Questions & Answers about Η μπάλα είναι δίπλα στο τέρμα.
Why does the sentence start with η before μπάλα?
Η is the definite article here, meaning the.
Greek articles change for gender, number, and case. In this sentence:
- η = the for feminine singular nominative
- μπάλα is a feminine singular noun
- so η μπάλα = the ball
This is one of the first things English speakers notice, because English just uses the for everything, while Greek changes the article depending on the noun.
How do I know that μπάλα is feminine?
You know it is feminine because it takes the feminine article η.
So:
- η μπάλα = feminine
- ο would mark a masculine noun
- το would mark a neuter noun
Greek nouns belong to a grammatical gender category, and you usually learn the noun together with its article. So it is best to memorize η μπάλα, not just μπάλα by itself.
What is είναι exactly?