Learn Hardcore Greek: Στο διαδικτυακό μάθημα ο καθηγητής μάς κάνει συχνά μικρή παρατήρηση, αλλά λέει ότι είναι προτιμότερο να δοκιμάζουμε παρά να μένουμε σιωπηλοί. - In the online class the professor often makes a small remark to us, but he says it is preferable for us to try rather than remain silent.

Στο = σε + το
- σε = in / at / to (very general preposition)
- το = the (neuter singular article)
διαδικτυακό = online, internet‑based (adjective, neuter singular)
μάθημα = lesson / class (neuter noun)

So «Στο διαδικτυακό μάθημα» = “In the online lesson.”

You could also say «Στο online μάθημα» in casual speech, but «διαδικτυακό» is the standard Greek word.

Why does the sentence start with «Στο διαδικτυακό μάθημα» instead of «Ο καθηγητής στο διαδικτυακό μάθημα…»? Is that normal word order?

Yes, that word order is very natural in Greek.

By starting with «Στο διαδικτυακό μάθημα», the speaker:

Sets the scene / context first (where this happens),
Then introduces the subject: «ο καθηγητής» (the teacher),
Then says what he does: «μάς κάνει συχνά μικρή παρατήρηση…»

You could also say:

«Ο καθηγητής στο διαδικτυακό μάθημα μάς κάνει συχνά μικρή παρατήρηση…»

That’s also correct. The difference is small and mostly about emphasis:

«Στο διαδικτυακό μάθημα…» → focus on the setting.
«Ο καθηγητής στο διαδικτυακό μάθημα…» → focus first on the teacher, then specify which context.

Why is it «μάς κάνει» with an accent on μάς? I learned that the weak pronoun “μας” usually doesn’t have an accent.

Good observation. The pronoun μας has two roles in writing:

Weak object pronoun = us
- Usually written without an accent: μας
- Example: Ο καθηγητής μας βοηθάει. = The teacher helps us.
Possessive clitic = our (when attached to a noun)
- Also written μας and usually follows the noun:
- ο καθηγητής μας = our teacher

Because both are written μας, Greek often adds an accent (μάς, σάς, τούς) to the object pronoun when there might be ambiguity:

Ο καθηγητής μάς κάνει παρατήρηση.
→ The teacher scolds us. (μάς = object of the verb)
Ο καθηγητής μας κάνει μάθημα.
→ More naturally read as Our teacher is giving a lesson. (μας = our)

So in «ο καθηγητής μάς κάνει συχνά μικρή παρατήρηση», the accent on μάς makes it clear that it means “us”, not “our.”

What exactly does «κάνει … παρατήρηση» mean? Why “makes an observation” if the meaning is “reprimands”?

Literally, «κάνω παρατήρηση σε κάποιον» means “I make an observation to someone”, but idiomatically it means:

to scold (gently)
to reprimand
to correct someone’s behavior / point out a mistake

Examples:

Η δασκάλα έκανε παρατήρηση στα παιδιά.
The teacher scolded / told off the children.
Ο προϊστάμενος μου έκανε μια παρατήρηση για την καθυστέρηση.
My boss made a remark to me about being late.

In your sentence, «μικρή παρατήρηση» suggests a mild or small reprimand, almost like a gentle correction or comment, not something very harsh.

What is the role of «μικρή» and where does «συχνά» belong in «μάς κάνει συχνά μικρή παρατήρηση»?

μικρή = small / minor (feminine singular adjective)
It modifies παρατήρηση (feminine noun):
→ μικρή παρατήρηση = a small / mild remark / reprimand.
συχνά = often (adverb)
It modifies the verb κάνει:
→ κάνει συχνά = he often makes.

The phrase «μάς κάνει συχνά μικρή παρατήρηση» can be rearranged a bit without changing the meaning:

μας κάνει συχνά μια μικρή παρατήρηση
συχνά μάς κάνει μια μικρή παρατήρηση

Greek adverbs like συχνά are fairly flexible, but they usually stay close to the verb they modify.

Why is it «λέει ότι είναι προτιμότερο…»? How does «ότι» work here?

