How to Talk About Your Spouse and Children - Lesson Focus

Learn the key pattern to talk about your spouse and children

Vocabulary (Review)

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Lesson Transcript

Let's take a closer look at the conversation.

Do you remember how Anna-Maria Aslanidou asks,

"Is this your family?"

Anna-Αυτή είναι η οικογένειά σας; (Aftí íne i ikoyéniá sas?)

Let's start with the word οικογένεια (ikoyénia),"family." Οικογένεια. Οικογένεια.

In Greek, all nouns have grammatical gender. They also are either singular or plural and have a case that depends on the role they are playing in the sentence.

Οικογένεια is feminine and singular.

Here, οικογένεια (ikoyénia) is the subject of the sentence, so it appears as it would in the dictionary, also known as the nominative case.

Because of this, some other words in the sentence will also be feminine, singular, and in the nominative.

Before this is η (i). Think of it like "the" in English. Η. Η.

Η is also feminine singular, and in the nominative case to agree with οικογένεια (ikoyénia).

Note, Greek nouns often appear with the definite article, even when it does not have a corresponding English translation.

Next is σας (sas), "your," in formal situations. Σας. Σας.

Now, you might be more familiar with σου (su), an informal word for "your," as in η οικογένειά σου, "your family (informal)." As this is a conversation between two adults that don't know each other very well, the formal form, σας (sas), is more appropriate.

Together it's η οικογένειά σας (i ikoyéniá sas), literally, "family your," but translating as “your family.”

Note, there are two stress marks on the word meaning "family."

This phenomenon happens when a Greek word is accented on the third-to-last syllable, and is followed by a weak form of the pronouns, such as σας (sas) in our example here.

Moving to the start of the sentence, αυτή (aftí), "this." Αυτή. Αυτή.

Note: αυτή (aftí) is feminine singular, and in the nominative case to agree with οικογένεια (ikoyénia).

Next is είναι (íne), "is," as in "this is..." Είναι. Είναι.

Είναι is from the verb είμαι (íme), the dictionary form of the verb "to be." Είμαι.

All together, it's Αυτή είναι η οικογένειά σας; (Aftí íne i ikoyéniá sas?) This literally means "This is family your," But it translates as "Is this your family?"

Anna-Αυτή είναι η οικογένειά σας; (Aftí íne i ikoyéniá sas?)

Let's take a closer look at the response.

Do you remember how Karen says,

"Yes. This is my family: my husband, my son, my daughter, and me."

Ναι. Αυτή είναι η οικογένειά μου: ο σύζυγός μου, ο γιος μου, η κόρη μου και εγώ. (Ne. Aftí íne i ikoyéniá mu: o sízigós mu, o yos mu, i kóri mu ke egó.)

This starts with the expression, ναι (ne), meaning "yes." Ναι. Ναι.

It answers Anna-Maria's yes-or-no question, "Is this your family?" Αυτή είναι η οικογένειά σας; (Aftí íne i ikoyéniá sas?)

After this, Karen points to the picture, and says, αυτή είναι η οικογένειά μου (aftí íne i ikoyéniá mu).

Let's start with the phrase η οικογένειά μου (i ikoyéniá mu), "my family." Η οικογένειά μου.

Οικογένεια (ikoyénia), "family." Οικογένεια.

Do you remember the gender and number of οικογένεια (ikoyénia)?

Feminine and singular.

Also here, οικογένεια (ikoyénia) is in the nominative case.

Because of this, some other words in the sentence will also be feminine, singular, and in the nominative.

Next is μου (mu), "my." Mου. Mου.

Together, οικογένειά μου, "my family." Οικογένειά μου.

Before this is η (i). Think of it like "the" in English. Η. Η.

Η is feminine singular, and in the nominative case to agree with οικογένεια.

Note, in this phrase, the article η does not have a corresponding English translation.

All together it's η οικογένειά μου (i ikoyéniá mu). "My family." η οικογένειά μου.

Moving to the start of the sentence, αυτή (aftí), "this." Αυτή.

Note: αυτή (aftí) is feminine singular, and in the nominative case to agree with οικογένεια (ikoyénia).

Next is είναι (íne), "is," as in "this is..." Είναι.

Together it's αυτή είναι η οικογένειά μου (aftí íne i ikoyéniá mu). "This is my family." Αυτή είναι η οικογένειά μου (aftí íne i ikoyéniá mu).

