Αυτό το διαμέρισμα είναι πολύ μεγάλο για εμάς.

This apartment is very big for us.

Breakdown of Αυτό το διαμέρισμα είναι πολύ μεγάλο για εμάς.

• είμαι: to be
• αυτός: this
• πολύ: very
• για: for
• το διαμέρισμα: the apartment
• εμάς: us
• μεγάλος: large

Questions & Answers about Αυτό το διαμέρισμα είναι πολύ μεγάλο για εμάς.

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

In Greek, when you use a demonstrative like αυτό (this), you normally keep the definite article in front of the noun as well:

• αυτό το διαμέρισμα = this apartment
• εκείνο το διαμέρισμα = that apartment

So the usual pattern is:

αυτό / εκείνο / αυτός / αυτή + ο / η / το + noun

Leaving the article out (αυτό διαμέρισμα) sounds wrong or, at best, very unnatural in modern Greek in this kind of sentence.

Why is it αυτό and το διαμέρισμα and μεγάλο? Why are they all neuter?

Greek words that go together must agree in gender, number, and case.

• διαμέρισμα (apartment) is a neuter noun.
• The demonstrative αυτό (this) is in the neuter form to match διαμέρισμα.
• The article το is also neuter singular, matching διαμέρισμα.
• The adjective μεγάλο (big) is neuter singular, again matching διαμέρισμα.

So the whole noun phrase lines up grammatically:

• αυτό (neuter)
• το (neuter)
• διαμέρισμα (neuter)
• μεγάλο (neuter)

What exactly does πολύ mean here? Is it very or too?

In this sentence, πολύ before an adjective usually means very:

• είναι πολύ μεγάλο = it is very big

However, in context, Greek πολύ can sometimes be understood as too (too big), especially when followed by something like για εμάς (for us), which implies a limit:

• Αυτό το διαμέρισμα είναι πολύ μεγάλο για εμάς.
  Literally: This apartment is very big for us.
  Naturally in English: This apartment is too big for us.

So:

• Strict meaning: πολύ μεγάλο = very big
• Implied meaning in this context: too big (for us)

Why is πολύ before μεγάλο and not after it?

In Greek, adverbs like πολύ that modify adjectives almost always come before the adjective:

• πολύ μεγάλο = very big
• πάρα πολύ μεγάλο = really / extremely big

Putting πολύ after the adjective (μεγάλο πολύ) is not normal in modern standard Greek and sounds wrong in this context. So the natural order is:

είναι + πολύ + adjective
είναι πολύ μεγάλο

What is the difference between πολύ μεγάλο and πάρα πολύ μεγάλο?

Both intensify the adjective μεγάλο (big), but to different degrees:

• πολύ μεγάλο = very big
  – normal strong emphasis.

• πάρα πολύ μεγάλο = really / extremely / way too big
  – stronger emphasis, often closer to too big in feeling.

So:

• Αυτό το διαμέρισμα είναι πολύ μεγάλο για εμάς.
  This apartment is very/too big for us.

• Αυτό το διαμέρισμα είναι πάρα πολύ μεγάλο για εμάς.
  This apartment is really / far too big for us.

Why is it για εμάς and not something like σε εμάς?

The preposition για usually corresponds to English for, about and is used to show purpose, benefit, suitability, etc.

• για εμάς = for us (in terms of suitability or what fits us)

σε means to, in, at, into, on and indicates direction or location, not suitability:

• σε εμάς would mean to us / at us / in us (context-dependent), which is not correct in this sentence.

So for the idea too big for us (as people / for our needs), Greek uses για:

• πολύ μεγάλο για εμάς = too big for us

What is the difference between εμάς and μας? Can I say για μας?

Both εμάς and μας mean us, but:

• εμάς is the strong/stressed form.
• μας is the weak/unstressed form.

In this sentence, both are possible:

• για εμάς – a bit more emphatic: for us (as opposed to others)
• για μας – more neutral and very common in everyday speech.

So:

• Αυτό το διαμέρισμα είναι πολύ μεγάλο για εμάς.
• Αυτό το διαμέρισμα είναι πολύ μεγάλο για μας.

Both are correct. The version with εμάς just sounds slightly more emphatic or careful.

Why do we use εμάς and not εμείς?

Εμείς and εμάς are different cases of the pronoun we:

• εμείς = we (subject form, nominative)
  – used as the subject of the verb:
  Εμείς μένουμε εδώ. = We live here.

• εμάς = us (object form, accusative)
  – used after prepositions like για:
  για εμάς = for us

In the sentence, για is a preposition, and prepositions in Greek take the accusative, so it must be για εμάς, not για εμείς.

Why is the verb είναι in the third person singular?

Είναι is the 3rd person singular form of είμαι (to be), meaning he/she/it is.

The subject of the verb here is Αυτό το διαμέρισμα (this apartment), which is singular and neuter, so we use:

• (Αυτό το διαμέρισμα) είναι πολύ μεγάλο…
  This apartment is very big…

If the subject were plural, the verb would also be plural:

• Αυτά τα διαμερίσματα είναι πολύ μεγάλα για εμάς.
  These apartments are very big for us.

Can I change the word order, for example Το διαμέρισμα αυτό είναι πολύ μεγάλο για εμάς?

Yes. Greek word order is relatively flexible. You can say:

• Αυτό το διαμέρισμα είναι πολύ μεγάλο για εμάς.
• Το διαμέρισμα αυτό είναι πολύ μεγάλο για εμάς.

Both mean This apartment is very/too big for us.

Nuance:

• Αυτό το διαμέρισμα… sounds slightly more neutral and is very common.
• Το διαμέρισμα αυτό… can sound a bit more formal or contrastive, like you are distinguishing this particular apartment from others.

But in everyday speech, both are perfectly acceptable.

Could I just say Το διαμέρισμα είναι πολύ μεγάλο για εμάς without Αυτό?

Yes, you can. The meaning changes slightly:

• Το διαμέρισμα είναι πολύ μεγάλο για εμάς.
  The apartment is very/too big for us.
  – Refers to the apartment already known from context.

• Αυτό το διαμέρισμα είναι πολύ μεγάλο για εμάς.
  This apartment is very/too big for us.
  – More specific, often pointing to or clearly specifying this one apartment.

How do you pronounce διαμέρισμα and where is the stress in the whole sentence?

Stress in Greek is shown by the accent mark (´) over a vowel.

Word by word:

• Αυτό – stress on -τό: a-FTO
• το – unstressed: to
• διαμέρισμα – stress on -μέ-: thia-ME-ri-sma
  (the δια is pronounced like thia with a soft th as in this)
• είναι – stress on εί-: EE-ne
• πολύ – stress on -λύ: po-LEE
• μεγάλο – stress on -γά-: me-GA-lo
• για – unstressed: ya
• εμάς – stress on -μάς: e-MAS

So the main stressed syllables are:
a-FTO to thia-ME-ris-ma EE-ne po-LEE me-GA-lo ya e-MAS.