Αυτό το εξάμηνο έχουμε μάθημα ελληνικών και ένα εργαστήριο ελληνικών.

This semester we have a Greek class and a Greek lab.

Breakdown of Αυτό το εξάμηνο έχουμε μάθημα ελληνικών και ένα εργαστήριο ελληνικών.

• και: and
• αυτός: this
• έχω: to have
• ένας: one
• το μάθημα: the class
• ελληνικός: Greek
• το εξάμηνο: the semester
• το εργαστήριο: the lab

Questions & Answers about Αυτό το εξάμηνο έχουμε μάθημα ελληνικών και ένα εργαστήριο ελληνικών.

What are the main parts of the sentence and what does each word mean?

The sentence is:

Αυτό το εξάμηνο έχουμε μάθημα ελληνικών και ένα εργαστήριο ελληνικών.

Word by word:

• Αυτό = this
• το = the (neuter, singular)
• εξάμηνο = semester (literally “six‑month period”)

→ Αυτό το εξάμηνο = This semester

• έχουμε = we have (1st person plural of έχω = I have)

• μάθημα = lesson / class / course
• ελληνικών = of Greek (language) – genitive plural of τα ελληνικά

→ μάθημα ελληνικών = Greek class / Greek course

• και = and

• ένα = a / one (neuter, singular)
• εργαστήριο = lab, laboratory, practical class
• ελληνικών = of Greek (again, genitive plural)

→ ένα εργαστήριο ελληνικών = a Greek lab (a practical session for Greek)

Why do we say Αυτό το εξάμηνο and not just Αυτό εξάμηνο?

In Greek, a demonstrative (αυτό = this) is normally used together with the definite article (το) before a noun:

• αυτό το εξάμηνο = this semester
• αυτός ο άνθρωπος = this man
• αυτή η πόρτα = this door

Leaving out the article (αυτό εξάμηνο) sounds unnatural or wrong in standard Modern Greek. The pattern is:

αυτό(ς/ή/ό) + article + noun

So here:

• αυτό (this)
• το (the – neuter, singular)
• εξάμηνο (semester)

All match in gender (neuter) and number (singular).

What is εξάμηνο grammatically (gender, number, case), and where does the word come from?

εξάμηνο is:

• Gender: neuter
• Number: singular
• Case: accusative (object of έχουμε, within the phrase Αυτό το εξάμηνο it works adverbially “this semester / during this semester,” so it looks like a time expression)

The noun’s base form (nominative singular) is also το εξάμηνο.

Etymologically, it’s:

• έξι = six
• μήνας = month

So εξάμηνο literally means “six‑month (period),” i.e. a semester.

Why is there no article with μάθημα ελληνικών, but there is ένα before εργαστήριο ελληνικών?

In the sentence we have:

• μάθημα ελληνικών (no article)
• ένα εργαστήριο ελληνικών (with ένα = a)

This is a stylistic choice and a nuance of meaning:

1. μάθημα ελληνικών without an article can mean something like

   • “Greek (as a subject) this semester”
     It treats μάθημα ελληνικών more as a general course/subject.

2. ένα εργαστήριο ελληνικών with ένα emphasizes one specific lab (one particular practical class among possible others).

You could also say:

• Έχουμε ένα μάθημα ελληνικών και ένα εργαστήριο ελληνικών.
  = We have a Greek class and a Greek lab.

Both are grammatically correct. The original just slightly generalizes “Greek class” and singles out “one lab.”

What is the difference between μάθημα and εργαστήριο?

Both are types of classes, but they suggest different formats:

• μάθημα

  • General term: lesson, class, course.
  • Can be a lecture, a normal classroom session, theory, etc.
  • Example: μάθημα μαθηματικών = math class.

• εργαστήριο

  • Literally: lab, laboratory.
  • Implies a practical, hands-on session: exercises, practice, workshops.
  • Often used in university courses or language courses with strong practice components.
  • Example: εργαστήριο φυσικής = physics lab.

In this sentence, you have a more general Greek course plus a more practical Greek lab.

Why is it μάθημα ελληνικών and not μάθημα ελληνικά?

Here ελληνικών is in the genitive plural and functions like “of Greek (language)”:

• μάθημα ελληνικών ≈ “lesson of Greek / Greek lesson”

If you said μάθημα ελληνικά, that would be ungrammatical in this structure. For school subjects, Greek normally uses:

[μάθημα / εργαστήριο / ώρα] + genitive plural of the subject

Examples:

• μάθημα μαθηματικών = math class (lesson of mathematics)
• μάθημα αγγλικών = English class (lesson of English)
• εργαστήριο φυσικής = physics lab (lab of physics)

So:

• ελληνικά (nom./acc. plural) = Greek (as a language, in general)
• ελληνικών (genitive plural) = of Greek (used after μάθημα, εργαστήριο, etc.)

