Breakdown of Ο φίλος της δεν έχει πια γενειάδα, γιατί την ξύρισε χτες.
έχω
to have
δεν
not
ο φίλος
the male friend
γιατί
because
Questions & Answers about Ο φίλος της δεν έχει πια γενειάδα, γιατί την ξύρισε χτες.
What exactly does Ο φίλος της mean here? Is it her friend or her boyfriend?
It can mean either her friend or her boyfriend, depending on context.
- ο φίλος = the male friend
- της = her
So literally, Ο φίλος της means her male friend.
But in everyday Greek, ο φίλος μου / σου / της etc. can also mean my boyfriend / your boyfriend / her boyfriend, especially if the context is romantic.
So this phrase is grammatically her friend, but in real usage it may very naturally mean her boyfriend.
What is της doing in this sentence?
της is a genitive weak pronoun, and here it shows possession.
So:
- ο φίλος = the friend
- της = of her / her
Together: ο φίλος της = her friend
This is very common in Greek. Possession is often shown with these short pronoun forms after the noun:
- ο φίλος μου = my friend
- ο φίλος σου = your friend
- ο φίλος της = her friend
Why is there a definite article in Ο φίλος της?