Η αναδοχή είναι προσωρινή.

Breakdown of Η αναδοχή είναι προσωρινή.

είμαι
to be
προσωρινός
temporary
η αναδοχή
fostering; foster care

Questions & Answers about Η αναδοχή είναι προσωρινή.

How do you pronounce Η αναδοχή είναι προσωρινή?

A natural pronunciation is:

ee a-na-do-KHEE EE-ne pro-so-ri-NEE

A slightly more detailed breakdown:

  • Η = ee
  • αναδοχή = a-na-do-KHEE
  • είναι = EE-ne
  • προσωρινή = pro-so-ri-NEE

Notes:

  • χ in αναδοχή is not like English h. It is a rough sound, like the ch in German Bach or Scottish loch.
  • The stressed syllables are shown by the accent marks:
    • αναδοχή
    • είναι
    • προσωρινή
What does Η mean at the beginning?

Η is the feminine singular definite article, so it means the.

Greek articles change depending on:

  • gender
  • number
  • case

Here, αναδοχή is a feminine singular noun, so it takes η.

So:

  • η αναδοχή = the foster care / fostering

In English, we do not always translate the literally in sentences like this, but in Greek the article is often required.

Why is αναδοχή feminine?

In Greek, every noun has a grammatical gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter.

αναδοχή happens to be a feminine noun. That is a grammar category, not a statement about biological sex.

Because it is feminine singular:

  • it takes the article η
  • any adjective describing it must also be feminine singular

That is why προσωρινή also has a feminine singular form.

What does είναι mean, and what form is it?

είναι means is here.

It is the 3rd person singular form of the verb είμαι = to be.

So:

  • είμαι = I am
  • είσαι = you are
  • είναι = he/she/it is

In this sentence:

  • Η αναδοχή είναι προσωρινή = Foster care is temporary

Greek does not need a separate word for it here, because the subject is already stated: η αναδοχή.

Why does προσωρινή end in ?

Because it must agree with αναδοχή.

Greek adjectives change form to match the noun they describe in:

  • gender
  • number
  • case

Since αναδοχή is feminine singular, the adjective is also feminine singular:

  • masculine: προσωρινός
  • feminine: προσωρινή
  • neuter: προσωρινό

So here:

  • η αναδοχή = feminine singular
  • προσωρινή = feminine singular

This agreement is very important in Greek.

Could I say Η αναδοχή είναι προσωρινός or προσωρινό instead?

No, not in standard Greek.

Because αναδοχή is feminine singular, the adjective must also be feminine singular:

  • correct: Η αναδοχή είναι προσωρινή
  • incorrect: Η αναδοχή είναι προσωρινός
  • incorrect: Η αναδοχή είναι προσωρινό

Using the wrong adjective ending sounds ungrammatical.

Is the word order fixed?

The normal, neutral order is:

Η αναδοχή είναι προσωρινή.

But Greek word order is more flexible than English, so other orders are possible for emphasis, for example:

  • Προσωρινή είναι η αναδοχή.

This can sound more emphatic, like It is temporary that foster care is / Foster care is temporary with stress on temporary.

For learners, the basic sentence order subject + verb + adjective/complement is the safest choice.

Do I always need είναι in a sentence like this?

In a normal full sentence, yes.

Greek usually keeps the verb είναι in standard statements like this:

  • Η αναδοχή είναι προσωρινή.

You may sometimes see the verb omitted in:

  • headings
  • slogans
  • notes
  • very compressed style

But for ordinary correct sentence building, learners should include είναι.

Why are there accent marks on είναι, αναδοχή, and προσωρινή?

The accent marks show which syllable is stressed.

  • αναδοχή
  • είναι
  • προσωρινή

Stress is important in Greek because it is a normal part of spelling and pronunciation. You should learn words with their accents.

If you leave accents out in informal typing, people may still understand you, but in correct written Greek they should be included.

Is αναδοχή just a regular noun here, or does it behave like an abstract idea?

It is a regular noun grammatically, but semantically it refers to a concept or institution: foster care / fostering.

Even though it is an abstract or general idea, Greek still treats it as a singular noun, so it takes:

  • singular article: η
  • singular verb: είναι
  • singular adjective: προσωρινή

So the structure is completely normal:

  • η
    • noun
  • είναι
  • adjective
Can Greek drop the article here and say just Αναδοχή είναι προσωρινή?

That would sound unnatural in most normal contexts.

Greek often uses the definite article with nouns in general statements, much more than English does. So:

  • natural: Η αναδοχή είναι προσωρινή.
  • less natural / unusual in isolation: Αναδοχή είναι προσωρινή.

For a learner, it is best to keep the article here.

What is the grammar pattern of this whole sentence?

The pattern is:

article + noun + verb to be + adjective

More specifically:

  • Η = definite article, feminine singular
  • αναδοχή = noun, feminine singular
  • είναι = verb, is
  • προσωρινή = adjective, feminine singular

So this is a very useful basic Greek sentence pattern:

The X is Y

  • Η αναδοχή είναι προσωρινή.

You can build many similar sentences with the same structure.

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