Questions & Answers about Η επιτροπή πήρε απόφαση.
What does each word in Η επιτροπή πήρε απόφαση mean?
- Η = the (feminine singular definite article)
- επιτροπή = committee
- πήρε = took / made in this context
- απόφαση = decision
So word-for-word, it is basically The committee took decision, but in natural English we say The committee made a decision or The committee took a decision.
Why is it Η επιτροπή and not Ο or Το επιτροπή?
Because επιτροπή is a feminine noun in Greek.
Greek nouns have grammatical gender, so the article must match:
- ο = masculine
- η = feminine
- το = neuter
Since επιτροπή is feminine singular, it takes η:
- η επιτροπή = the committee
What tense is πήρε?
Πήρε is the aorist form, which is the basic past tense in Greek for a completed action.
It comes from the verb παίρνω = to take.
Some key forms:
- παίρνω = I take / I am taking
- πήρα = I took
- πήρε = he/she/it took
So Η επιτροπή πήρε απόφαση means the committee took / made a decision as a completed event.
Why does πήρε look so different from παίρνω?
Because Greek verbs often change stem in the aorist.
Here:
- present: παίρνω
- aorist: πήρα
This is a very common kind of irregular change in Greek. So πήρε is simply the 3rd person singular form of that past-tense stem.
A quick pattern:
- πήρα = I took
- πήρες = you took
- πήρε = he/she/it took
- πήραμε = we took
- πήρατε = you (plural) took
- πήραν = they took
Why is there no word for a in πήρε απόφαση?
Because Greek does not use the indefinite article in exactly the same way English does.
In English, you normally say made a decision.
In Greek, it is very common to say simply:
- πήρε απόφαση
without adding a separate word for a.
You can also say:
- πήρε μια απόφαση = made a decision / made one decision
But without μια, the sentence is still completely natural. In expressions like this, Greek often leaves the indefinite idea unspoken.
Could I also say Η επιτροπή πήρε μια απόφαση?
Yes. That is perfectly possible.
The difference is roughly:
- πήρε απόφαση = a very natural, idiomatic way to say made a decision
- πήρε μια απόφαση = also made a decision, but with a slightly stronger sense of a / one particular decision
So both are correct, but πήρε απόφαση sounds very natural as a standard expression.
Why is it απόφαση and not something different for the object case?
Good question. Απόφαση here is the direct object of the verb, so it is in the accusative case.
For this noun:
- nominative: η απόφαση
- accusative: την απόφαση
Notice that the noun itself stays απόφαση. What usually shows the case more clearly is the article:
- η from nominative
- την in accusative
Since there is no article here, the form απόφαση looks the same.
Is πήρε απόφαση a set expression?
Yes, very much so.
Greek often uses παίρνω απόφαση literally take decision, just as English can say take a decision, although English more often says make a decision.
So this is a normal and idiomatic Greek expression:
- παίρνω απόφαση = make/take a decision
You should learn it as a common phrase, not just as random separate words.
Is the word order fixed?
No, Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.
The neutral, straightforward order here is:
- Η επιτροπή πήρε απόφαση.
But Greek can change word order for emphasis, for example:
- Απόφαση πήρε η επιτροπή.
- Πήρε απόφαση η επιτροπή.
These can all be grammatical, but the emphasis changes. For learners, the given order is the safest and most neutral one.
Why is the verb singular if committee can sometimes be plural in English?
Because in Greek, η επιτροπή is a singular noun, so it normally takes a singular verb:
- Η επιτροπή πήρε... = The committee took...
In English, especially British English, collective nouns sometimes take plural verbs:
- The committee have decided
But Greek usually treats επιτροπή grammatically as singular in a sentence like this.
How do I pronounce the sentence?
A simple pronunciation guide is:
- Η επιτροπή πήρε απόφαση
- ee ee-pee-tro-PEE PEE-re a-PO-fa-see
Main stress:
- επιτροπή
- πήρε
- απόφαση
More roughly in transliteration:
- i epitropí píre apófasi
Could I use another verb instead of πήρε?
Yes, depending on style.
A more formal alternative is:
- Η επιτροπή έλαβε απόφαση.
Here έλαβε is a more formal verb meaning received/took, and in this expression it means made/took a decision.
So:
- πήρε απόφαση = more everyday/common
- έλαβε απόφαση = more formal, often seen in official language
What is the dictionary form of απόφαση?
The dictionary form is:
- η απόφαση = decision
That is the nominative singular form, which is how Greek nouns are normally listed in dictionaries, together with the article so you know the gender.
So if you want to learn the noun properly, learn it as:
- η απόφαση
not just απόφαση
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