Στο εργαστήριο γράφουμε διαλόγους και μετά τους παίζουμε στην τάξη.

In the lab we write dialogues and then act them out in class.

Breakdown of Στο εργαστήριο γράφουμε διαλόγους και μετά τους παίζουμε στην τάξη.

• και: and
• μετά: then
• σε: in
• γράφω: to write
• τους: them
• η τάξη: the class
• ο διάλογος: the dialogue
• το εργαστήριο: the lab
• παίζω: to act out

Questions & Answers about Στο εργαστήριο γράφουμε διαλόγους και μετά τους παίζουμε στην τάξη.

What exactly does Στο mean, and how is it formed?

Στο is a contraction of:

• σε (a very common preposition: in / at / to)
• το (the neuter singular definite article: the)

So:

• σε + το = στο → στο εργαστήριο = in/at the lab

Greek often combines σε + article:

• σε + τον = στον (masculine)
• σε + την = στην (feminine)
• σε + το = στο (neuter)

In this sentence, εργαστήριο is neuter, so you get στο.

Why is there no separate word for we in γράφουμε and παίζουμε?

Greek usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person and number.

• γράφω = I write
• γράφεις = you (sing.) write
• γράφει = he/she/it writes
• γράφουμε = we write
• γράφετε = you (pl.) write
• γράφουν(ε) = they write

So γράφουμε already means we write / we are writing, and παίζουμε already means we play / we are playing.

You can say εμείς γράφουμε for emphasis (e.g. we write, not them), but in a neutral sentence like this, εμείς is normally omitted.

What tense/aspect are γράφουμε and παίζουμε? Do they mean “we write” or “we are writing”?

In Greek, the present tense (ενεστώτας) usually covers both:

• English present simple: we write dialogues
• English present continuous: we are writing dialogues

So γράφουμε διαλόγους can mean either, depending on context:

• a habitual action: In the lab we (usually) write dialogues...
• an action happening now: Right now, in the lab, we are writing dialogues...

Same for παίζουμε: we perform / we are performing.

Context (and sometimes time expressions) tells you which nuance is meant.

What is going on with διαλόγους? Why that form and not διάλογοι?

The basic word is:

• ο διάλογος = the dialogue (masculine, singular)
• οι διάλογοι = the dialogues (nominative plural: subject form)
• τους διαλόγους = the dialogues (accusative plural: object form)

In γράφουμε διαλόγους, dialogues are what we write, so they are a direct object, which in Greek normally takes the accusative case. Hence:

• γράφουμε διαλόγους = we write dialogues (accusative plural)
• οι διάλογοι είναι δύσκολοι = the dialogues are difficult (nominative plural, subject)

What does the pronoun τους refer to, and why is it masculine plural?

Τους here is a direct-object pronoun meaning them. It refers back to διαλόγους.

• διάλογος is masculine
• διαλόγους is masculine plural accusative
• The matching pronoun is τους (masculine plural accusative)

So:

• Γράφουμε διαλόγους και μετά τους παίζουμε.
  = We write dialogues and then we perform them.

The pronoun must agree in gender and number with what it refers to:

• τους – masculine plural (e.g. διαλόγους)
• τις – feminine plural
• τα – neuter plural

Why is τους before the verb (τους παίζουμε) and not after it?

Short object pronouns like τον, την, το, τους, τις, τα usually go before the verb in normal statements:

• Τους παίζουμε στην τάξη. = We perform them in class.
• Δεν τους παίζουμε στην τάξη. = We don’t perform them in class.

They move after the verb mainly:

• in positive commands:
  
  • Παίξ’ τους! = Perform them!
• with some special structures (e.g. θέλω να τους παίξω = I want to perform them)

So in a regular sentence like this, τους naturally goes before παίζουμε.

Why doesn’t the sentence just repeat διαλόγους instead of using τους?

Greek, like English, usually avoids unnecessary repetition if the object is already clear.

