Ο άντρας στέκεται ακίνητος εδώ.

Breakdown of Ο άντρας στέκεται ακίνητος εδώ.

εδώ
here
ο άντρας
the man
στέκομαι
to stand
ακίνητος
motionless; still

Questions & Answers about Ο άντρας στέκεται ακίνητος εδώ.

Why is it ο άντρας and not just άντρας?

ο is the masculine singular definite article, meaning the.

So:

  • ο άντρας = the man
  • άντρας = a man / man depending on context

Greek often uses the definite article very regularly, so seeing ο before a noun is extremely common.

What case is άντρας, and why does it end in ?

άντρας is in the nominative singular, because it is the subject of the sentence.

The ending is a very common marker of masculine nominative singular nouns in Greek.

Here:

  • ο άντρας = the subject, the man

If the noun had another role in the sentence, its form might change.

Why is there an accent in άντρας?

The accent shows which syllable is stressed in pronunciation.

  • άντρας is stressed on the first syllable: AN-dras

Written accents are important in Greek, because they are part of standard spelling and help show pronunciation.

What does στέκεται mean exactly?

στέκεται comes from the verb στέκομαι, which usually means:

  • to stand
  • to be standing
  • sometimes to stop and stand

In this sentence, it means that the man is standing.

Greek often uses the present tense here where English might say either:

  • stands
  • is standing

depending on context.

Why does the verb end in -εται?

στέκεται is the third person singular present form of στέκομαι.

So it means:

  • he/she/it stands
  • he/she/it is standing

Many Greek verbs have forms like this in -μαι in the dictionary form and -εται in the third person singular.

For this verb:

  • στέκομαι = I stand / I am standing
  • στέκεται = he/she/it stands / is standing

Even though the endings may look passive to an English speaker, verbs like στέκομαι are often just normal active-meaning verbs in Modern Greek.

Why is it ακίνητος and not ακίνητα or ακίνητη?

ακίνητος is an adjective meaning motionless / still.

It changes form to match the noun it describes. Since άντρας is:

  • masculine
  • singular
  • nominative

the adjective must also be:

  • masculine
  • singular
  • nominative

So:

  • ακίνητος = masculine singular
  • ακίνητη = feminine singular
  • ακίνητο = neuter singular

Because it describes ο άντρας, ακίνητος is the correct form.

Why is ακίνητος in the sentence if English might just say The man is standing here?

Because Greek is explicitly adding the idea motionless / still.

So the sentence is not only saying that the man is standing here, but that he is standing here without moving.

That adjective adds extra description to the subject while linked through the verb.

Is ακίνητος an adjective or an adverb here?

It is an adjective, not an adverb.

It describes the man, not the action directly.

So the structure is like:

  • The man is motionless here
  • or The man stands motionless here

Since it agrees with άντρας, that shows it is an adjective.

If Greek wanted a pure adverbial idea like motionlessly, it would be expressed differently.

Why is the word order στέκεται ακίνητος εδώ? Could εδώ go somewhere else?

Yes, Greek word order is more flexible than English.

This sentence uses a natural, neutral order:

  • Ο άντρας στέκεται ακίνητος εδώ.

But Greek could also say things like:

  • Ο άντρας εδώ στέκεται ακίνητος.
  • Εδώ ο άντρας στέκεται ακίνητος.

These can sound slightly different in emphasis, but the core meaning stays similar.

The version you have is very natural and straightforward.

What exactly does εδώ mean?

εδώ means here.

It indicates location near the speaker or the relevant point of reference.

So:

  • εδώ = here

In this sentence, it tells you where the man is standing.

Can στέκεται mean both stands and is standing?

Yes.

The Greek present tense often covers both:

  • a simple present meaning: stands
  • a progressive meaning: is standing

Which English translation sounds best depends on context.

So Ο άντρας στέκεται ακίνητος εδώ could be understood as:

  • The man stands motionless here
  • The man is standing motionless here
How is the sentence pronounced?

A rough pronunciation is:

  • o AN-dras STE-ke-te a-KI-ni-tos e-THO

A few notes:

  • ο sounds like o
  • άντρας has the stress on AN
  • στέκεται has the stress on STE
  • ακίνητος has the stress on KI
  • εδώ has the stress on the second syllable, roughly e-THO in standard Modern Greek pronunciation

The Greek δ in εδώ sounds like the th in this, not the English d.

Why doesn’t Greek use a separate word for is here?

Because στέκεται already contains the full verbal meaning.

English often uses:

  • is standing

But Greek can express that with one verb form:

  • στέκεται

So you do not need a separate word for is in this sentence.

Could this sentence also mean The husband stands motionless here?

Usually ο άντρας means the man, but in some contexts άντρας can also mean husband.

However, without context, the normal reading is:

  • the man

If the surrounding conversation were about marriage or family relationships, husband could become possible.

Is this a complete natural sentence in Greek?

Yes. It is completely natural and grammatical.

It has:

  • a subject: Ο άντρας
  • a verb: στέκεται
  • a descriptive adjective: ακίνητος
  • a place word: εδώ

So it works as a full sentence on its own.

AI Language TutorTry it ↗
Your avatar
What's the best way to learn Greek grammar?
Greek grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Greek

Master Greek — from Ο άντρας στέκεται ακίνητος εδώ to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • AI tutor to answer your grammar questions