Ο συμπαίκτης μου γελάει.

My teammate is laughing.

Breakdown of Ο συμπαίκτης μου γελάει.

• μου: my
• γελάω: to laugh
• ο συμπαίκτης: teammate

Questions & Answers about Ο συμπαίκτης μου γελάει.

Why is there ο at the beginning?

Ο is the masculine singular definite article, meaning the.

In this sentence, ο συμπαίκτης μου means my teammate, but Greek normally still uses the article, so literally it looks like the teammate of mine.

Here, ο tells you that:

• the noun is masculine
• it is singular
• it is the subject of the sentence

Why does Greek say ο συμπαίκτης μου instead of just the equivalent of my teammate without the?

That is just the normal Greek pattern. With possessive words like μου (my), Greek usually keeps the definite article:

• ο φίλος μου = my friend
• η αδερφή μου = my sister
• το σπίτι μου = my house

So ο συμπαίκτης μου is the standard way to say my teammate.

What exactly is μου doing here?

Μου means my, but grammatically it is really a weak genitive form, closer to of me.

So:

• ο συμπαίκτης μου = literally the teammate of me
• natural English: my teammate

In Greek, this little possessive word usually comes after the noun:

• η μητέρα μου = my mother
• ο δάσκαλός μου = my teacher