Η αδερφή μου είναι μελαχρινή και έχει ίσια μαλλιά, ενώ εγώ είμαι ξανθός και έχω σγουρά.

to be

Breakdown of Η αδερφή μου είναι μελαχρινή και έχει ίσια μαλλιά, ενώ εγώ είμαι ξανθός και έχω σγουρά.

• και: and
• εγώ: I
• έχω: to have

Questions & Answers about Η αδερφή μου είναι μελαχρινή και έχει ίσια μαλλιά, ενώ εγώ είμαι ξανθός και έχω σγουρά.

Why does Greek say η αδερφή μου for my sister instead of just using a word for my before the noun?

In Greek, possessives like μου (my) usually come after the noun, not before it.

So:

• η αδερφή μου = my sister
• literally: the sister my

This is completely normal in Greek. Very often, Greek also keeps the definite article:

• ο αδερφός μου = my brother
• η μητέρα μου = my mother
• το σπίτι μου = my house

So even though English says my sister, Greek commonly says the sister my.

What does μου mean exactly, and does it change?

Μου means my here.

It is an unstressed possessive form and is used for:

• my
• also, in other contexts, to me / me depending on the sentence structure

In this sentence, it is possessive:

• η αδερφή μου = my sister

Unlike English my, Greek μου does not change for gender or number of the thing owned:

• ο φίλος μου = my friend
• η φίλη μου = my friend
• τα βιβλία μου = my books

So μου stays the same.

Why is it μελαχρινή for the sister but ξανθός for the speaker?