Breakdown of Η φίλη μου προτιμά να ράβει μόνη της, αλλά απόψε θέλει να ράψει μόνο ένα κουμπί στο παλτό της.
θέλω
to want
να
to
η φίλη
the female friend
μου
my
Questions & Answers about Η φίλη μου προτιμά να ράβει μόνη της, αλλά απόψε θέλει να ράψει μόνο ένα κουμπί στο παλτό της.
Why is it Η φίλη μου and not just φίλη μου?
Greek often uses the definite article where English would not. So Η φίλη μου literally looks like the friend of me, but it simply means my friend.
Using the article with possessives is very normal in Greek:
- η φίλη μου = my friend
- το σπίτι μου = my house
- ο αδερφός μου = my brother
You can sometimes hear forms without the article in certain contexts, but η φίλη μου is the standard, natural phrasing here.
Why does μου come after φίλη instead of before it?
In Modern Greek, weak possessive pronouns like μου, σου, του, της, μας usually come after the noun.
So:
- η φίλη μου = my friend
- το παλτό της = her coat
This is different from English, where the possessive usually comes before the noun.
Why do both μόνη της and μόνο appear in the same sentence? Are they related?