Greek2Me staff · Vocab
Greek Pronouns
Every Greek pronoun you need at A1 and A2, from εγώ (I) through the object forms (με, σε, τον, τη, το). Laid out as one clean table so you can see the whole system at once.
| Greek | English | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject pronouns (who's doing it) | |||
| εγώ | I | ||
| εσύ | you (singular, informal) | ||
| αυτός | he | ||
| αυτή | she | ||
| αυτό | it | ||
| εμείς | we | ||
| εσείς | you (plural or polite) | ||
| αυτοί | they (masc / mixed) | ||
| αυτές | they (fem) | ||
| αυτά | they (neuter) | ||
| Object pronouns (what's being done to whom) | |||
| με | me (object) | ||
| σε | you (object, singular) | ||
| τον | him / it (masc object) | ||
| τη / την | her / it (fem object) | ||
| το | it (neuter object) | ||
| μας | us (object) / our | ||
| σας | you (plural object) / your | ||
| τους | them (masc / mixed object) | ||
| τις | them (fem object) | ||
| τα | them (neuter object) | ||
Subject pronouns are usually optional
Greek verbs already tell you who the subject is. The verb ending changes for each person, so εγώ, εσύ, αυτός are often skipped:
- Είμαι Άγγλος.: I'm English. (no εγώ needed)
- Πας στην παραλία;: Are you going to the beach? (no εσύ needed)
- Μιλάει ελληνικά.: He/she speaks Greek.
You add the pronoun when you want to emphasise or contrast: Εγώ πάω, εσύ μένεις.: I'm going, you're staying. That contrast is when Greek reaches for the pronoun.
'You' has two versions: εσύ vs εσείς
Greek has a formal / polite you, like French vous or German Sie:
- εσύ: informal singular. Used with friends, family, kids, peers, and anyone your age or younger in relaxed settings.
- εσείς: polite singular or plural. Used with strangers, older people, staff you don't know, formal contexts, and any group of people.
A hotel receptionist gets εσείς. Your friend gets εσύ. When in doubt, start with εσείς, over-formal reads as polite, under-formal reads as rude. Lin defaulted to εσείς for her first week and slid down to εσύ once people used it with her.
Object pronouns come before the verb
Where English puts the object after the verb ('I see him'), Greek puts the weak object pronoun before the verb:
- Τον βλέπω.: I see him.
- Τη ξέρω.: I know her.
- Μας κάλεσαν.: They invited us.
- Σε θέλω.: I want you.
With commands, the pronoun flips to after: δώσ' μου το βιβλίο (give me the book). But in normal statements, expect the object pronoun to arrive early.
Possession uses the same short forms
The words μου, σου, του, της, μας, σας, τους double as both object pronouns and possessive markers. When they follow a noun, they mean 'my, your, his, her, our...':
- το βιβλίο μου: my book
- η μαμά σου: your mum
- οι φίλοι μας: our friends
- το σπίτι τους: their house
One set of little words, two jobs. Once this clicks the whole system feels lighter.
Third-person 'they' has three flavours
Greek 'they' agrees with the gender of the group:
- αυτοί: masculine or mixed group
- αυτές: all-feminine group
- αυτά: neuter group (or a group of neuter nouns like παιδιά)
The object forms follow the same pattern: τους (masc / mixed), τις (fem), τα (neuter). So τους βλέπω means 'I see them (masc)', τις βλέπω means 'I see them (fem)', τα βλέπω means 'I see them (neuter, or those things)'. Karim learnt this by talking about his classmates in Greek and switching pronouns depending on who was in the group.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to use the subject pronoun in Greek?+
No, Greek verbs already carry the subject in their ending, so εγώ, εσύ, αυτός are usually dropped. You add them when you want emphasis or contrast: εγώ πάω, εσύ μένεις (I'm going, you're staying). Overusing subject pronouns can make Greek sound stilted.
What's the difference between εσύ and εσείς?+
Εσύ is informal singular, used with friends, family, kids, and peers. Εσείς is polite singular or plural, used with strangers, older people, and any group. Same distinction as French tu vs vous. When in doubt with a stranger, start with εσείς, over-formal is polite, under-formal reads as rude.
Where do object pronouns go in a Greek sentence?+
Before the verb in normal statements: τον βλέπω (I see him), μας κάλεσαν (they invited us). Only in commands do they flip to after the verb: δώσ' μου το βιβλίο (give me the book). The order feels backwards to English speakers at first but becomes automatic quickly.
How does 'they' work in Greek?+
It agrees with the gender of the group. Αυτοί for a masculine or mixed group, αυτές for an all-feminine group, αυτά for a neuter group (like παιδιά, children). Object forms follow the same pattern: τους, τις, τα. If the group is mixed, use the masculine forms as default.
Are μου, σου, του possessive or object pronouns?+
Both, same words, two jobs. Following a verb they act as indirect object pronouns: μου έδωσε το βιβλίο (he gave me the book). Following a noun they act as possessives: το βιβλίο μου (my book). Position tells you which is which, and native speakers process it instantly.
Practise this in the app
Master pronouns in the app
Drills on subject and object forms, spaced repetition on the tricky ones, and audio for every pronoun.
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