Nominative After από in Comparisons | Greek Grammar

Everyday comparative από is a preposition and therefore governs the accusative: από εμένα, από εσένα, από αυτόν, never ×από εγώ. With a pronoun, use the strong accusative form rather than a nominative subject form or a weak clitic.

The full comparison system belongs to case in comparisons. This page drills the frequent nominative-to-accusative repair across persons without re-teaching clauses, παρά, or the formal genitive alternative.

Why English encourages the error

English permits everyday taller than me but also teaches the formal expansion taller than I am. A learner who transfers the second version chooses Greek nominative εγώ. Greek από remains an ordinary preposition even when translated as than, so no unspoken verb can license a nominative after it.

❌ Η Ελένη τρέχει πιο γρήγορα από εγώ στις ανηφόρες.

Incorrect — comparative από requires strong accusative εμένα, not subject εγώ.

✅ Η Ελένη τρέχει πιο γρήγορα από εμένα στις ανηφόρες.

i eléni tréchi pio ghríghora apó eména stis anifóres

Eleni runs faster than me on uphill stretches.

There is no formal-versus-informal competition between εγώ and εμένα in Greek. The accusative is the neutral Standard form in conversation and writing because the preceding word assigns it.

💡

Do not mentally complete English “than I am.” Read Greek από as a visible preposition and choose the same strong accusative form you would use after για, με, or χωρίς.

First and second person singular

The full forms are εμένα and εσένα. Everyday shortened μένα and σένα are also Standard and neutral after από.

❌ Ξέρεις πολύ περισσότερα από εγώ για παλιά αυτοκίνητα.

Incorrect — 'than me' is από εμένα or από μένα.

✅ Ξέρεις πολύ περισσότερα από μένα για παλιά αυτοκίνητα.

kséris polí perisótera apó ména ya paliá aftokínita

You know much more than me about old cars.

❌ Ο καινούριος υπάλληλος έφτασε νωρίτερα από εσύ σήμερα.

Incorrect — 'than you' requires accusative εσένα or σένα.

✅ Ο καινούριος υπάλληλος έφτασε νωρίτερα από εσένα σήμερα.

o kenúrios ipálilos éftase norítera apó eséna símera

The new employee arrived earlier than you today.

Choosing the longer or shorter form does not change case. Από εμένα / από μένα and από εσένα / από σένα differ slightly in rhythm and possible emphasis, not grammatical correctness.

Third person singular: match gender

Nominative αυτός, αυτή, αυτό becomes accusative αυτόν, αυτήν, αυτό. Masculine and feminine show the case change; neuter does not visibly change.

❌ Η Μαρίνα είναι πιο έμπειρη από αυτός στη διαχείριση πελατών.

Incorrect — the masculine comparison pronoun must be accusative αυτόν.

✅ Η Μαρίνα είναι πιο έμπειρη από αυτόν στη διαχείριση πελατών.

i marína íne pio ébiri apó aftón sti dhiachírisi pelatón

Marina is more experienced than him in client management.

❌ Ο Νίκος μιλάει πιο καθαρά από αυτή όταν κάνουν παρουσιάσεις.

Incorrect — the feminine strong pronoun after από is accusative αυτήν.

✅ Ο Νίκος μιλάει πιο καθαρά από αυτήν όταν κάνουν παρουσιάσεις.

o níkos milái pio kathará apó aftín ótan kánun parusiásis

Nikos speaks more clearly than her when they give presentations.

The written final ν in αυτόν is retained in neutral Standard Greek. Feminine αυτήν is the strong accusative form used here before the following boundary; its shape distinguishes it from nominative αυτή in careful writing.

Neuter αυτό is syncretic—it has the same form in nominative and accusative—so there is nothing to “correct” on the surface:

✅ Το καινούριο μοντέλο είναι ελαφρύτερο από αυτό, αλλά κοστίζει περισσότερο.

to kenúrio mondélo íne elafrítero apó aftó, alá kostízi perisótero

The new model is lighter than this one, but costs more.

Case is still accusative after από; neuter morphology simply does not display a different ending.

First and second person plural

Nominative εμείς, εσείς changes to strong accusative εμάς, εσάς.

❌ Τα παιδιά περπάτησαν περισσότερο από εμείς στην εκδρομή.

Incorrect — after από use accusative εμάς.

✅ Τα παιδιά περπάτησαν περισσότερο από εμάς στην εκδρομή.

ta pedhiá perpátisan perisótero apó emás stin ekdhromí

The children walked farther than us on the excursion.

❌ Η άλλη ομάδα τελείωσε την άσκηση νωρίτερα από εσείς.