After this is ο σύζυγός μου (o sízigós mu), "my husband." Ο σύζυγός μου.

Let's start with σύζυγος (sízigos), literally, “spouse,” but translates as "husband," in this context. Σύζυγος. Σύζυγος.

Σύζυγος is masculine singular, and in the nominative case.

Next is μου (mu), "my." Mου. Mου.

Together σύζυγός μου (sízigós mu), "my husband." σύζυγός μου.

Before this is ο (o). Think of it like "the" in English. Ο. Ο.

Ο is masculine singular, and in the nominative case to agree with σύζυγος.

Note, in this phrase, the article ο does not have a corresponding English translation.

All together it's ο σύζυγός μου (i sízigós mu), "my husband." Ο σύζυγός μου.

Note, there are two stress marks on the word meaning "husband."

This happens when a word is accented on the third-to-last syllable and is followed by a weak pronoun or possessive adjective, such as μου (mu).

Next is ο γιος μου (o yos mu), "my son." Ο γιος μου.

Let's start with γιος (yos), "son." Γιος. Γιος.

Γιος is masculine singular, and in the nominative case.

Next is μου (mu), "my."

Together γιος μου (yos mu), "my son." Γιος μου.

Before this is ο (o). Think of it like "the" in English. Ο.

Ο is masculine singular, and in the nominative case to agree with γιος.

Again, in this phrase, the article ο does not have a corresponding English translation.

All together it's ο γιος μου (o yos mu), "my son." Ο γιος μου.

Next is η κόρη μου (i kóri mu), "my daughter." Η κόρη μου.

Let's start with κόρη (kóri), "daughter." Κόρη. Κόρη.

Κόρη is feminine singular, and in the nominative case.

Next is μου (mu), "my."

Together it's κόρη μου (kóri mu), "my daughter." κόρη μου.

Before this is η (i). Think of it like "the" in English. Η. Again, there is no corresponding English translation in this phrase.

Η is feminine singular, and in the nominative case to agree with κόρη.

All together it's η κόρη μου (i kóri mu), "my daughter." Η κόρη μου.

Next is και (ke), "and." Και. Και.

And last is εγώ (egó), which translates as "me" in this context. Εγώ. Εγώ.

All together, Ναι. Αυτή είναι η οικογένειά μου: ο σύζυγός μου, ο γιος μου, η κόρη μου και εγώ. (Ne. Aftí íne i ikoyéniá mu: o sízigós mu, o yos mu, i kóri mu ke egó.)

"Yes. This is my family: my husband, my son, my daughter, and me."

The pattern is

Αυτή είναι η οικογένειά μου: FAMILY MEMBER μου, FAMILY MEMBER μου, FAMILY MEMBER μου και εγώ. (Aftí íne i ikoyéniá mu: FAMILY MEMBER mu, FAMILY MEMBER mu, FAMILY MEMBER mu ke egó.)

This is my family: my FAMILY MEMBER, my FAMILY MEMBER, my FAMILY MEMBER, and me.

To use this pattern, simply replace the FAMILY MEMBER placeholders with the members of your family.

Note: the placeholders require nouns preceded by the corresponding definite article.

Imagine your family members are your wife, your son, your daughter, and you.

As we mentioned before, σύζυγος (sízigos) literally means, “spouse,” so it can mean also "wife."

”Wife" is η σύζυγός (i sízigós). Η σύζυγός.

Say

"This is my family: my wife, my son, my daughter, and me."

Ready?

Αυτή είναι η οικογένειά μου: η σύζυγός μου, ο γιος μου, η κόρη μου και εγώ. (Aftí íne i ikoyéniá mu: i sízigós mu, o yos mu, i kóri mu ke egó.)

"This is my family: my wife, my son, my daughter, and me."

Σύζυγος means spouse. The article it appears with will indicate whether it means “husband” or “wife.”

ο σύζυγος. “Husband.” ο σύζυγος.

η σύζυγος (i sízigos). “Wife.” η σύζυγος.

In this lesson, you learned two relatively formal words for husband and wife.

Ο σύζυγος (o sízigos) and η σύζυγος (i sízigos).

In less formal situations, the following words are commonly used:

Ο άντρας (o ándras), "husband." Ο άντρας. Ο άντρας.

Η γυναίκα (i yinéka), "wife." Η γυναίκα. Η γυναίκα.

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