Η προϊσταμένη είπε ότι η απάντηση δεν είναι υποχρεωτική σήμερα, αλλά είναι καλό να θυμόμαστε το βασικό μας καθήκον.

Η προϊσταμένη means the female supervisor / manager / person in charge.

It comes from the verb προΐσταμαι, which has the sense of to be in charge of / to head something. In modern Greek, ο προϊστάμενος is a male supervisor, and η προϊσταμένη is a female supervisor.

So in this sentence, it refers to a woman who is in a position of authority.

It is feminine because the sentence is talking about a woman:

• η προϊσταμένη = the female supervisor

The masculine form is:

• ο προϊστάμενος = the male supervisor

This is a very common pattern in Greek: adjectives and participle-like forms often change ending depending on gender.

For example:

• ο προϊστάμενος
• η προϊσταμένη
• το προϊστάμενο or less commonly as a noun depending on context

Here, the feminine article η and the feminine ending -η show that the person is female.

Because η is the feminine singular definite article, meaning the.

In this sentence:

• Η προϊσταμένη = the supervisor
• η απάντηση = the answer

Greek uses the definite article very regularly, often more consistently than English. So where English might sometimes omit the, Greek often keeps it.

Each noun needs an article that matches its:

• gender
• number
• case

Here both προϊσταμένη and απάντηση are feminine singular nouns, so they both take η.

Είπε is the aorist form of λέω (to say / tell), and here it means said.

So:

• λέει = he/she says, is saying
• είπε = he/she said

This is one of the most common past-tense forms in Greek. The aorist usually presents the action as a complete event.

So:

• Η προϊσταμένη είπε ότι... = The supervisor said that...

Ότι introduces a content clause, like English that:

• είπε ότι... = said that...

So the structure is:

• Η προϊσταμένη είπε ότι η απάντηση δεν είναι υποχρεωτική σήμερα
• The supervisor said that the answer is not mandatory today

In everyday Greek, πως can often be used in the same way:

• είπε πως...
• είπε ότι...

Both are common, though ότι is often a little more neutral or formal in writing.

Because υποχρεωτική agrees with η απάντηση, which is feminine.

• η απάντηση = feminine singular
• so the adjective must also be feminine singular:
  • υποχρεωτική

Compare:

• η απάντηση είναι υποχρεωτική = the answer is mandatory
• το μέτρο είναι υποχρεωτικό = the measure is mandatory
• ο κανόνας είναι υποχρεωτικός = the rule is mandatory

Greek adjectives change form to match the noun they describe.

Δεν is the basic negation for verbs in modern Greek. It means not.

Here:

• η απάντηση δεν είναι υποχρεωτική
• literally: the answer not is mandatory
• natural English: the answer is not mandatory

In Greek, δεν normally comes directly before the verb:

• δεν είναι = is not
• δεν θυμάμαι = I do not remember
• δεν είπε = he/she did not say

Yes, σήμερα (today) can move, because Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

In the sentence:

• η απάντηση δεν είναι υποχρεωτική σήμερα

this most naturally means:

• the answer is not mandatory today

You could also hear:

• σήμερα η απάντηση δεν είναι υποχρεωτική
• η απάντηση σήμερα δεν είναι υποχρεωτική

The meaning stays similar, but the emphasis changes slightly. Greek often moves time words around for rhythm or focus.

Literally, it is something like:

• it is good to remember
• or more literally, it is good that we remember

This is a very common Greek pattern:

• είναι καλό να... = it is good to...
• είναι σημαντικό να... = it is important to...
• είναι δύσκολο να... = it is difficult to...

So:

• αλλά είναι καλό να θυμόμαστε...
• but it is good to remember...

It is an impersonal expression. There is no explicit subject like it in Greek; English needs it, but Greek simply says is good.

Να is the particle that introduces a subordinate verb form often called the subjunctive in learner materials.

