Greek nouns are gendered and they are preceded by an article:
- definite ο, η, το (similar to "the")
- indefinite ένας, μια, ένα (similar to "a/an")
Articles are important and they should be used even in front of proper names of people, cities etc. However, there are cases where we shouldn't use articles at all.
When not to use articles:
- when we describe characteristics and features (e.g. professions, appearance)
- when we provide general information about specific people or circumstances
- when the meaning of the verb is incomplete without the noun
- when using noun+noun and noun + adjectival noun expressions
- when we talk about materials
- when we talk about content/quantity
- when we need to express a negative meaning
- in similes
Examples:
Η Άννα είναι γιατρός.
(Anna is a doctor.) (We talk about her profession, without providing any more details. The profession is the only information we provide.)
Η Άννα είναι η γιατρός που δουλεύει εδώ.
(The specific doector, none else.)
Το κουτάβι μου έχει καστανά μάτια.
(My puppy has brown eyes.) (We don't want to elaborate, but we also can't just say "My puppy has eyes"!)
Το κουτάβι μου έχει τα καστανά μάτια που είναι χαρακτηριστικά αυτής της ράτσας.
(Specific details about the eyes.)
Ζουν σε διαμέρισμα.
(They live in a flat.) (We don't describe the flat. We just say specify it's a flat and not a house or a hotel or a hut.)
Ζουν σε ένα διαμέρισμα στα προάστεια.
(Specific details about their flat.)
Πίνουμε τσάι.
(We are drinking tea.) (If we don't mention the tea (the noun), people will understand "alcohol". If we have to mention the tea (the noun) to get our meaning across, we don't use an article.)
Κάνουν θόρυβο.
(They make noise.) (The verb doesn't make sense on its own. They make/do what? We must mention "noise" (the noun). If we have to mention the noise (the noun) to get our meaning across, we don't use an article.)
Αγόρασα παπούτσια χορού.
(I bought shoes for dancing.) (Just like in "dance shoes" the noun "dance" describes "shoes", the noun "χορού" in «παπούτσια χορού» behaves as an adjective (adjectival noun) and doesn't take an article.
Observe the difference: «Φοράω παπούτσια χορού» (What type of shoes? I'm wearing dance shoes.) «Φοράω τα παπούτσια του χορού.» (Which one of my shoes? The dance shoes.)
Μια καρέκλα από ξύλο.
(A chair made of wood.) (We describe the materail without any other details about this material.)
Ένα ποτήρι νερό.
(A glass of water.) (We describe the content of the glass.)
Ένα λίτρο γάλα.
(One litre of milk.) (We define the quantity: how much milk.)
Δεν ήταν κανείς εκεί. Ούτε ψυχή.
(There was no one around. Not a soul.) (We describe what was not there: a soul.)
Δεν είπε λέξη.
(She didn't say a word.) (We describe what was not there: a word.)
Πεινάω σαν λύκος.
(Hungry like a wolf.) (A simile. The person is likened to a wolf. We use the noun metaphorically.)