you don’t know)
Context decides which translation feels more natural. In this sentence:
- Ο ξένος ρωτάει πού είναι το ξενοδοχείο.
→ Most natural: The foreigner is asking where the hotel is.
You could also say The stranger asks where the hotel is, but in everyday contexts with ξενοδοχείο, people usually imagine a traveler or tourist, so foreigner fits better.
How do you pronounce the sentence Ο ξένος ρωτάει πού είναι το ξενοδοχείο?