Linking words and word order · Greek grammar A1

And, or, but: joining words with και, ή, αλλά, όμως#

Και (“and”), ή (“or”), αλλά and όμως (“but”) are used to link words or clauses and take no endings.

Η Άννα κι εγώ πάμε στη θάλασσα.Anna and I are going to the sea.
Πάμε με το λεωφορείο ή με το ταξί;Shall we go by bus or by taxi?
Το ξενοδοχείο είναι ωραίο, αλλά είναι ακριβό.The hotel is nice, but it's expensive.
Ο Νίκος όμως δεν ήρθε.Nikos, however, didn't come.

Use

Ή (“or”) is used to offer a choice: Νερό ή κρασί; (“Water or wine?”)
Before a vowel, και (“and”) is often shortened to κι, written with no apostrophe: εγώ κι εσύ (“you and I”).
Αλλά and όμως both mean “but, however”.
Αλλά is placed first in its clause; όμως first, after the first word or phrase, or last.

Common mistakes

~~Τσάι η καφέ;~~ → Τσάι ή καφέ;Or is written ή, with an accent, unlike the article η.
~~εγώ κ' εσύ~~ → εγώ κι εσύThe short form κι is written with no apostrophe.

Remember

Use και for “and”, and often κι before a vowel: εγώ κι εσύ (“you and I”).
Write “or” with an accent: Τσάι ή καφέ; (“Tea or coffee?”)
Use αλλά or όμως for “but”: Είναι ωραίο, αλλά είναι ακριβό. (“It's nice, but it's expensive.”)

You now know how to link words and clauses with και, ή, αλλά and όμως.

Practise

“Linking words and word order”, και, ή, αλλά, όμως

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Because, when, that: joining clauses with γιατί, όταν, ότι#

Γιατί or επειδή (“because”), όταν (“when”) and ότι (“that”) are used to join a second clause to a sentence.

Δεν πάω στη θάλασσα γιατί είμαι κουρασμένος.I'm not going to the sea because I'm tired.
Όταν βρέχει, μένουμε στο σπίτι.When it rains, we stay at home.
Ξέρω ότι ο Κώστας είναι στο γραφείο.I know Kostas is at the office.
Ο Νίκος λέει ότι η τράπεζα ανοίγει στις εννιά.Nikos says the bank opens at nine.

Use

Επειδή and γιατί both mean because.
Όταν (“when”) is used to link two actions in time in a statement.
In a question, when? is πότε; πότε is also used after ξέρω or ρωτάω, in an indirect question: Δεν ξέρω πότε έρχεται. (“I don't know when he is coming.”)

After a verb

Ότι (“that”) is used after verbs such as λέω, ξέρω, σκέφτομαι, before what someone says, knows or thinks.
Written with no accent, πως has the same meaning as ότι.
After θέλω, the second verb is introduced by να, not by ότι: Θέλω να φύγω. (“I want to leave.”)

Difference from English

English uses why in the question and because in the answer. Greek uses γιατί, with the same accent, for both: Γιατί; Γιατί είμαι κουρασμένος. (“Why? Because I'm tired.”)

Common mistakes

~~Πότε ήρθε ο Νίκος, φύγαμε.~~ → Όταν ήρθε ο Νίκος, φύγαμε.English when is both a question word and a link between clauses; in a statement, Greek uses όταν.
~~Ξέρω ο Κώστας είναι εδώ.~~ → Ξέρω ότι ο Κώστας είναι εδώ.English often leaves out that; after ξέρω, ότι is kept.
~~Θέλω πάω.~~ → Θέλω να πάω.English to go has no Greek counterpart; after θέλω, the second verb is introduced by να.

Remember

Use γιατί for “why” and for “because”: Δεν έρχομαι γιατί δουλεύω. (“I'm not coming because I'm working.”)
Use όταν in a statement and πότε in a question: Πότε έρχεσαι; (“When are you coming?”)
Keep ότι after λέω or ξέρω: Ξέρω ότι είναι εδώ. (“I know he is here.”)

You now know how to give a reason, link two actions in time and report what someone says or knows.

Practise

“Linking words and word order”, Why and because: γιατί “Linking words and word order”, When: όταν or πότε “Linking words and word order”, Saying that: ότι after λέω, νομίζω, ξέρω

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Where, when, how much: adverbs of place, time and quantity#

Most place words are followed by σε or από; the adverbs of time and quantity are used alone.

Το κινητό σου είναι πάνω στο κρεβάτι.Your mobile is on the bed.
Η τράπεζα είναι απέναντι από το ξενοδοχείο.The bank is opposite the hotel.
Ο σκύλος κοιμάται κάτω από την καρέκλα.The dog is sleeping under the chair.
Πριν από τρεις μέρες ήμουν στη Θεσσαλονίκη.Three days ago I was in Thessaloniki.
Η Ελένη διαβάζει πολύ και κοιμάται λίγο.Eleni reads a lot and sleeps little.

