Questions & Answers about Η αποστράγγιση είναι σημαντική.
Why does the sentence start with Η?
Η is the feminine singular form of the definite article, basically the. Greek uses the definite article more often than English, including with abstract or general nouns, so Η αποστράγγιση is normal even if English might simply say drainage. It also tells you that the noun is feminine.
How do I know that αποστράγγιση is feminine?
You know from two clues here: the article Η and the adjective form σημαντική, both of which are feminine singular. Also, nouns ending in -ηση are very often feminine in Greek. Like many Greek nouns, its gender is something you learn together with the word.
Why is it σημαντική and not σημαντικός or σημαντικό?
Greek adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case. Since αποστράγγιση is feminine singular, the adjective must also be feminine singular: σημαντική. If the noun were masculine, you would use σημαντικός; if neuter, σημαντικό.
What exactly is είναι here?
Είναι is the present-tense form of είμαι, meaning to be. In this sentence it means is. A useful thing to know is that είναι is used for both third-person singular and third-person plural, so it can mean either is or are, depending on the subject.
Can Greek leave out είναι in a sentence like this?
In normal standard Greek, no: you would normally keep είναι. So Η αποστράγγιση είναι σημαντική is the standard form. Leaving it out would sound unusual in ordinary speech, though you might sometimes see omission in headlines, notes, or poetic style.
What case are the words in?
Η αποστράγγιση is in the nominative because it is the subject of the sentence. Σημαντική is also nominative because it is a predicate adjective after είναι. In other words, Greek is saying that the subject has the quality important, and the adjective matches the subject grammatically.
Why is there no article before σημαντική?
Because σημαντική is being used predicatively, not attributively. After είναι, Greek normally uses the adjective without an article: Η αποστράγγιση είναι σημαντική. If you put the article with the adjective, as in η σημαντική αποστράγγιση, that becomes a noun phrase meaning the important drainage, not a full statement saying that drainage is important.
Can I change the word order?
Yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English word order. The version you have, Η αποστράγγιση είναι σημαντική, is a neutral and very natural order. You could also say Σημαντική είναι η αποστράγγιση for emphasis, but that changes the focus rather than the basic meaning.
How is this sentence pronounced, and where does the stress go?
The written accents show you where the stress falls: αποστράγγιση, είναι, σημαντική. So the stressed syllables are στρά, εί, and κή. A rough English-style approximation is ee apo-STRA-ngyee-see EE-ne see-man-dee-KEE. Also, Η here is pronounced simply ee, not like English he.
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