Greek Pronouns Chart: A Beginner’s Guide

Pronouns unlock Greek conversations, replacing nouns and shaping questions with ease. This guide packs every Greek pronoun type—personal, interrogative, demonstrative, reflexive, possessive, relative, and indefinite—into one chart, with tables and examples to make them stick. Whether you’re saying “I,” asking “who,” or pointing to “this,” you’ll master them all here!

Why Learn Greek Pronouns?

Pronouns in Greek shift with gender, number, and case, unlike English’s simpler setup. They’re optional with verbs (thanks to conjugation clues) but vital for clarity and questions. Let’s break them down with a full chart:

Greek Pronouns Chart 📚

This chart gives you the base forms of each Greek pronoun type—perfect for a quick start! See below for full details and case variations.

1. Personal Pronouns

In many languages, personal pronouns are essential to constructing a sentence. However, Greek offers a delightful twist. Personal pronouns in Greek are optional. That's right! The verb conjugation often gives away the person, making the pronoun redundant in many cases.

Tip: Learn more about personal pronouns with “Verb to Be” (opens in a new window).

2. Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are essential building blocks of questions in any language. In Greek, these pronouns share similarities with English in both grammar and syntax, making them relatively approachable for English speakers. However, Greek interrogatives have unique features that are crucial for effective communication. This guide will walk you through the most common Greek interrogative pronouns, their usage, and cultural nuances.

Ask questions with these:

Note: “Ποιανού” (informal) vs. “Ποιου” (formal) for “whose.”

3. Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns in Greek are words that indicate specific items in relation to the speaker's position. They are similar to the English words "this," "that," "these," and "those." These pronouns vary based on gender, number, and distance from the speaker.

Key Characteristics of Greek Demonstrative Pronouns:

• Proximity: Differentiates items close to or far from the speaker.
• Gender: Changes form based on masculine, feminine, or neuter.
• Number: Singular or plural forms.

Proximal Pronouns: This/These 📚

Proximal pronouns refer to items close to the speaker. In Greek, the word for "this" changes based on the gender of the noun it describes.

Distal Pronouns: That/Those 📚

Distal pronouns refer to items farther from the speaker. Similar to proximal pronouns, the Greek word for "that" varies based on gender.

4. Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns indicate that the subject of the verb is also the object. In English, these pronouns include myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves.

In Greek, reflexive pronouns are formed using τον εαυτό μου (myself), τον εαυτό σου (yourself), τον εαυτό του (himself), etc. They always agree in gender, number, and person with the subject.

Greek Reflexive Pronoun Forms

Reflexive pronouns in Greek are formed differently for singular and plural subjects. Here’s a breakdown of their forms:

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Singular Reflexive Pronouns

Plural Reflexive Pronouns

Differences Between Reflexive and Regular Object Pronouns

It’s important not to confuse reflexive pronouns with standard object pronouns. Compare these examples:

• Βλέπω τον εαυτό μου στον καθρέφτη. → I see myself in the mirror. (Reflexive pronoun)
• Βλέπω τον φίλο μου στον καθρέφτη. → I see my friend in the mirror. (Regular object pronoun)

Common Verbs That Use Reflexive Pronouns

Many verbs in Greek naturally take reflexive pronouns. Here are some examples:

5. Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns in Greek play a crucial role in indicating ownership. Unlike English, Greek possessive pronouns change based on gender, number, and case. In this guide, we will cover their usage, declensions, and common structures.

Understanding Greek Possessive Pronouns

In Greek, possessive pronouns function similarly to English pronouns like “mine,” “yours,” or “ours.” However, they can also behave as possessive adjectives when accompanying a noun.

Singular Possessive Pronouns

Plural Possessive Pronouns

Possessive Pronouns Examples

6. Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns are words that connect a subordinate clause (opens in a new window) to a main clause, adding extra details without forming a new sentence. This connection makes the text smoother and more compact. In Greek, there’s a wide range of relative pronouns that perform different roles.

Here are some key examples:

• οποίος, οποία, οποίο: These are the most common Greek relative pronouns, corresponding to "who," "which" or "that" in English. They refer to people, objects, or places and change their form based on case, gender, and number.
• οπου: This pronoun means "where" and is generally used to point to a location.
• όπως: This word indicates the manner in which something happens, much like "how" in English.

7. Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns are a vital part of Greek grammar. They allow you to refer to unspecified people or things, offering a more general expression than definite nouns.

Main Functions

Greek indefinite pronouns can:

• Stand in for nouns in a general, non-specific way.
• Indicate that the noun isn’t limited to a particular identity.
• Represent an unspecified amount or number.
• Suggest uncertainty or reluctance when confirming a statement.

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Frequently Used Indefinite Pronouns

Some common Greek indefinite pronouns include:

• Κάποιος (kápios) – someone
• Κάτι (káti) – something
• Όλοι (óli) – everyone/all
• Κανένας (kanenas) – no one

Usage and Formation

These pronouns follow similar declension patterns to adjectives and definite pronouns. They agree in gender, case, and number with the noun they replace.

Examples in Context

• Κάποιος ήρθε στο πάρτι αλλά δεν τον γνώριζα.
  (Someone came to the party, but I didn’t know him.)
• Θέλω να αγοράσω κάτι σπέσιαλ για τη μητέρα μου.
  (I want to buy something special for my mother.)
• Όλοι στην οικογένειά μου έχουν κατοικίδια.
  (Everyone in my family has pets.)
• Κανένας δε θα πάρει το βιβλίο αυτό.
  (No one will take this book.)

Practice Sentences

1. Εγώ βλέπω τον εαυτό μου. (Egó vlépo ton eaftó mou.) – I see myself.
2. Ποιος είναι αυτός; (Pios eínai aftós?) – Who is this?
3. Αυτή η τσάντα είναι δική σου. (Aftí i tsánta eínai dikí sou.) – This bag is yours.
4. Ο άνθρωπος που βοήθησε είναι εδώ. (O ánthropos pu voíthise eínai edó.) – The man that helped is here.
5. Κάποιος χτύπησε την πόρτα. (Kápios htýpise tin pórta.) – Someone knocked on the door.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Gender: “Ποιος γυναίκα” (❌) vs. Ποια γυναίκα (✅).
• Reflexive vs. Object: “Βλέπω με” (❌) vs. Βλέπω τον εαυτό μου (✅).

Conclusion

Greek pronouns—personal to indefinite—tie your sentences together. Use this chart to master them, practice with our quiz, and explore cases (opens in a new window) or numbers (opens in a new window) next!

Καλή τύχη! (Kalí týchi! – Good luck!)