Ο σκύλος ξέφυγε από την αυλή.

ο is the masculine singular definite article, so it means the.

In this sentence:

• ο σκύλος = the dog

Greek articles change form depending on gender, number, and case, unlike English the, which always stays the same.

Greek often uses the definite article more regularly than English.

So:

• ο σκύλος = the dog
• σκύλος = dog / a dog in the right context

In a full sentence like this, using ο makes it clear that we are talking about the dog, a specific dog.

σκύλος is a masculine singular noun in the nominative case.

Why nominative? Because it is the subject of the sentence — the one doing the action.

So:

• ο σκύλος = the subject
• the dog is the one that escaped

The dictionary form is also σκύλος.

ξέφυγε means something like:

• escaped
• got away
• slipped away
• got out

In this sentence, Ο σκύλος ξέφυγε από την αυλή, it means the dog managed to get out or escape from the yard/courtyard.

Depending on context, ξεφεύγω / ξέφυγε can also mean things like:

• to escape from someone
• to avoid something
• to get out of control
• to slip someone’s mind

But here the physical meaning escaped / got out is the natural one.

ξέφυγε is the aorist form, which is commonly used in Greek for a completed event in the past.

So it means:

• the dog escaped
• the dog got away

It presents the action as a single whole event, not as an ongoing process.

Compare:

• ξέφυγε = it escaped / it got away
• ξέφευγε = it was escaping / it used to escape

So here Greek is simply reporting a past event.

Yes. It is related.

• φεύγω = I leave / I flee
• έφυγε = he/she/it left
• ξεφεύγω = I escape / get away
• ξέφυγε = he/she/it escaped / got away

The prefix ξε- often adds the idea of:

• getting out
• escaping
• coming loose
• moving away from a limit or control

So ξέφυγε is not just left, but more specifically escaped / got away.

από usually means from.

So:

• από την αυλή = from the yard / from the courtyard

It shows the place the dog escaped from.

Very literally:

• Ο σκύλος ξέφυγε από την αυλή.
• The dog escaped from the yard.

Because after από, Greek uses the accusative case.

So the noun phrase changes:

• η αυλή = the yard/courtyard (nominative)
• την αυλή = the yard/courtyard (accusative)

That is why the article is την, not η.

In this sentence:

• από την αυλή = from the yard

αυλή is in the accusative singular here.

You can tell from the article:

• η αυλή = nominative
• την αυλή = accusative

After από, Greek normally uses the accusative, so:

• από την αυλή = from the yard

αυλή usually means:

• yard
• courtyard

Depending on context, it can refer to:

• the open area around a house
• an enclosed yard
• a courtyard in front of or inside a building
• a schoolyard

So in this sentence, the yard is a very natural translation, though courtyard may also fit depending on the situation.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

• Ο σκύλος ξέφυγε από την αυλή
• o SKEE-los KSE-fi-ghe a-PO tin av-LEE

A few notes:

• σκ in σκύλος sounds like sk
• ξ sounds like ks
• γ before ε in ξέφυγε is a soft sound, somewhat like the y in some pronunciations, but not exactly; English speakers often approximate it
• the stress falls on:
  • σκύλος
  • ξέφυγε
  • από
  • αυλή

No, Greek word order is fairly flexible.

The neutral order here is:

• Ο σκύλος ξέφυγε από την αυλή.

But you might also hear:

• Ξέφυγε ο σκύλος από την αυλή.
• Από την αυλή ξέφυγε ο σκύλος.

These can change the emphasis or sound more natural in different contexts, but the basic meaning stays the same because the endings and articles show the grammatical roles.

Yes, that can work in English depending on context.

Possible translations include:

• The dog escaped from the yard.
• The dog got out of the yard.
• The dog ran away from the yard.

The most direct idea is that the dog was in the yard and then managed to get out.

Got out of the yard is often especially natural in everyday English.

Yes. Even though από is usually taught as from, in natural English this sentence may be translated as:

• The dog got out of the yard

That is because English often prefers out of when talking about escaping from an enclosed space.

So:

• Greek: από την αυλή
• natural English: from the yard or out of the yard

Both are fine, depending on style and context.

Because Greek verbs already contain person and number information.

ξέφυγε means:

• he escaped
• she escaped
• it escaped

The subject pronoun is usually omitted unless it is needed for emphasis or contrast.

Here the subject is already stated as:

• ο σκύλος

So there is no need to add a separate pronoun.

It breaks down like this:

• Ο σκύλος = the dog
• ξέφυγε = escaped / got away
• από την αυλή = from the yard

So the structure is:

subject + verb + prepositional phrase

That makes it a very useful model sentence for beginners.