Learn Hardcore Greek: Στο προηγούμενο εξάμηνο δεν είχαμε εργαστήριο, μόνο θεωρία. - In the previous semester we didn’t have a lab, only theory.

In most normal speech and writing you use the contracted forms. Σε το προηγούμενο εξάμηνο is grammatically understandable but sounds wrong/unnatural; you should say Στο προηγούμενο εξάμηνο.

Why does προηγούμενο end in -ο here and not -ος or -η?

Προηγούμενος is an adjective that changes form to agree with the noun it describes.

Its main forms are:

προηγούμενος (masculine)
προηγούμενη (feminine)
προηγούμενο (neuter)

In the sentence we have the noun εξάμηνο:

εξάμηνο is neuter, singular.

So the adjective must match that:

το προηγούμενο εξάμηνο
(το = neuter article, προηγούμενο = neuter adjective, εξάμηνο = neuter noun)

If it were, for example:

ο προηγούμενος μήνας (masculine: month)
η προηγούμενη εβδομάδα (feminine: week)

So προηγούμενο is in the neuter form because it modifies the neuter noun εξάμηνο.

What case is εξάμηνο in, and how can I tell? It looks the same as the dictionary form.

Εξάμηνο here is in the accusative singular.

Why accusative?

The preposition σε (in/at/to), when followed by a noun with an article, normally takes the accusative:
- σε + το προηγούμενο εξάμηνο → στο προηγούμενο εξάμηνο (accusative)
- σε + την πόλη → στην πόλη
- σε + τους φίλους → στους φίλους

Why does εξάμηνο look like the nominative?

Because for most neuter nouns, the nominative, accusative, and vocative singular all have the same form:

το εξάμηνο (nominative)
το εξάμηνο (accusative)
ε, εξάμηνο! (vocative – if you ever needed it)

So you know it’s accusative here not from the ending, but from:

The presence of σε/στο
The function (it’s the noun governed by the preposition).

Why is there no “a” or “the” before εργαστήριο and θεωρία?

Greek does not use articles in exactly the same way as English.

In this sentence:

δεν είχαμε εργαστήριο, μόνο θεωρία

both εργαστήριο and θεωρία are used in a general / non‑specific sense:

“We didn’t have (any) lab, only theory.”

Some key points:

No indefinite article “a/an”
- Modern Greek has no true word for English a/an.
- Often you simply use the bare noun:
  - Έχω αυτοκίνητο. = I have a car.
  - Δεν είχαμε εργαστήριο. = We didn’t have a lab / any lab.
The definite article ο, η, το is used when something is specific or known:
- Δεν είχαμε το εργαστήριο. = We didn’t have the lab (a particular one you both know about) – much less common in this context.
How to say “a lab” if you really need that feel:
- You can add ένα (literally “one”) when you want to emphasize “a single one”:
  - Δεν είχαμε ούτε ένα εργαστήριο. = We didn’t have even one lab.
- But the simple δεν είχαμε εργαστήριο is the natural way to say “we didn’t have a lab / any lab” here.

So the lack of article is normal and idiomatic.

Why is δεν placed before είχαμε? Can I say είχαμε δεν εργαστήριο?

The negative particle δεν in standard Greek almost always goes directly before the main verb of the clause.

So here:

είχαμε = we had
δεν είχαμε = we didn’t have

Correct word order:

Στο προηγούμενο εξάμηνο δεν είχαμε εργαστήριο.

Wrong/ungrammatical:

✗ Στο προηγούμενο εξάμηνο είχαμε δεν εργαστήριο.

Some key rules:

δεν + verb:
- Δεν πάω. = I am not going.
- Δεν δουλεύει. = It doesn’t work.
- Δεν είχαμε εργαστήριο. = We didn’t have a lab.
There is another negative word μην, used mainly:
- before verbs in the subjunctive:
  - να μην πάω = not to go
- in some fixed expressions.

In plain past tense statements like this one, you use δεν before the verb, not μην, and you don’t move it away from the verb.

Why do we say δεν είχαμε εργαστήριο and not something like δεν κάναμε εργαστήριο? Are both possible?

