Genetive case [help]

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ahmed_crow
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Genetive case [help]

Postby ahmed_crow » 2017-05-13, 16:54

I'm trying to learn Greek online, I found that we can make the possession form like "Jack's hand" "hand of Jack" by definite articles in Greek, is this the only way we can make possession forms in Greek ? Can we make it with the indefinite articles ? Can we make it without articles, just with the genitive case ?

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Re: Genetive case [help]

Postby Multiturquoise » 2017-05-13, 17:38

ahmed_crow wrote:I'm trying to learn Greek online, I found that we can make the possession form like "Jack's hand" "hand of Jack" by definite articles in Greek, is this the only way we can make possession forms in Greek ? Can we make it with the indefinite articles ? Can we make it without articles, just with the genitive case ?


You can't make it without articles if the noun is definite.
You can make it with indefinite articles if the noun is indefinite.

Το χέρι του Γιάννη
Το χέρι ενός παιδιού
Έλεγχος διαβατηρίων
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Re: Genetive case [help]

Postby ahmed_crow » 2017-05-13, 17:48

Do you mean this form is wrong:
Το χέρι Γιάννη

Is that right that I can't use genitives without articles if it's singular ?

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Re: Genetive case [help]

Postby md0 » 2017-05-14, 6:36

Hello Ahmed,

yes, "Το χέρι Γιάννη" is not acceptable. We wouldn't say it.

As Elaine wrote, to make a genitive without articles, you need both nouns to be indefinite. Also, this kind of genitive works like an adjective, it specifies the first noun, instead of showing who owns it.

Additional examples:
αγώνας δρόμου (road race)
σήμα κινδύνου (danger sign)
λεξικό συνωνύμων (synonyms dictionary)
"If you like your clause structure, you can keep your clause structure"
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Re: Genetive case [help]

Postby ahmed_crow » 2017-05-14, 18:24

Thank you very much, it's more clear now


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