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Ο ηλεκτρολόγος ήρθε, άλλαξε τον διακόπτη και τώρα όλα λειτουργούν.

Ο ηλεκτρολόγος ήρθε, άλλαξε τον διακόπτη και τώρα όλα λειτουργούν.
The electrician came, changed the switch, and now everything works.

Breakdown of Ο ηλεκτρολόγος ήρθε, άλλαξε τον διακόπτη και τώρα όλα λειτουργούν.

τώρα
now
και
and
έρχομαι
to come
αλλάζω
to change
όλα
everything
λειτουργώ
to work / to function
ο ηλεκτρολόγος
the electrician
ο διακόπτης
the switch
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Questions & Answers about Ο ηλεκτρολόγος ήρθε, άλλαξε τον διακόπτη και τώρα όλα λειτουργούν.

Why does Ο ηλεκτρολόγος have Ο in front of it? Is it “a” or “the”?

Ο is the masculine singular nominative definite article, so it means the: Ο ηλεκτρολόγος = the electrician.
If you wanted an electrician, you’d usually say ένας ηλεκτρολόγος (masc. nom. sg.), though Greek often omits the “a/an” idea if it’s not important.

What case is ηλεκτρολόγος in, and how can I tell?

It’s nominative singular masculine, because it’s the subject (the one doing the actions ήρθε/άλλαξε).
You can also tell from the article Ο (nominative masculine singular).

Why is it ήρθε and not something like έρχεται?

ήρθε is the aorist (simple past) of έρχομαι (to come), meaning (he) came.
έρχεται is present tense and would mean (he) is coming / he comes.
In this sentence, the actions are completed events in the past, so Greek uses aorist: ήρθε, άλλαξε.

Why is there no word for “he” (like αυτός)?

Greek commonly drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the person/number.
ήρθε already implies he/she/it came (3rd person singular). Here, context makes it clear it’s the electrician, so no αυτός is needed.

How do I know άλλαξε means “changed” (past)? What verb is it from?

άλλαξε is the aorist (simple past) of αλλάζω (to change).
So άλλαξε τον διακόπτη = (he) changed the switch.

Why is it τον διακόπτη and not ο διακόπτης?

Because διακόπτη is the direct object, so it takes the accusative case.

  • Nominative (subject): ο διακόπτης = the switch
  • Accusative (object): τον διακόπτη = the switch (as the thing being changed)
Why does the article become τον? What does it tell me?

τον is the masculine singular accusative definite article. It tells you:

  • gender: masculine
  • number: singular
  • case: accusative (object role)

So τον διακόπτη is clearly “the switch” as the object.

What’s the role of και and the commas here? Is this just a list of actions?

Yes. The sentence strings together events: 1) ήρθε (came),
2) άλλαξε (changed),
3) and then a result/state now: τώρα όλα λειτουργούν (now everything works).

The commas are typical punctuation to separate actions in a sequence, similar to English: “He came, changed the switch, and now…”

Why is τώρα placed after και? Could it move?

τώρα (now) is flexible in position. Common options:

  • ...και τώρα όλα λειτουργούν. (very natural)
  • ...και όλα λειτουργούν τώρα. (also natural; slightly different emphasis)
  • Τώρα όλα λειτουργούν. (if starting a new sentence)

Greek word order is often used for emphasis rather than grammatical necessity.

Why is it όλα λειτουργούν (plural verb)? I heard neuter plurals often take a singular verb.

Good observation. With neuter plural subjects like όλα (everything / all things), Greek often uses singular agreement (especially in more traditional or formal patterns):

  • όλα λειτουργεί can appear as a “collective” idea (more “everything works” as one situation).

But plural agreement is also very common in modern Greek, especially when you’re thinking of multiple items:

  • όλα λειτουργούν = “all (the things) are working.”

So όλα λειτουργούν is perfectly normal.

What exactly does όλα mean here—“everything” or “all (of them)”?

όλα is the neuter plural of όλος and can mean:

  • everything (general sense), or
  • all (of them) when the context implies a set of things.

In this sentence, it naturally reads as everything is working (i.e., the electrical stuff is fine now).

What is the dictionary form of λειτουργούν, and what tense is it?

Dictionary form: λειτουργώ (to function / to work / to operate).
λειτουργούν is present tense, 3rd person plural: they work / they are working / they function.
Greek present tense can cover both “work” and “are working,” depending on context.

How would pronunciation and stress work in key words like ηλεκτρολόγος, διακόπτη, λειτουργούν?

The accent mark shows the stressed syllable:

  • η-λε-κτρο-ΛΟ-γος (stress on -ΛΟ-)
  • δια-ΚΟ-πτη (stress on -ΚΟ-)
  • λει-τουρ-ΓΟΥΝ (stress on the last syllable -ΓΟΥΝ)

Keeping the stress in the right place is crucial in Greek, since stress is phonemic (it can distinguish words).