Breakdown of Η μαμά μου δεν θέλει σέλινο στο ρύζι, αλλά τρώει πάντα μπιζέλια με κοτόπουλο.
θέλω
to want
τρώω
to eat
δεν
not
μου
my
Questions & Answers about Η μαμά μου δεν θέλει σέλινο στο ρύζι, αλλά τρώει πάντα μπιζέλια με κοτόπουλο.
Why does μαμά have μου after it?
Μου means my here, but in Greek possessive words like μου, σου, του usually come after the noun.
So:
- η μαμά μου = my mom
- ο φίλος μου = my friend
- το σπίτι μου = my house
Literally, it feels like the mom of me, but in natural English we translate it as my mom.
Why is it η μαμά μου and not just μαμά μου?
Greek often uses the definite article where English does not. So η μαμά μου literally includes the:
- η μαμά μου = my mom
- ο αδερφός μου = my brother
In many contexts, especially in everyday speech, Greek prefers the article with family nouns and many other nouns.
Why is it δεν θέλει? Does θέλει mean wants or likes?