Learn Hardcore Greek: Η δήλωση αυτή εξηγεί γιατί θέλω να σπουδάσω στην Ελλάδα και πώς θα χρησιμοποιήσω τα ελληνικά μου στη δουλειά. - This statement explains why I want to study in Greece and how I will use my Greek at work.

Both mean “this statement”.
The post‑posed version (η δήλωση αυτή) can feel a bit more formal or slightly emphatic, like saying “this particular statement” in English, but in everyday speech they’re often interchangeable.

Why is it «αυτή» and not «αυτό» or «αυτής»?

The form of “this” has to agree with the noun δήλωση in gender, number, and case:

δήλωση is feminine, singular, nominative (it’s the subject).
The matching demonstrative is αυτή (feminine singular nominative).

Other forms:

αυτό = neuter singular nominative/accusative (used with neuter nouns, e.g. αυτό το βιβλίο – this book).
αυτής = feminine singular genitive (e.g. of this [woman] = της αυτής in some contexts, or αυτής της γυναίκας = “of this woman”).

So «Η δήλωση αυτή» must use «αυτή» to agree with δήλωση.

What is «εξηγεί» exactly, and why is it in that form?

«εξηγεί» comes from the verb εξηγώ = to explain.

εξηγώ – I explain
εξηγείς – you (singular) explain
εξηγεί – he/she/it explains or it explains

Here, the subject «Η δήλωση αυτή» is third person singular (like “it”), so the verb must be in 3rd person singular:

Η δήλωση αυτή εξηγεί…
This statement explains…

So the form «εξηγεί» is required by subject–verb agreement.

Why is «γιατί» used here, and how is it different from «επειδή»?

In the sentence:

εξηγεί γιατί θέλω να σπουδάσω στην Ελλάδα…

«γιατί» means “why”:

γιατί = why (question word) or sometimes because
επειδή = because (only “because,” not “why”)

Here, the meaning is “explains why I want to study in Greece”, so γιατί introduces an indirect question: “why (it is that) I want…”.
You couldn’t use επειδή here; εξηγεί επειδή θέλω… is wrong in standard Greek.

Compare:

Γιατί θέλεις να σπουδάσεις; – Why do you want to study?
Θέλω να σπουδάσω, επειδή μου αρέσει. – I want to study because I like it.

What is the purpose of «να» in «θέλω να σπουδάσω»? Why not just «θέλω σπουδάσω»?

Modern Greek doesn’t use an infinitive the way English does (to study).
Instead, it usually uses να + subjunctive verb.

θέλω να σπουδάσω = I want to study
- θέλω – I want
- να σπουδάσω – literally “that I study” (subjunctive)

να is a particle that introduces a subordinate clause and triggers the subjunctive mood in the verb.
Without να, θέλω σπουδάσω is ungrammatical in modern Greek.

What is the difference between «σπουδάσω» and «σπουδάζω»?

Both come from the verb σπουδάζω = to study (at university, etc.).

σπουδάζω – present tense; also the “present” subjunctive stem
- e.g. σπουδάζω νομικά – I’m studying law / I study law.
σπουδάσω – aorist subjunctive form, used after να, θα, όταν, etc., for single/complete actions.

In θέλω να σπουδάσω:

σπουδάσω presents the studying as a single, overall action (e.g., the whole course of study as a goal).
θέλω να σπουδάζω would lean more toward “I want to be (in the process of) studying” or “I want to study (habitually)” and is less common in this specific context of future plans.

Both can be grammatically possible, but θέλω να σπουδάσω is the natural choice for “I want to study (there as a goal)”.

Why is it «στην Ελλάδα» and not just «σε Ελλάδα» or «Ελλάδα»?

«στην Ελλάδα» breaks down as:

σε = in / at / to
την = the (feminine accusative singular)
Ελλάδα = Greece

The combination σε + την contracts to στην:

σε + την Ελλάδα → στην Ελλάδα

Two key points:

Greek almost always uses the definite article with country names:
- η Ελλάδα, η Γαλλία, η Ισπανία
  So you say στην Ελλάδα, not σε Ελλάδα.
σε + accusative is the normal way to say “in/at/to a place”.

So «στην Ελλάδα» literally means “in(to) the Greece,” but in English it’s just “in Greece” or “to Greece”, depending on context. Here, with σπουδάσω, it’s understood as “study in Greece.”

What is the difference between «πώς» with an accent and «πως» without an accent?

They are different words:

πώς (with accent) = how
- e.g. Πώς είσαι; – How are you?
- In the sentence: …και πώς θα χρησιμοποιήσω… = and how I will use…
πως (without accent) = that (a conjunction, similar to ότι)
- e.g. Ξέρω πως έχεις δίκιο. – I know that you are right.

In the given sentence, you need «πώς» with the accent, because it means “how”.

Why is it «θα χρησιμοποιήσω» and not «χρησιμοποιώ»?

Greek forms the simple future tense with θα + subjunctive:

χρησιμοποιώ = I use / I am using (present)
θα χρησιμοποιήσω = I will use (simple future)

In πώς θα χρησιμοποιήσω τα ελληνικά μου στη δουλειά:

θα marks future time.
χρησιμοποιήσω is the aorist subjunctive form of χρησιμοποιώ.

This combination expresses a single future action: “how I will use my Greek at work.”
If you said πώς χρησιμοποιώ τα ελληνικά μου στη δουλειά, you’d be talking about how you currently use Greek at work, not future use.

Why is «τα ελληνικά» plural and with an article? In English we just say “Greek.”

In Greek, language names are often treated as neuter plural nouns and usually take the definite article:

τα ελληνικά – (the) Greek (language)
τα αγγλικά – English
τα γαλλικά – French
τα ισπανικά – Spanish

Here:

ελληνικά is the neuter plural form of the adjective ελληνικός (= Greek).
With the article τα, it functions as a noun: “Greek (the language).”

So τα ελληνικά μου literally is “my Greek (language)”, though in English we just say “my Greek.”
Using the article is normal and expected; ελληνικά μου without τα is possible but sounds more marked or less neutral in this context.

What is the role of «μου» in «τα ελληνικά μου», and why does it come after the noun?

«μου» is an unstressed possessive pronoun meaning “my.”

In Greek, these unstressed possessives usually come after the noun:

το βιβλίο μου – my book
η δουλειά μου – my job / my work
τα ελληνικά μου – my Greek (language)

So μου attaches after the whole noun phrase with article:

τα ελληνικά μου = the Greek (language) of me → my Greek

You don’t normally put μου before the noun like English “my Greek”; the post‑position is the standard pattern.

What does «στη δουλειά» literally mean, and how is it formed?

«στη δουλειά» means “at work” or “in (my) job.”

Breakdown:

σε = in / at / to
τη = the (feminine accusative singular)
δουλειά = work, job (feminine noun)

σε + τη contracts to στη:

σε + τη δουλειά → στη δουλειά

Greek uses σε + article + noun for locations, and uses the article more widely than English.
So while English says “at work”, Greek literally says “at the work”: στη δουλειά.

Why is the article used with «δουλειά» here, when English doesn’t say “the work”?

Greek often requires the definite article in contexts where English leaves it out, especially with abstract or general nouns like δουλειά (work), σχολείο (school), σπίτι (home), etc.

Examples:

Είμαι στη δουλειά. – I’m at work. (literally: I am at the work.)
Πάω στο σχολείο. – I’m going to school. (lit. to the school)
Είμαι στο σπίτι. – I’m at home. (lit. at the house)

So στη δουλειά is the normal, idiomatic way to say “at work,” and the article τη is simply part of that standard structure.