Incorrect — after από use accusative εσάς.

✅ Η άλλη ομάδα τελείωσε την άσκηση νωρίτερα από εσάς.

i áli omádha telíose tin áskisi norítera apó esás

The other team finished the exercise earlier than you did.

The plural forms carry stress on the final syllable. That stress is lexical and must appear in both Greek and romanization.

Third person plural

Masculine nominative αυτοί visibly changes to accusative αυτούς. Feminine αυτές and neuter αυτά have identical nominative and accusative forms, so context and the preposition supply the case analysis.

❌ Δουλεύουμε περισσότερες ώρες από αυτοί αυτή την εβδομάδα.

Incorrect — masculine plural after από must be accusative αυτούς.

✅ Δουλεύουμε περισσότερες ώρες από αυτούς αυτή την εβδομάδα.

dhulévume perisóteres óres apó aftús aftí tin evdhomádha

We're working more hours than them this week.

✅ Οι δικές μας προτάσεις είναι πιο λεπτομερείς από αυτές.

i dhikés mas protásis íne pio leptomerís apó aftés

Our proposals are more detailed than those.

✅ Τα πρώτα δείγματα ήταν πιο καθαρά από αυτά.

ta próta dhíghmata ítan pio kathará apó aftá

The first samples were clearer than these.

Do not invent different accusative endings for αυτές or αυτά. The rule chooses accusative case; it does not guarantee a visible change in every gender.

Full noun phrases show the same repair

With a noun, the accusative article makes the case visible. English has no corresponding change after than, so learners sometimes leave nominative ο/η/το untouched.

❌ Η λεμονιά είναι πιο ψηλή από ο φράχτης της αυλής.

Incorrect — από requires accusative article and noun: από τον φράχτη.

✅ Η λεμονιά είναι πιο ψηλή από τον φράχτη της αυλής.

i lemoniá íne pio psilí apó ton fráchti tis avlís

The lemon tree is taller than the garden fence.

Neutral current Standard retains masculine final ν in τον. The correction is the same everyday preposition rule as από αυτόν, not a special adjective-agreement rule.

Do not put a weak clitic after από

Prepositions require strong pronouns. A genitive clitic can appear in a different comparison construction attached to the comparative, but it cannot follow από.

❌ Η ξαδέρφη μου είναι δύο χρόνια μεγαλύτερη από μου.

Incorrect — από cannot take the weak clitic μου; use από εμένα or the separate comparative-clitic construction.

✅ Η ξαδέρφη μου είναι δύο χρόνια μεγαλύτερη από εμένα.

i ksadhérfi mu íne dhío chrónia meghalíteri apó eména

My cousin is two years older than me.

✅ Η ξαδέρφη μου είναι δύο χρόνια μεγαλύτερή μου.

i ksadhérfi mu íne dhío chrónia meghalíterí mu

My cousin is two years older than me. (everyday comparative plus genitive clitic)

Both corrected versions are Standard Greek. The second has no από at all and requires its additional written accent.

The formal genitive is a different licensed construction

Learned comparison can use a bare genitive standard, especially with synthetic comparatives and abstract noun phrases (formal / journalistic). It is not an error to be converted mechanically into accusative.

✅ Τα φετινά έξοδα ήταν υψηλότερα των αρχικών εκτιμήσεων.

ta fetiná éksodha ítan ipsilótera ton archikón ektimíseon

This year's expenses were higher than the initial estimates. (formal / journalistic)

The diagnostic contrast is precise: after από, use accusative; without από, a learned genitive comparison may be grammatical in its own register.

Common Mistakes

Treating formal English “than I” as a Greek model

Greek does not restore an unspoken verb after από. Use από εμένα, not ×από εγώ.

Using a weak pronoun after the preposition

Choose the strong accusative series. Weak μου/σου belongs only to the distinct comparative-clitic construction.

Expecting every accusative to look different

Neuter αυτό/αυτά and feminine plural αυτές are syncretic. Their unchanged surface form after από is already accusative.

Calling the formal genitive an error

Υψηλότερα των εκτιμήσεων is licensed formal Greek. The present error is specifically a nominative after everyday comparative από.

Key Takeaways

Comparative από always governs the accusative in everyday Greek.
Use strong forms: εμένα, εσένα, αυτόν/αυτήν/αυτό, εμάς, εσάς, αυτούς/αυτές/αυτά.
Short μένα/σένα are neutral Standard alternatives after από.
Neuter and some plural forms do not visibly change, but their case is still accusative.
A comparative plus genitive clitic and the learned full-noun genitive are separate grammatical constructions, not exceptions after από.

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