Η πινακίδα κυκλοφορίας είναι καθαρή.

to be

Breakdown of Η πινακίδα κυκλοφορίας είναι καθαρή.

• καθαρός: clean
• η πινακίδα κυκλοφορίας: licence plate

Questions & Answers about Η πινακίδα κυκλοφορίας είναι καθαρή.

Why does the sentence start with Η?

Η is the feminine singular definite article in the nominative case, so here it means the.

It matches πινακίδα, which is a feminine singular noun:

• η πινακίδα = the plate / the sign

In Greek, articles are used very often, more often than in English in some contexts.

Why is it πινακίδα κυκλοφορίας and not just πινακίδα?

Because πινακίδα by itself is a general word meaning sign, plate, or plaque, depending on context.

πινακίδα κυκλοφορίας is a fixed expression meaning license plate / number plate.

Literally, it is something like:

• πινακίδα = plate/sign
• κυκλοφορίας = of circulation / of traffic / for road use

So the whole phrase identifies the specific kind of plate.

Why is κυκλοφορίας in that form?

κυκλοφορίας is in the genitive singular.

This is very common in Greek when one noun defines another noun, similar to English of ...:

• πινακίδα κυκλοφορίας = plate of circulation/traffic → license plate

The base noun is κυκλοφορία:

• nominative: η κυκλοφορία
• genitive: της κυκλοφορίας

So here Greek uses a noun + genitive structure instead of an adjective.