So:

• να θυμόμαστε = to remember / that we remember

After expressions like είναι καλό, Greek normally uses να + verb:

• είναι καλό να διαβάζουμε = it is good to study / read
• είναι καλό να ξεκουραζόμαστε = it is good to rest

So in your sentence:

• είναι καλό να θυμόμαστε
• it is good to remember

This is one of the most common Greek structures, and English speakers need to get used to the fact that Greek does not use an infinitive here. Instead of a true infinitive, modern Greek usually uses να + finite verb.

Because the speaker is talking about we in a general sense:

• να θυμόμαστε = for us to remember / to remember in the sense of we should keep in mind

The ending -όμαστε shows first person plural:

• θυμάμαι = I remember
• θυμάσαι = you remember
• θυμάται = he/she remembers
• θυμόμαστε = we remember
• θυμάστε = you all remember
• θυμούνται = they remember

Here, Greek includes the speaker and audience in a general we: it is good for us to remember our basic duty.

This is a question of aspect, which is very important in Greek.

• θυμόμαστε is the imperfective form
• θυμηθούμε is the perfective form

Very roughly:

• να θυμόμαστε suggests keeping something in mind / remembering as an ongoing state or habit
• να θυμηθούμε suggests to remember at a particular moment / to bring to mind once

In this sentence, the idea is not let's remember it once right now, but rather it is good to keep in mind / remember our basic duty. That is why να θυμόμαστε fits better.

This is a very Greek way of expressing the difference between:

• ongoing/general remembering
• one-time act of remembering

Μας here means our.

So:

• το βασικό μας καθήκον = our basic duty

Greek possessive words like μου, σου, του, της, μας, σας, τους usually come after the noun or adjective phrase, not before it as in English.

Compare:

• το καθήκον μας = our duty
• το βασικό μας καθήκον = our basic duty

This often feels backward to English speakers, because English says our basic duty, but Greek says something more like the basic duty of ours.

Because Greek often places the weak possessive pronoun after the whole noun phrase head area, and το βασικό μας καθήκον is a very natural order.

You may also hear similar patterns in Greek such as:

• το καινούριο μου αυτοκίνητο = my new car
• η μεγάλη της αδερφή = her big sister

So the possessive clitic often comes after the adjective and before the noun.

This is one of those word-order patterns that is best learned as a chunk:

• article + adjective + possessive + noun

Here:

• το βασικό μας καθήκον
• the basic our duty
• natural English: our basic duty

Καθήκον is a neuter noun meaning duty.

Here it appears as:

• το καθήκον = the duty

In the sentence, it is in the accusative singular, because it is the object of θυμόμαστε:

• θυμόμαστε το βασικό μας καθήκον
• we remember our basic duty

But in neuter nouns like this, the nominative and accusative singular are often the same in form:

• nominative: το καθήκον
• accusative: το καθήκον

So even though the case function changes, the form does not change here.

The sentence can be rearranged more than in English, but the given order is very natural and neutral.

Current sentence:

• Η προϊσταμένη είπε ότι η απάντηση δεν είναι υποχρεωτική σήμερα, αλλά είναι καλό να θυμόμαστε το βασικό μας καθήκον.

Greek allows movement for emphasis, especially with words like σήμερα or with the second clause. But some parts tend to stay together:

• είπε ότι...
• δεν είναι υποχρεωτική
• είναι καλό να θυμόμαστε...

So Greek is flexible, but not random. Learners should think of it as:

• some freedom for emphasis
• but very common fixed mini-patterns inside the sentence

The word προϊσταμένη is pronounced roughly as:

• pro-i-sta-ME-ni

The ϊ shows that the ι is pronounced separately, not blended into one sound with the previous vowel.

Without the diaeresis, a learner might try to read οι as the usual Greek vowel combination pronounced like ee. But here the diaeresis tells you: pronounce the vowels separately.

So:

• προϊ- = pro-i- not a single merged vowel sound

This is a useful spelling feature in Greek and appears in other words too, where two vowels should be pronounced separately.