«λέει ότι…» = “he says that…”

λέει = he says
ότι = that (introduces a content clause, like English that)

So:

λέει ότι είναι προτιμότερο…
= he says that it is preferable…

You could also see «πως» used instead of «ότι» in the same meaning:

λέει πως είναι προτιμότερο…

In this sentence, «είναι προτιμότερο» is an impersonal expression:

literally: “it is more preferable / better”
English equivalent: “it’s preferable / it’s better”

How does «είναι προτιμότερο να δοκιμάζουμε…» work grammatically? Is «να» like “to” + infinitive?

Greek does not have an infinitive like English. Instead, it uses «να + verb», which usually corresponds to English “to + verb”, “that we + verb”, or “-ing”, depending on the context.

Here:

είναι προτιμότερο = it is preferable
να δοκιμάζουμε = that we (should) try / to try (habitually)

So «είναι προτιμότερο να δοκιμάζουμε» can be felt as:

“it is preferable that we try”
or
“it’s better to try”

Grammatically:

να + δοκιμάζουμε = subjunctive (imperfective)
It functions as the complement of «είναι προτιμότερο».

Why is it «να δοκιμάζουμε» and not «να δοκιμάσουμε»? What’s the difference?

The difference is aspect (imperfective vs aorist) in the subjunctive:

δοκιμάζουμε (imperfective) → emphasises habit / repetition / ongoing action
- “we try (regularly / in general)”
δοκιμάσουμε (aorist) → emphasises a single, complete action
- “we (should) try once / make an attempt”

In your sentence, the teacher is talking about a general principle in the lessons:

It’s better that we (generally) try, rather than stay silent.

So the imperfective «να δοκιμάζουμε» is correct because it fits the idea of repeated behavior in class, not a one‑time attempt.

What does «παρά» mean in «να δοκιμάζουμε παρά να μένουμε σιωπηλοί»? Is it the same as «αντί να»?

Here «παρά» means “rather than” / “instead of” and connects two parallel να + verb structures:

να δοκιμάζουμε = to try
να μένουμε σιωπηλοί = to remain silent

So «να δοκιμάζουμε παρά να μένουμε σιωπηλοί» =

“to try rather than remain silent.”

You could also say:

«είναι προτιμότερο να δοκιμάζουμε αντί να μένουμε σιωπηλοί»

«αντί να» also means “instead of” and is very close in meaning.
«παρά» here sounds slightly more like “rather than” in written / neutral style, but in many contexts they’re interchangeable.

Why is it «να μένουμε σιωπηλοί» and not something like «να είμαστε σιωπηλοί» or a verb like “to be silent”?

All of these exist, but they have slightly different nuances:

μένουμε σιωπηλοί
- μένω = remain, stay
- σιωπηλοί = silent (adjective, plural)
  → “we remain / stay silent” (emphasises continuing to be silent)
είμαστε σιωπηλοί
→ “we are silent” (more neutral “to be”)
Verbs meaning “to be silent”:
- σιωπώ, σωπαίνω = to be silent, to keep quiet

In this context, «να μένουμε σιωπηλοί» fits very well because it contrasts with actively trying:

either you keep staying quiet
or you try (answer / speak)

So the idea is: better to try than to keep remaining silent.

Why is «σιωπηλοί» plural and masculine? What does it agree with?

«σιωπηλοί» is:

masculine plural nominative form of σιωπηλός = silent, quiet.

It agrees with the implicit subject «εμείς» (we), which is the understood subject of both verbs:

να δοκιμάζουμε (we try)
να μένουμε σιωπηλοί (we remain silent)

Greek normally uses masculine plural for:

a group of all males, or
a mixed gender group (males + females), or
a group whose gender is not specified.

If the group were only women, you could in principle say «σιωπηλές» (feminine plural), but in practice σιωπηλοί is what you usually see in generic statements like this.

Why is there a comma before «αλλά» in «…, αλλά λέει ότι…»? Is that always required in Greek?

In Greek, you normally put a comma before «αλλά» when it connects two clauses (two mini‑sentences), just like in your example:

Clause 1: ο καθηγητής μάς κάνει συχνά μικρή παρατήρηση
Clause 2: (ο καθηγητής) λέει ότι είναι προτιμότερο…

So:

«…, αλλά λέει ότι…» = “… but he says that…”

When «αλλά» connects smaller elements (e.g. just two words), a comma is usually not used:

Μικρή αλλά σημαντική παρατήρηση.
A small but important remark.

So in your sentence the comma is correct and standard.