Articles

Small declinable words which go in front of nouns and adjectives are called articles. Greek has two types of articles: the definite (ο, η, το) and the indefinite articles (ένας, μία, ένα). Articles exist in all cases except the vocative.

DEFINITE ARITCLE

The definite articles are used when one speaks of a particular person, place or thing. For example, το σκυλί γαβγίζει.  The definite article declines as follows:

*Here you can find when to use this "ν."

** The article τες can take the place of τις, in verbal communication.

INDEFINITE ARITCLE

The indefinite article is used where one speaks about an indefinite, non-specific, first time-mentioning person, place or thing. There are no plural indefinite articles. The indefinite articles decline as such:

*Here you can find when to use this ν.

**The feminine indefinite articles can be accented in two places. In this case you choose which one to use, but the one in the brackets are less common but very much in use.  They are equally acceptable.

USE OF DEFINITE ARTICLES

1) The definite article marks the noun it modifies as specific or distinct from others of the same kind.  The definite article precedes the noun it modifies and agrees with the modified noun in gender, number and case. 

                        Η όμορφη κοπέλα είναι πλούσια.-The beautiful woman is wealthy.

It also modifies nouns used in a generic sense (referring to a group) and nouns denoting abstractions.

                        Ο άνθρωπος είναι λογικό ζώο.-Man is a logical animal
                        Μου αρέσει η μουσική.-I like music

Modern Greek uses the definite article before proper names and before nouns modified by demonstrative pronouns such as αυτός (this), τουτος (this here) and εκείνος (that) and by the possessive pronouns μου, σου etc.

                        Ο Μάρκος δούλευε στην Αμερική.-Mark worked in America
                        Η Αυστραλία είναι στην άλλη άκρη του κόσμου.-Australia is on the other side of the world
                        Αυτο το σπίτι δεν αξίζει τα λεφτά.-This house is not worth the money.

When a noun is modified by an attributive adjective, the article comes first.

                        Η καλή πεθερά.-The good mother-in-law

2) Besides modifying nouns, the definite article may also modify and normalize adjectives, participles, pronouns, verbs, uninflected words, phrases and sentences.

                        Οι πλούσοι γελάνε.-The wealthy people are laughing
                        Έχω δει τους άσχημους.-I have seen the/those ugly people.
                        Ξέρουν τα μέσα και τα έξω.-They know the ins and outs.
                        Το τι κάνουν, δε με νοιάζει.-What they do, I don’t care.

USE OF INDEFINITE ARTICLES

The indefinite articles do not exist in the vocative case or the plural number and hence only modifies singular nouns.  It precedes the noun it modifies and agrees with gender, number and case.

                        Με είδε μιας φίλης μου.-A friend of mine saw me.
                        Έχουμε μπελάδες.-We have troubles.

It does not occur with predicate nouns indicate profession, rank, nationality, religion etc.  It is also avoided before indefinite objects of verbs or objects of preposition.

                        Είμαι χειμικός.-I am a chemist.
                        Ένα από εσάς είναι φίδι.-One of you is a snake.
                        Θέλω νερό.-I want some water.

The indefinite article is identical to the cardinal number ‘one’ in Greek.

                        Είναι ένα πουλί.-It is a bird
                        ¨Ενα πουλί θέλω.-I want one bird.

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