Ο νικητής προηγήθηκε και κέρδισε έναν πόντο.

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Breakdown of Ο νικητής προηγήθηκε και κέρδισε έναν πόντο.

• ένας: one
• κερδίζω: to win
• ο νικητής: winner

Questions & Answers about Ο νικητής προηγήθηκε και κέρδισε έναν πόντο.

What does ο do in Ο νικητής?

Ο is the definite article meaning the.
Here it is masculine, singular, nominative, because νικητής is the subject of the sentence.

So:

• ο νικητής = the winner

The noun νικητής is also masculine singular nominative here.

What exactly does νικητής mean, and is it related to other Greek words?

Νικητής means winner.

It is related to the root νικ-, which has to do with victory or winning. For example:

• νίκη = victory
• νικητής = winner

So if you know one of these words, the others become easier to recognize.

What is the basic form of προηγήθηκε?

The dictionary form is προηγούμαι.

In this sentence, προηγήθηκε is the aorist form, so it means something like:

• went ahead
• took the lead
• moved in front

Depending on context, προηγούμαι can also mean come before / precede, but here the sports/game meaning take the lead fits naturally.

Why does προηγήθηκε look like a passive verb if the meaning is active?