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- "Ο άντρας φοβάται το θάνατο."
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Could we have a comment from those with a child in a Greek δημοτικό regarding the rule of dropping the final ν before certain letters? In a discussion on the Greek to English course the consensus seemed to be that in the latest ruling the ν in τον should never be dropped because of a possible confusion with το ( neuter) .
Here is the Greek language book of the sixth grade of δημοτικό: τον always keeps the -ν. The problem is that the basic Greek sentences cannot be changed right now, it's something to be done after beta.
Many thanks Troll, I like it, it saves me trying to remember that list of consonants at least in the case of τον.
Well, you will have to remember them for την... :/ κ,π,τ,ψ,ξ,γκ,γγ,μπ,ντ are the consonants of κάποτε ψάξε and all double consonants. It's not hard!
That's a great hint, either search sometimes or καπότε ψάξε, No more excuses!
It would help if you put in the comments what is going to be the correct sentences after beta. Then I won't have to unlearn so much in the future. For instance, this one should really read: "Ο άντρας φοβάται τον θάνατο." Is that right?
johndelaroo, thank you so much for bringing up this mistake. The "ν" should never be dropped before consonants when it refers to a masculine accusative. The issue of dropping the "ν" only applies to feminine accusative. This first Duo beta course was not edited properly.
Is the verb φοβάται introduced here actually in passive voice (somewhat like the English "is scared by...") or is it a deponent verb like κοιμάμαι?
From what I have learned, there are exactly four verbs in -άμαι, and they are all deponent:
- φοβάμαι "be afraid"
- λυπάμαι "be sorry"
- κοιμάμαι "sleep"
- θυμάμαι "remember"
To which one might add εξαρτώμαι, usually seen in the third person εξαρτάται (από) "depends (on)".
What about κάθομαι? I see the stress is different, but the ending seems to be similar. Is it not a deponent but a passive? Does it derive from 'to be set down'? Are there other verbs in this category?
What about κάθομαι? I see the stress is different, but the ending seems to be similar.
Yes, it's similar. There are lots of verbs in -ομαι and accented on the antepenult (third syllable from the end).
Most of them are passive; a number of them (including κάθομαι) are deponent.
There are also quite a number of passive verbs in -ιέμαι. But -ούμαι, -ώμαι, -άμαι are rarer, with only four in the last category that I know of -- which are, however, all fairly useful verbs.
In English, "death" is usually an abstract noun and does not take a definite article.
In English it does. But in Greek I thought "Ο άντρας" means both "man" in the generic sense of "humans, people" and meant a specific person "the man" (who has likely been mentioned before). Are you saying that in this sentence the Greek can only have the specific meaning "The man fears death."? Then how would Greek express the generic sense?
Άντρας only means man in the sense of human male. Therefore, άντρες means "men, humans of male gender". People, humans in general is άνθρωποι.
Man fears death=ο άνθρωπος φοβάται τον θάνατο.
