Whenever we see two related nouns, the second one must be either in the accusative or in the genitive.
It is important to know which one, because the meaning changes.
ένα ποτήρι νερό – a glass of water (content) (accusative)
ένα ποτήρι νερού – a water glass (made for this) (genitive)
In this lesson we will explore the noun + noun in the genitive
The genitive case has lots of functions. For the purpose of this lesson, we will summarize them as follows:
– ownership
– characteristics
Examples
Τα κλειδιά του αυτοκινήτου – the car keys
Τα ρούχα της δουλειάς – the work clothes
Το πρόγραμμα της τηλεόρασης – the TV programme
Τα γυαλιά ηλίου – the sunglasses
Η πόρτα του σπιτιού – the house door
Τα παπούτσια του χορού – the dance shoes
Ο χώρος εργασίας – the workspace
Note:
The “important” noun is mentioned first.
In Greek, the literal structure is “a key of/for the car”.