English usually uses separate series—nobody/anybody, nothing/anything, never/ever. Greek often uses one unchanged word for both sides. κανένας, τίποτα, ποτέ, πουθενά, and καθόλου get a negative translation with δεν/μη(ν), but an any-/ever translation in questions, conditions, and other contexts that do not assert that an event happened. The surrounding grammar, not the word alone, determines the polarity.
The core set
| Greek word | With δεν/μη(ν) | In a question or condition | Form note |
|---|---|---|---|
| κανένας / κανείς | nobody, no, not anybody | anybody, any | declines; κανείς is masculine nominative |
| τίποτα | nothing, not anything | anything | indeclinable pronoun |
| ποτέ | never | ever | adverb of time |
| πουθενά | nowhere | anywhere | adverb of place |
| καθόλου | not at all, none | at all, any | degree or quantity adverb |
κανένας can determine a noun—κανένας φίλος, καμία ιδέα, κανένα πρόβλημα—or stand as a pronoun. Its cases and gender forms are covered on κανένας.
Δεν με πήρε κανείς τηλέφωνο όλο το πρωί.
dhen me píre kanís tiléfono ólo to proí
Nobody called me all morning.
Δεν έχω τίποτα να προσθέσω.
dhen écho típota na prosthéso
I have nothing to add.
Δεν έχουμε πάει ποτέ στη Μήλο.
dhen échume pái poté sti Mílo
We have never been to Milos.
Δεν υπήρχε πουθενά θέση να παρκάρουμε.
dhen ipírche puthená thési na parkárume
There was nowhere to park.
Η ταινία δεν μου άρεσε καθόλου.
i tenía dhen mu árese kathólu
I didn't like the film at all.
These examples illustrate negative concord: in a negative declarative clause, the polarity word does not replace δεν. It works with it.
The same words mean any- in open contexts
A question asks whether an event happened; it does not assert that it did. A condition makes the event hypothetical. Both environments license the same Greek words without δεν, and English then uses any, ever, or at all.
Ήρθε κανείς όσο έλειπα;
írthe kanís óso élipa;
Did anybody come while I was out?
Θέλεις τίποτα από τον φούρνο;
thélis típota apó ton fúrno;
Do you want anything from the bakery? (informal)
Έχεις πάει ποτέ στην Κέρκυρα;
échis pái poté stin Kérkira;
Have you ever been to Corfu?
Βρήκες πουθενά να παρκάρεις;
vríkes puthená na parkáris;
Did you find anywhere to park?
Έχεις καθόλου χρόνο το απόγευμα;
échis kathólu chróno to apóyevma;
Do you have any time at all this afternoon?
In an offer, τίποτα is especially common (informal) and may suggest that “nothing” is a perfectly possible answer. Positive κάτι is also grammatical in a question, but often sounds more open to a positive answer: Θέλεις κάτι; “Would you like something?”
Conditions show the same polarity without being questions:
Αν χρειαστείς τίποτα, πάρε με τηλέφωνο.
an chriastís típota, páre me tiléfono
If you need anything, call me.
Αν περάσεις ποτέ από τη Νάξο, να μου το πεις.
an perásis poté apó ti Nákso, na mu to pis
If you ever pass through Naxos, let me know.
English any also has a free-choice use, meaning “it does not matter which one.” Greek makes that reading explicit with ο καθένας or οποιοσδήποτε.
Οποιοσδήποτε μπορεί να κάνει αίτηση ηλεκτρονικά.
opiosdhípote borí na káni étisi ilektroniká
Anyone can apply online.
There is one useful overlap: nominative κανείς can also mean generic “one” in modal or rhetorical frames.
Μπορεί κανείς να κάνει αίτηση ηλεκτρονικά.
borí kanís na káni étisi ilektroniká
One can apply online.
The practical contrast is therefore: κάποιος “someone” in a positive assertion, κανείς “anyone” under a polarity licensor or generic “one” in a modal frame, and οποιοσδήποτε / ο καθένας “anyone whatsoever” in explicit free choice.
Bare negative answers
When the verb is understood from the question, the polarity word can stand alone as a negative answer. There is no finite verb for δεν to accompany.
Τι βρήκες; — Τίποτα.
ti vríkes; — típota
What did you find? — Nothing.