Formation

Εδώ (“here”) and εκεί (“there”) are used alone.
Some place words are followed by σε, joined to the article. These are πάνω σε (on), μέσα σε (in, inside), κοντά σε (near) and ανάμεσα σε (between).
Other place words are followed by από: κάτω από (under), πίσω από (behind) and μπροστά από (in front of). Έξω από (outside), μακριά από (far from) and απέναντι από (opposite) are built the same way.
After από, the noun is in the accusative: κάτω από τον πίνακα (“under the board”).

σε	από
πάνω στο τραπέζι	κάτω από το τραπέζι
μέσα στο κουτί	έξω από το κουτί
κοντά στον σταθμό	μακριά από τον σταθμό
	μπροστά από / πίσω από το σπίτι

Time and frequency

The adverbs of time τώρα, σήμερα, αύριο, απόψε, νωρίς, αργά mean now, today, tomorrow, tonight, early and late.
For the past, χθες (also χτες), προχθές (the day before yesterday) and πέρσι (last year) are used.
Πριν από and a length of time mean “ago”: πριν από δύο μέρες.
Πάντα, συχνά, μερικές φορές, ποτέ (always, often, sometimes, never) are used to say how often something happens.

Quantity

Πολύ (a lot), λίγο (a little) and πάρα πολύ (very much) are placed after the verb.
Μόνο (only) is placed before the word it limits: Πίνω μόνο νερό. (“I only drink water.”)

Difference from English

English ago follows the length of time (two days ago); Greek πριν από comes before it: πριν από δύο μέρες.

Common mistakes

~~Το βιβλίο είναι πάνω από το τραπέζι.~~ → Το βιβλίο είναι πάνω στο τραπέζι.On is πάνω σε; πάνω από means “above”.
~~κάτω από ο πίνακας~~ → κάτω από τον πίνακαAfter από, the noun is in the accusative.

Remember

Use πάνω σε for “on”: Το κλειδί είναι πάνω στο τραπέζι. (“The key is on the table.”)
Put the noun after από in the accusative: πίσω από το σπίτι (“behind the house”).
Put πριν από before the length of time: πριν από μια ώρα (“an hour ago”).

You now know how to say where something is, when it happens, how often and how much.

Practise

“Linking words and word order”, Place words: εδώ, εκεί, πάνω σε, μέσα σε, κοντά σε “Linking words and word order”, Place words with από: κάτω από, πίσω από, μακριά από

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Asking and telling: word order in questions and statements#

In Greek, the verb often comes before a noun subject, and a question has no auxiliary like English do.

Τι ώρα ανοίγει το μουσείο;What time does the museum open?
Το Σάββατο έρχονται οι γονείς μου.My parents are coming on Saturday.
Κάθε πρωί πίνω έναν καφέ.I have a coffee every morning.

Formation

In a question, the question word is placed first and the verb directly after it.
In a question, a noun subject usually follows the verb: Πού δουλεύει η αδερφή σου; (“Where does your sister work?”)
In a statement, the subject often follows the verb, especially after a time or place word: Αύριο έρχεται ο Νίκος. (“Nikos is coming tomorrow.”)

Use

Time words like σήμερα, αύριο, το πρωί, κάθε μέρα (“today, tomorrow, in the morning, every day”) come first or last. The word placed first is what the sentence is about: Σήμερα δουλεύω. (“Today I'm working.”) / Δουλεύω σήμερα. (“I'm working today.”)
A known subject may also be placed first, to set it against another. It then comes before the question word: Η αδερφή σου πού δουλεύει; (“And your sister, where does she work?”)

Difference from English

An English question is formed with do or does and an inverted order (“Where does your sister work?”). In Greek, no auxiliary is added, and the verb has the same form as in a statement.
In an English statement, the subject comes before the verb. In Greek, a noun subject often follows it, especially after a time or place word: Αύριο έρχονται οι φίλοι μου. (“My friends are coming tomorrow.”)

Common mistakes

~~Πού κάνει δουλεύει η αδερφή σου;~~ → Πού δουλεύει η αδερφή σου;Greek has no auxiliary like English does, so the verb is used alone.
~~Πού η αδερφή σου δουλεύει;~~ → Πού δουλεύει η αδερφή σου;In a question, the verb is placed directly after the question word, and the subject after the verb.

Remember

Put the verb right after the question word: Τι ώρα φεύγει το τρένο; (“What time does the train leave?”)
Add nothing for English do or does: Πού μένει ο Γιάννης; (“Where does Giannis live?”)
Put a time word first or last: Το βράδυ διαβάζω. (“In the evening I read.”)

In short

Word	Meaning	Example
και (κι), ή	and, or	εγώ κι εσύ; τσάι ή καφέ
αλλά, όμως	but, however	Είναι ωραίο, αλλά ακριβό.
γιατί, επειδή	why; because	Γιατί; — Γιατί βρέχει.
όταν / πότε	when (statement) / when?	Όταν φτάσαμε… Πότε φεύγεις;
ότι, πως	that	Ξέρω ότι…
πάνω σε, μέσα σε, κοντά σε	on, in, near	πάνω στο τραπέζι
κάτω από, πίσω από, έξω από…	under, behind, outside	κάτω από την καρέκλα
word order	question word first; subject often after the verb	Πού δουλεύει η αδερφή σου;

You now know how to order the words in Greek questions and statements.

Practise

“Linking words and word order”, Word order: question word, verb, subject

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