Breakdown of Η νηπιαγωγός έδωσε στα παιδιά κηρομπογιές και ένα μεγάλο χαρτόνι για τη ζωγραφιά τους.
και
and
σε
to
δίνω
to give
ένα
one
Questions & Answers about Η νηπιαγωγός έδωσε στα παιδιά κηρομπογιές και ένα μεγάλο χαρτόνι για τη ζωγραφιά τους.
Why is it η νηπιαγωγός when -ος nouns often look masculine?
Because νηπιαγωγός is a profession noun that can be used for either a man or a woman. The article tells you the gender here:
- η νηπιαγωγός = the female kindergarten teacher
- ο νηπιαγωγός = the male kindergarten teacher
So even though the noun ends in -ός, the feminine article η shows that the teacher is female.
What tense is έδωσε, and what is the basic verb?
Έδωσε is the aorist form of δίνω (to give). Here it means gave.
So:
- δίνω = I give / I am giving
- έδωσε = he/she gave
The aorist is used for a completed action in the past. In this sentence, it presents the giving as one whole event.
Why does Greek use στα παιδιά here?
Στα is a contraction of σε + τα:
- σε = to
- τα = the
So:
- στα παιδιά = to the children
Modern Greek usually expresses the indirect object with σε + accusative rather than an old dative ending. So where English says gave to the children or simply gave the children, Greek says έδωσε στα παιδιά.