Most prepositions needed in everyday Modern Greek take an accusative noun phrase. This is simpler than English preposition choice and much simpler than Ancient Greek: the case does not change when a place becomes a destination. Learn the preposition's meaning, then put its noun, article, adjective, or strong pronoun in the accusative.
This page is a working map of the core set. Unless a form is labeled otherwise, it belongs to neutral Standard Modern Greek. The individual pages explain each preposition's wider meanings and idioms.
The core set
| Preposition | Main English equivalents | Typical phrase |
|---|---|---|
| σε | to, at, in, on | στο σχολείο — at/to school |
| από | from, of, by, than | από την Αθήνα — from Athens |
| με | with, by means of | με τον φίλο μου — with my friend |
| για | for, about, toward | για τη δουλειά — for/about work |
| ως / έως | as far as, until | έως τις έξι — until six |
| προς | toward | προς την έξοδο — toward the exit |
| χωρίς / δίχως | without | χωρίς ζάχαρη — without sugar |
| μέχρι | until, as far as | μέχρι την Παρασκευή — until Friday |
| παρά | except; despite; minus | παρά τη βροχή — despite the rain |
| κατά | around; during; according to | κατά τις οκτώ — around eight |
For a compact lookup covering both the everyday accusative set and the smaller genitive set, use the preposition reference table.
έως and ως are especially common in notices and careful writing; μέχρι is the usual conversational choice. δίχως is more literary or expressive than ordinary χωρίς in Standard Greek, though it is also heard conversationally in some regions. These are register differences, not differences in case.
The four everyday workhorses
The first four prepositions carry an enormous amount of daily Greek. σε locates a person or thing and also gives a goal; από points back to a source; με connects a companion or means; για presents a beneficiary, topic, purpose, or destination.
Πηγαίνω στο γραφείο με το λεωφορείο.
piyéno sto ghrafío me to leoforío
I go to the office by bus.
Ήρθα από την Αθήνα χθες το βράδυ.
írtha apó tin Athína chthes to vrádhi
I came from Athens last night.
Θα μιλήσω με τον φίλο μου μετά τη δουλειά.
tha milíso me ton fílo mu metá ti dhuliá
I'll talk with my friend after work.
Αυτό το δώρο είναι για τη μητέρα σου.
aftó to dhóro íne ya ti mitéra su
This present is for your mother.
Their essential choices are introduced on σε, από, με, and για. The later -uses pages own their less predictable extensions and idioms.
Limits, direction, absence, and approximation
The remaining prepositions are less frequent but still productive. Their complement is accusative in the uses shown here.
Το γραφείο είναι ανοιχτό έως τις έξι.
to ghrafío íne anichtó éos tis éksi
The office is open until six.
Περπατήσαμε προς την πλατεία, αλλά σταματήσαμε για καφέ.
perpatísame pros tin platía, alá stamatísame ya kafé
We walked toward the square, but stopped for coffee.
Δεν μπορώ να πιω καφέ χωρίς ζάχαρη.
dhen boró na pio kafé chorís záchari
I can't drink coffee without sugar.
Θα μείνω εδώ μέχρι την Παρασκευή.
tha míno edhó méchri tin Paraskeví
I'll stay here until Friday.
Παρά τη βροχή, το μαγαζί ήταν γεμάτο.
pará ti vrochí, to maghazí ítan yemáto
Despite the rain, the shop was full.
Θα περάσω από το σπίτι σου κατά τις οκτώ.
tha peráso apó to spíti su katá tis októ
I'll stop by your place at around eight.
In clock time, παρά subtracts from the coming hour: οκτώ παρά τέταρτο means “a quarter to eight.” With κατά, keep one boundary in mind: the neutral accusative uses include approximation and phrases such as κατά τη διάρκεια. The learned “against” construction normally takes the genitive: κατά της πρότασης “against the proposal” (formal). It therefore does not belong to this accusative pattern.
What the accusative looks like
The preposition does not create new endings. It selects the same accusative forms used for a direct object:
| Dictionary phrase | After a preposition |
|---|---|
| ο φίλος | με τον φίλο |
| η Αθήνα | από την Αθήνα |
| το σχολείο | στο σχολείο |
| οι φίλοι | προς τους φίλους |
| εγώ | για μένα |
With a strong pronoun, use the accusative form: με μένα, για σένα, από αυτούς. English does something comparable in “with me,” not “with I,” but Greek also makes the case visible on articles and many masculine nouns.
Fusion and elision are not the same
Only σε truly fuses with the definite article, and the fusion is compulsory: στον, στη(ν), στο, στους, στις, στα. By contrast, με and για may lose their final vowel before a vowel (μ' αυτόν, γι' αυτό), while από also commonly shortens before the definite article's τ-forms (απ' την Αθήνα, απ' το σπίτι). Those shortened spellings are common in speech and informal writing; the full forms are also correct. The other prepositions do not follow a blanket contraction rule. See preposition + article forms for the complete grid.
Common Mistakes
1. Leaving σε separate from a definite article. Fusion is obligatory.
❌ Πάμε σε το μουσείο μετά το φαγητό.
Incorrect — σε + το must fuse to στο.
✅ Πάμε στο μουσείο μετά το φαγητό.
páme sto musío metá to fayitó
We're going to the museum after the meal.
2. Using a subject pronoun after a preposition. A preposition requires a strong accusative pronoun.
❌ Αυτό το εισιτήριο είναι για εγώ.
Incorrect — use the strong accusative form μένα after για.
✅ Αυτό το εισιτήριο είναι για μένα.
aftó to isitírio íne ya ména
This ticket is for me.
3. Dropping the article from a noun with a possessive. Greek normally needs the definite article in this structure.
❌ Έφυγα χωρίς ομπρέλα μου.
Incorrect — a noun with μου requires its definite article here: χωρίς την ομπρέλα μου.
✅ Έφυγα χωρίς την ομπρέλα μου.
éfigha chorís tin obréla mu
I left without my umbrella.
Key Takeaways
- The core everyday prepositions take an accusative complement; motion versus location does not change the case.
- σε, από, με, για organize four basic relations: goal/location, source, companion/means, and intended person/topic/purpose.
- σε fuses with a definite article; από, με, για may shorten without fusing, and από also commonly shortens before article forms beginning with τ-.
- Learn exceptional learned or fixed constructions with their meaning: notably κατά + genitive for “against” (formal).
Related Topics
- σε: to, at, in, onA1 — How σε covers both location and direction, fuses with the definite article, and marks recipients and clock time.
- από: from, of, by, thanA1 — How από marks sources, passive agents, comparison standards, members of a group, and routes through a place.
- με: with, byA1 — How με links companions, instruments, transport, and manner, always with an accusative complement.
- για: for, about, toA1 — How για marks beneficiaries, topics, destinations, durations, and purpose through the high-frequency connector για να.