Ο μικρός είναι ξανθός, ενώ η αδερφή του είναι μελαχρινή.

to be

Breakdown of Ο μικρός είναι ξανθός, ενώ η αδερφή του είναι μελαχρινή.

• η αδερφή: the sister
• του: his
• ενώ: while

Questions & Answers about Ο μικρός είναι ξανθός, ενώ η αδερφή του είναι μελαχρινή.

Why does ο μικρός mean the little boy / the young one instead of just the small one?

In Greek, an adjective can be used on its own with the article and function like a noun.

So ο μικρός literally means the small/little one in the masculine singular, but in real context it often means:

• the little boy
• the younger one
• the young one

The exact meaning depends on context. In a family sentence like this one, it very naturally refers to the little boy / the younger child.

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Why are there articles in ο μικρός and η αδερφή?

Greek uses the definite article very often, including before nouns and adjectives used like nouns.

Here:

• ο = the for masculine singular
• η = the for feminine singular

So:

• ο μικρός = the little boy / the little one
• η αδερφή = the sister

Unlike English, Greek articles also show gender, number, and case.

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Why is it ξανθός but μελαχρινή?

Because adjectives in Greek must agree with the noun they describe in .