Both είχαμε (from έχω = to have) and κάναμε (from κάνω = to do) are possible in some contexts, but they don’t feel exactly the same.

Here:

Δεν είχαμε εργαστήριο means roughly:
- “We didn’t have a lab (on the timetable / as part of the course).”
- It suggests that a lab was not provided or scheduled.

If you say:

Δεν κάναμε εργαστήριο:
- Literally: “We didn’t do lab.”
- This can mean you did not actually carry out lab sessions (maybe they were canceled, or you skipped them).

In the context of describing how the course was structured last semester, Greek speakers very naturally say:

Δεν είχαμε εργαστήριο, μόνο θεωρία.

That focuses on what the course offered.
Δεν κάναμε εργαστήριο would more strongly suggest you just didn’t actually do it, but for many speakers the two can overlap. The version with είχαμε is the most idiomatic in a timetable / curriculum context.

What exactly does μόνο θεωρία do here? Is something left out?

Yes, there is an ellipsis (an omitted part) that Greek leaves out because it’s obvious from context.

Full form (completely explicit):

Στο προηγούμενο εξάμηνο δεν είχαμε εργαστήριο, είχαμε μόνο θεωρία.

In everyday speech you shorten the second part:

Στο προηγούμενο εξάμηνο δεν είχαμε εργαστήριο, μόνο θεωρία.

We understand:

(είχαμε) μόνο θεωρία = we had only theory.

So:

μόνο = only
θεωρία = theory
Together they form a short contrastive phrase:
- “no lab, only theory”

This is very typical in Greek: when the verb is the same as in the first clause, it often gets dropped in the second clause:

Τώρα διαβάζω, μετά (θα) ξεκουραστώ.
Εκείνος μαγειρεύει, εγώ (μαγειρεύω) μόνο τα Σαββατοκύριακα.

Can μόνο go in other positions, like Είχαμε μόνο θεωρία or Μόνο θεωρία είχαμε? Do they sound different?

Yes, μόνο is flexible, and all of these are possible with very similar meanings:

Είχαμε μόνο θεωρία.
- Neutral way to say “We had only theory.”
- This is what is implicitly meant in your original sentence.
Μόνο θεωρία είχαμε.
- Puts extra emphasis on θεωρία:
- Almost like: “It was only theory that we had.”
- In speech, the intonation usually adds that emphasis.
Original pattern with contrast:
- Δεν είχαμε εργαστήριο, μόνο θεωρία.
- “We didn’t have lab, only theory.”
- Strongly contrasts what was missing (lab) with what there was (theory).

So the main difference is one of emphasis and contrast, not grammar. All are correct.

Could I drop the preposition and just say Το προηγούμενο εξάμηνο δεν είχαμε εργαστήριο, μόνο θεωρία? If yes, is there any difference?

Yes, you can say:

Το προηγούμενο εξάμηνο δεν είχαμε εργαστήριο, μόνο θεωρία.

This is also correct and very common.

Subtle nuance:

Στο προηγούμενο εξάμηνο…
- Literally: “In the previous semester…”
- Feels a bit more like “during the previous semester”.
Το προηγούμενο εξάμηνο…
- Literally: “The previous semester…”
- Feels like you are simply naming the time period (“last semester”) with no preposition.

In everyday usage, however, both are perfectly natural and most speakers will not feel a strong difference. You’ll hear and read both forms.

Is there any difference between το προηγούμενο εξάμηνο and το περασμένο εξάμηνο for “last semester”?

Both προηγούμενο and περασμένο can translate as last / previous, but there is a small nuance:

το προηγούμενο εξάμηνο
- Literally: “the previous semester”
- Slightly more formal or neutral; often used in written or academic contexts.
- Emphasizes “the one before this one in the sequence.”
το περασμένο εξάμηνο
- Literally: “the past / the passed semester”
- Very common in speech; a bit more colloquial.
- Emphasizes it as the most recent one in the past.

In many contexts they are interchangeable:

Το προηγούμενο εξάμηνο δεν είχαμε εργαστήριο.
Το περασμένο εξάμηνο δεν είχαμε εργαστήριο.

Both are understood as “Last semester we didn’t have a lab.” The difference is minor and stylistic; as a learner, you can treat them as near-synonyms here.