• First mention: γράφουμε διαλόγους (we write dialogues)
• Then you can either:
  • repeat: και μετά παίζουμε διαλόγους στην τάξη
  • or refer back with a pronoun: και μετά τους παίζουμε στην τάξη

Using the pronoun τους sounds more natural and less redundant, and it also shows that the same dialogues are being performed.

Does παίζουμε mean “play” like a game, or something closer to “act / perform”?

The verb παίζω is broad. It can mean:

• to play (a game): παίζω ποδόσφαιρο = I play football
• to play (an instrument): παίζω κιθάρα = I play guitar
• to act / perform (a role, a scene, a dialogue):
  
  • παίζω έναν ρόλο = I play a role
  • παίζουμε έναν διάλογο = we act out a dialogue

In this sentence:

• τους παίζουμε στην τάξη = we perform / act them out in class,

not we play them in the sense of children’s games.

What does και μετά add? Could you just say μετά or just και?

• και = and
• μετά = after / afterwards / later
• και μετά = and then / and after that

So:

• Γράφουμε διαλόγους και μετά τους παίζουμε στην τάξη.
  = We write dialogues and then we perform them in class.

Alternatives:

• Γράφουμε διαλόγους. Μετά τους παίζουμε στην τάξη.
  (two separate sentences; still natural)
• Γράφουμε διαλόγους και τους παίζουμε στην τάξη.
  (we write dialogues and perform them in class – the idea of sequence is weaker)

Και μετά makes the sequence very clear: first writing, then performing.

Why is it στην τάξη and not στο τάξη?

Τάξη (class, classroom) is feminine, so its article is η (singular) / την in the accusative.

The pattern with σε is:

• σε + τον (masc.) = στον
• σε + την (fem.) = στην
• σε + το (neut.) = στο

Since τάξη is feminine:

• σε + την τάξη → στην τάξη
  = in the class / in class

So:

• στο εργαστήριο (neuter: το εργαστήριο)
• στην τάξη (feminine: η τάξη)

Is σε always “in”, or can it also mean “at / to”?

Σε is very flexible and can correspond to several English prepositions:

• in: στο εργαστήριο = in the lab
• at: στην τάξη = in class / in the classroom / at class
• to: πάω στο εργαστήριο = I go to the lab

Context decides whether you translate σε as in, at, to, or sometimes into.

In this sentence, στο εργαστήριο and στην τάξη are best understood as in the lab and in (the) class.

Why does Greek use the article in στο εργαστήριο and στην τάξη, when English can say just “in class”?

Greek uses definite articles more often than English, especially with general locations:

• στην τάξη literally: in the class
  but often translated as in class
• στο σχολείο literally: in the school
  but often at school

If you omit the article in Greek (σε τάξη, σε σχολείο), it sounds either:

• incomplete / unidiomatic in many cases, or
• more like in some class / in some school (indefinite, not the usual setting)

So in this sentence, στο εργαστήριο and στην τάξη are the natural, idiomatic forms.

Can the word order be changed, for example to Στο εργαστήριο διαλόγους γράφουμε?

Greek word order is fairly flexible, but there are natural preferences.

The most neutral order is:

• [Place] + [Verb] + [Object]
  → Στο εργαστήριο γράφουμε διαλόγους.

You can say Στο εργαστήριο διαλόγους γράφουμε, but then:

• διαλόγους sounds emphasized: It’s dialogues that we write in the lab (not something else).

For the second part:

• και μετά τους παίζουμε στην τάξη is the natural order:
  • pronoun τους before the verb παίζουμε
  • στην τάξη at the end as a place phrase.

Reordering is possible, but can change the focus or sound marked.

How do you stress and pronounce the main words in this sentence?

Stress in Greek is marked with an accent and is important for correct pronunciation.

Key words:

• εργαστήριο → er-ga-STÍ-ri-o (εργαστήριο)
• γράφουμε → GRÁ-fu-me (γράφουμε)
• διαλόγους → dhi-a-LÓ-gus (διαλόγους)
• παίζουμε → PÉ-zu-me (παίζουμε)
• τάξη → TÁ-ksi (τάξη)

Each word has one stressed syllable; that syllable is louder/longer and slightly higher in pitch.