Η πρώτη φάση αρχίζει.

• Η = the feminine singular form of the
• πρώτη = first in the feminine singular form
• φάση = phase
• αρχίζει = begins / is beginning / starts

So structurally it is:

• Η πρώτη φάση = the first phase
• αρχίζει = begins

Because φάση is a feminine noun, and in Greek the article and adjective must agree with the noun in:

• gender
• number
• case

Since φάση is feminine singular nominative, you need:

• η for the article
• πρώτη for the adjective

Compare:

• ο πρώτος = masculine
• η πρώτη = feminine
• το πρώτο = neuter

So η πρώτη φάση is the correct matching combination.

It is in the nominative case, because it is the subject of the sentence.

The thing doing the action of beginning is the first phase, so Greek uses the nominative:

• η πρώτη φάση = nominative subject

If the noun had a different role in the sentence, its case might change.

That ending shows that the adjective is agreeing with a feminine singular noun.

The adjective πρώτος / πρώτη / πρώτο changes form depending on the noun:

• πρώτος = masculine singular
• πρώτη = feminine singular
• πρώτο = neuter singular

Because φάση is feminine, Greek uses πρώτη.

αρχίζει is:

• present tense
• third person singular

It comes from the verb αρχίζω, meaning to begin / to start.

A quick mini-pattern:

• αρχίζω = I begin
• αρχίζεις = you begin
• αρχίζει = he/she/it begins

Here it matches the singular subject η πρώτη φάση.

It can mean either, depending on context.

Greek present tense often covers both:

• a simple present idea: begins
• a progressive idea: is beginning

So Η πρώτη φάση αρχίζει can naturally be understood as either:

• The first phase begins
• The first phase is beginning

The exact English choice depends on the wider context.

Because Greek often does not need subject pronouns when the verb ending already shows the person and number.

In English, you usually need a subject like it or she. In Greek, the verb ending in αρχίζει already tells you it is third person singular, and the noun η πρώτη φάση is already stated as the subject.

So adding a separate pronoun would usually be unnecessary.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

ee PRO-tee FA-see ar-HEE-zee

Notes:

• Η sounds like ee
• πρώτη is stressed on πρώ-
• φάση is stressed on φά-
• αρχίζει is stressed on -χί-

The letter χ in αρχίζει is not like English h exactly. It is a Greek sound pronounced further back in the mouth, somewhat like the ch in German Bach.

The accent marks show which syllable is stressed when you pronounce the word.

So:

• πρώτη → stress on the first syllable
• φάση → stress on the first syllable
• αρχίζει → stress on the middle syllable

Stress matters in Greek, both for correct pronunciation and sometimes for distinguishing forms.

Yes. φάση is the Greek word for phase, and it is clearly related to the English word.

That can make it easy to remember, but keep in mind:

• the pronunciation is Greek
• the grammatical behavior is Greek
• it is a feminine noun

So even if it looks familiar, you still need to learn how it behaves in Greek sentences.

Yes. Greek word order is often more flexible than English word order.

The neutral, straightforward order here is:

• Η πρώτη φάση αρχίζει

But Greek can sometimes move things around for emphasis, for example:

• Αρχίζει η πρώτη φάση

That still means the same basic thing, but the focus or rhythm may feel a little different. For a learner, Η πρώτη φάση αρχίζει is a very natural standard order.

Only when you need the definite article, meaning the.

So:

• η φάση = the phase
• φάση = phase in a more general or article-less use, depending on context

In this sentence, η is used because the phrase is talking about the first phase, a specific one.

The dictionary forms are:

• η is the feminine singular nominative form of the definite article
• πρώτος is the dictionary form of the adjective, meaning first
• φάση is the dictionary form of the noun
• αρχίζω is the dictionary form of the verb, meaning to begin / to start

This is useful because Greek dictionaries usually list:

• nouns in their basic singular form
• adjectives in the masculine form
• verbs in the I form, like αρχίζω