Zero article. When not to use articles in Greek.

Zero article. When not to use articles in Greek.

Lesson 53.

In the last lesson we learnt when we use the definite and when we use the indefinite articles in Greek. Today we will talk about the zero article. We will learn when we don’t use articles in Greek.

1.We will repeat two of the rules we’ve learnt in the last lesson. While we use the definite article before proper names, Ο Γιώργος και η Μαρία είναι στο σχολείο./ George and Maria are at school, Είμαι η Ζωή./ I am Zoi, we don’t use articles when we use the following ways to say our name:

Με λένε Ζωή.

Το όνομά μου είναι Ζωή.

Λέγομαι Ζωή.

Ονομάζομαι Ζωή. (Υou can find 4 ways to say your name in Greek in a previous lesson).

2.Also, we don’t use articles before a proper name or generally before a noun in Vocative case, so when we talk to someone or something directly.

Γιάννη, έλα./ John come.

Παιδιά, μην κάνετε φασαρία./ Children, don’t make noise.

There are two nouns in the last sentence. The first one is the neuter noun “ το παιδί/the child” in Vocative Plural, so we can not use article before this noun. The second is the feminine noun “η φασαρία/the noise”. As you can see there is not article before this noun too. So let’s see the third rule.

3.We don’t use articles before a noun which goes together with a verb and the two words make together a phrase.

Κάνω φασαρία/I make noise. There is also the verb θορυβώ/I make noise, but we usually use the verb κάνω/I make/I do and then the feminine noun φασαρία without article.

Let’s see more examples:

 κάνω εμετό/I vomit. Again before the masculine noun ο εμετός/the vomit we don’t use article.

Κάνω ποδήλατο/I cycle/I ride a bicycle

Κάνω δίαιτα: I am on a diet

Βλέπω τηλεόραση: I watch TV

Παίζω πιάνο: I play the piano

Παίζω κιθάρα: I play the guitar

An article before the noun can change completely the meaning of the sentence. For example, when we say βλέπω τηλεόραση, we mean I watch movies, programs shown on the TV. If we use the definite article before the noun, βλέπω την τηλεόραση, we mean “I see the device”. Also when you describe a picture you can use the indefinite article: Βλέπω μια τηλεόραση, ένα τραπέζι…./I see a television, a table…

4. We don’t use articles when we answer to the question “Τι δουλειά κάνεις; / what do you do for a living?” To answer to this question we use the verb (εγώ) είμαι/I am and then a noun in Nominative.

Είμαι καθηγήτρια./I am a teacher

Είμαι γιατρός./I am a doctor

Είμαι μαθητής./I am a student

Also  we don’t use articles when we answer to the question “Τι θα γίνεις όταν μεγαλώσεις;/what are you going to be when you grow up?”

Όταν μεγαλώσω θα γίνω τραγουδίστρια./when I grow up I will be a singer.

5. We don’t use articles after the preposition από when we use the preposition to talk about the material of which is constructed something.

Αγόρασα ένα τραπέζι από ξύλο καρυδιάς./ I bought a walnut table.

Ξύλο καρυδιάς/ wood of walnut . Τhere are here two nouns. We don’t use article before the first one because we use it after the preposition από to show the table’s material but as you can see we don’t use article before the second noun as well. So the sixth rule is that we don’t use articles when we use two nouns together and we use the second noun to describe the first noun, we use the first noun to give information about the use of the second noun. The second noun is in Genitive.

For example τα γυαλιά ηλίου: sunglasses.

Τα γυαλιά μυωπίας/ myopic glasses

Ο οίκος ευγηρίας/ home for the aged/nursing home

Το κέντρο αποτοξίνωσης/ rehab

Η έξοδος κινδύνου/emergency exit

7. We don’t use aricles after the word σαν/like/as when the following noun is in Nominative. We mainly use the word σαν with a noun in nominative in similes. For example:

Πεινάω σαν λύκος./I am hungry as a wolf.

Είναι πονηρή σαν αλεπού/ She is sly as a fox.

 Περπατάς σαν χελώνα/You walk as a turtle.

Of course we can use article after the word σαν but in this case the article and the noun should be in Accusative.

8. We don’t use article when we describe a person, when we describe his or her appearance. For example: Ο Γιώργος έχει μαύρα μάτια./George has black eyes.

Η Μαρία έχει ξανθά μαλλιά./ Maria has blond/fair hair.

Ο Δημήτρης φοράει γυαλιά./ Dimitris wears glasses.    

9. We don’t use articles after the pronouns:

Κάποιος-κάποια-κάποιο/someone, somebody, a certain,

Κανένας-καμία-κανένα/nobody, no one

 όποιος – όποια- όποιο/whoever, whichever

 μερικοί-μερικές-μερικά / some, a few.

Κάποια προβλήματα δεν έχουν λύση./ Some problems do not have a solution.

Κανένα παιδί δεν ήρθε στο πάρτι μου./ Νo kids came to my party.

Διάλεξε όποιο φόρεμα θέλεις./ Choose whichever/ any dress you want.

Μερικές φορές νομίζω ότι τον αγαπώ./ Sometimes I think that I love you.