Ποιος σε βοήθησε; — Κανείς.
pyos se voíthise; — kanís
Who helped you? — Nobody.
Σε ενόχλησε ο θόρυβος; — Καθόλου.
se enóchlise o thórivos; — kathólu
Did the noise bother you? — Not at all.
ούτε, ούτε…ούτε, and ούτε καν
ούτε is different from the no-/any- series: it is an inherently negative focus particle or coordinator. After a negative clause it means “not either,” “nor,” or “not even.” Paired ούτε…ούτε means “neither…nor” and is normal in speech and writing.
Δεν πίνω ούτε καφέ ούτε τσάι το βράδυ.
dhen píno úte kafé úte tsái to vrádhi
I drink neither coffee nor tea in the evening.
Ούτε ο Πέτρος ούτε η Μαρία μπόρεσαν να έρθουν.
úte o Pétros úte i María bóresan na érthun
Neither Petros nor Maria was able to come.
ούτε καν focuses the lowest, most surprising possibility: “not even.”
Δεν μου είπε ούτε καν ευχαριστώ.
dhen mu ípe úte kan efcharistó
He didn't even say thank you to me.
μήτε…μήτε is a more elevated alternative (literary). Recognize it in essays and literature; in everyday conversation, use ούτε…ούτε.
Δεν έδειξε μήτε χαρά μήτε λύπη.
dhen édhikse míte chará míte lípi
He showed neither joy nor sorrow. (literary)
Common Mistakes
1. Using τίποτα as positive “something” in an assertion. A plain positive statement needs κάτι.
❌ Ναι, έχω τίποτα σημαντικό να σου πω.
Incorrect as a positive answer — τίποτα is not licensed; use κάτι.
✅ Έχω κάτι σημαντικό να σου πω.
écho káti simandikó na su po
I have something important to tell you.
2. Using ποτέ for free-choice “whenever.” ποτέ is polarity-sensitive “ever”; the free-choice relative is όποτε.
❌ Έλα ποτέ θέλεις.
Incorrect — free-choice ‘whenever’ is όποτε, not ποτέ.
✅ Έλα όποτε θέλεις.
éla ópote thélis
Come whenever you like.
3. Making καθόλου agree like an adjective. It is an invariable adverb or quantity expression.
❌ Δεν έχω καθόλους φίλους στη γειτονιά.
Incorrect — καθόλου never takes gender, case, or number endings.
✅ Δεν έχω καθόλου φίλους στη γειτονιά.
dhen écho kathólu fílus sti yitoniá
I don't have any friends at all in the neighbourhood.
Key Takeaways
- κανένας/κανείς, τίποτα, ποτέ, πουθενά, καθόλου mean no-/never with δεν/μη(ν), but any-/ever in questions and conditions.
- Bare answers such as Τίποτα, Κανείς, and Καθόλου need no δεν because their finite verb is omitted.
- ούτε…ούτε is ordinary “neither…nor”; ούτε καν means “not even.”
- μήτε…μήτε is the (literary) alternative to everyday ούτε…ούτε.
Related Topics
- Negative Polarity: κανένας, τίποτα, ποτέB1 — κανένας, τίποτα, ποτέ, πουθενά and καθόλου are not negative words — they are words that need a licensing context, and negation is only the commonest one. Questions, αν-clauses, πριν-clauses, χωρίς να, comparatives and superlatives all license them too, which is why the same word comes out as 'nobody' in one sentence and 'anybody' in the next, and why adding δεν inside a χωρίς να clause breaks it.
- Double Negation (Negative Concord)A2 — Why Greek requires δεν together with negative words—even when κανείς, τίποτα, ποτέ, or πουθενά comes before the verb.
- Coordinating ConjunctionsB1 — Coordinate equal Greek words and clauses with και, ή, ούτε, αλλά, όμως, παρά, and λοιπόν, including the paired forms both…and, either…or, and neither…nor.
- κανένας: 'no/any' and NegationA2 — κανένας / καμιά / κανένα is Greek's 'nobody' and its 'any' in one word, and it never works alone: Δεν ήρθε κανείς needs both δεν and κανείς, because Greek stacks negatives instead of cancelling them. Full paradigm, the κανείς/κανένας doublet, the obligatory δεν even in Κανείς δεν ήρθε, and the friendly spoken reading in Πάμε για κανένα ποτό;