Learn Hardcore Greek: Η Μαρία πρέπει να έμεινε σπίτι, γιατί δεν απαντάει ούτε στα μηνύματα ούτε στο τηλέφωνο. - Maria must have stayed home, because she is answering neither messages nor the phone.

Word

Η Μαρία πρέπει να έμεινε σπίτι, γιατί δεν απαντάει ούτε στα μηνύματα ούτε στο τηλέφωνο.

Meaning

Maria must have stayed home, because she is answering neither messages nor the phone.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Lesson

Breakdown of Η Μαρία πρέπει να έμεινε σπίτι, γιατί δεν απαντάει ούτε στα μηνύματα ούτε στο τηλέφωνο.

Why does Η Μαρία have the article Η? English usually does not say the Maria.

In Modern Greek, personal names very often take the definite article.

So:

This is completely normal Greek and does not sound like English the Maria. It is just part of everyday grammar.

The article is especially common when talking about someone in a normal statement. It is often left out in some special cases, such as:

What does πρέπει να έμεινε mean here? Is it obligation, like has to stay home?

Here πρέπει να does not express obligation. It expresses a logical conclusion or deduction.

So in this sentence:

The speaker is guessing based on evidence:

γιατί δεν απαντάει ούτε στα μηνύματα ούτε στο τηλέφωνο
because she isn’t answering either messages or the phone

Compare:

So πρέπει να can mean either have to or must in the sense of I conclude that.... Context tells you which one it is.