Η αλυσίδα είναι καθαρή.

to be

Breakdown of Η αλυσίδα είναι καθαρή.

• καθαρός: clean
• η αλυσίδα: chain

Questions & Answers about Η αλυσίδα είναι καθαρή.

Why is Η used at the beginning of the sentence?

Η is the feminine singular definite article in Greek, equivalent to the in English.

So:

• η αλυσίδα = the chain

Greek usually uses the definite article more regularly than English does, and here it is the normal way to say the chain.

Also note that Η is capitalized only because it is the first word of the sentence. In lowercase, it is η.

Why is αλυσίδα feminine?

In Greek, every noun has a grammatical gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter.
Αλυσίδα is a feminine noun, so it takes:

• the feminine article: η
• the feminine form of the adjective: καθαρή

This is grammatical gender, not biological gender. A thing like a chain can still be grammatically feminine.

Why does καθαρή end in -ή?