Greek Personal Pronouns: Subject Forms Explained for English Speakers

Understanding Greek Personal Pronouns: Subject Forms

In Greek, personal pronouns are used to replace nouns and indicate who is performing the action in a sentence. The subject forms of these pronouns correspond to the English pronouns I, you, he, she, it, we, and they. Learning these is essential for forming basic sentences in Greek.

Greek Subject Personal Pronouns and Their English Equivalents

Below is a list of the Greek subject personal pronouns alongside their English translations:

• Εγώ (Egó) – I
• Εσύ (Esý) – You (singular, informal)
• Αυτός (Aftós) – He
• Αυτή (Aftí) – She
• Αυτό (Aftó) – It
• Εμείς (Emeís) – We
• Εσείς (Eseís) – You (plural or formal)
• Αυτοί (Aftoí) – They (masculine)
• Αυτές (Aftés) – They (feminine)
• Αυτά (Aftá) – They (neuter)

Pronunciation Tips for Greek Subject Pronouns

Greek pronunciation can be challenging for English speakers. Here are some tips to help you pronounce the subject pronouns correctly:

• Εγώ (Egó): Stress on the second syllable, pronounced as eˈɣo.
• Εσύ (Esý): Stress on the second syllable, pronounced as eˈsi.
• Αυτός (Aftós): Stress on the second syllable, pronounced as afˈtos.
• Αυτή (Aftí): Stress on the second syllable, pronounced as afˈti.
• Αυτό (Aftó): Stress on the second syllable, pronounced as afˈto.

Usage Notes for Greek Subject Pronouns

Unlike English, Greek often omits the subject pronoun because the verb conjugation indicates the subject. However, subject pronouns are used for emphasis or clarity.

• Use Εγώ (Egó) to emphasize 'I' when contrasting with others.
• Εσύ (Esý) is used for informal 'you' when speaking to one person.
• Εσείς (Eseís) is used for formal 'you' or when addressing multiple people.
• The neuter forms (Αυτό, Αυτά) are used for objects or abstract concepts.
• Subject pronouns agree in gender and number with the subject they replace.

Examples of Greek Subject Pronouns in Sentences

• Εγώ είμαι δάσκαλος. (Egó eímai dáskalos.) – I am a teacher.
• Εσύ μιλάς ελληνικά. (Esý milás elliniká.) – You speak Greek.
• Αυτός είναι φίλος μου. (Aftós eínai fílos mou.) – He is my friend.
• Εμείς πηγαίνουμε στο σχολείο. (Emeís pigaínoume sto scholeío.) – We go to school.
• Αυτοί παίζουν ποδόσφαιρο. (Aftoí paízoun podósfairo.) – They play football.