What exactly is ελληνικών here – adjective or noun – and why is it plural and genitive?

ελληνικών here comes from τα ελληνικά:

• τα ελληνικά = Greek (language), literally “the Greek [things]”

Grammatically:

• Base form (nominative plural): τα ελληνικά
• Genitive plural: των ελληνικών

In combinations like μάθημα ελληνικών, the genitive plural ελληνικών works like:

• “lesson of Greek”
• “lab of Greek”

So it is the genitive plural of the noun phrase “the Greek (language)”. This genitive construction is standard for subjects:

• μάθημα των ελληνικών → usually shortened to μάθημα ελληνικών
• μάθημα μαθηματικών, μάθημα γαλλικών, etc.

In English we write Greek, but in Greek it’s ελληνικών with a lowercase. Why?

In Modern Greek:

• Adjectives and names of languages are normally written with a lowercase initial letter.

So you write:

• ελληνικά = Greek (language)
• αγγλικά = English
• γαλλικά = French

even though in English we capitalize Greek, English, French, etc.

Proper names (countries, cities, people) are capitalized:

• Ελλάδα = Greece
• Αγγλία = England
• Γαλλία = France
• Έλληνας, Ελληνίδα = Greek (man, woman)

But the language itself, as τα ελληνικά, stays lowercase.

What does έχουμε mean exactly, and how is the verb έχω conjugated?

έχουμε is:

• 1st person plural, present tense of έχω = to have
• έχουμε = we have

Present tense of έχω:

• (εγώ) έχω = I have
• (εσύ) έχεις = you have (singular)
• (αυτός/αυτή/αυτό) έχει = he/she/it has
• (εμείς) έχουμε = we have
• (εσείς) έχετε = you have (plural / formal)
• (αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά) έχουν(ε) = they have

In school/university contexts, έχουμε μάθημα is the usual way to say “we have class”.

You might also hear κάνουμε μάθημα (“we do/have a lesson”), but έχουμε μάθημα is completely standard.

Can we change the word order? For example: Έχουμε αυτό το εξάμηνο μάθημα ελληνικών?

Yes, Greek word order is relatively flexible. All these are grammatical, with small differences in emphasis:

• Αυτό το εξάμηνο έχουμε μάθημα ελληνικών και ένα εργαστήριο ελληνικών.
  → Neutral: “This semester, we have …”

• Έχουμε αυτό το εξάμηνο μάθημα ελληνικών και ένα εργαστήριο ελληνικών.
  → Slight emphasis on έχουμε (“we have this semester…”).

• Έχουμε μάθημα ελληνικών και ένα εργαστήριο ελληνικών αυτό το εξάμηνο.
  → Focuses first on what you have, then when (this semester).

All are correct; the original version is probably the most natural and neutral in many contexts.

How do you pronounce the difficult consonants in words like έχουμε, μάθημα, and εργαστήριο?

Key consonants:

• χ in έχουμε:

  • Pronounced like a strong German ch in Bach or a Scottish ch in loch, but softer before e, i.
  • έχουμε ≈ EH-hu-me (with that Greek χ sound, not English k or h).

• θ in μάθημα:

  • Like English th in think.
  • μάθημα ≈ MA-thee-ma.

• γ in εργαστήριο:

  • Before a, o, u it’s a voiced sound in the back of the mouth, like a softer version of French r or Spanish g in lago.
  • εργαστήριο ≈ er-gha-STEE-rio, where γ is that soft, voiced throaty sound.

Stresses (accent marks) show which syllable is stressed:

• Αυτό – stress on τό: a-FTO
• εξάμηνο – ex-A-mi-no
• μάθημα – MA-thi-ma
• εργαστήριο – er-ga-STEE-rio

Could we say μάθημα ελληνικής γλώσσας instead of μάθημα ελληνικών? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say:

• μάθημα ελληνικής γλώσσας = lesson of Greek language

But there is a nuance:

• μάθημα ελληνικών is the most natural and common way to say “Greek class” in everyday speech, especially in school/university timetables, course descriptions, etc.

• μάθημα ελληνικής γλώσσας sounds more formal or explicit, literally “lesson of the Greek language.” You might see it in official documents, course titles, or more formal writing.

In normal conversation about your courses, μάθημα ελληνικών is what people expect to hear.