Greek prepositional idioms are fixed multiword units whose meaning or wording cannot always be predicted from their visible parts. Με τα πόδια literally contains “with the feet” but conventionally means “on foot”; στα καλά καθούμενα cannot be decoded compositionally at all. Learn each phrase as one adverbial chunk, including its article and case.
The reference set
Unless labeled otherwise, these expressions are neutral Standard Modern Greek. Their internal grammar may be old, but the expression itself can still be current.
| Expression | Meaning | Register and use |
|---|---|---|
| με τα πόδια me ta pódhia | on foot | everyday; means of travel |
| στα καλά καθούμενα sta kalá kathúmena | out of the blue; for no apparent reason | (informal), often for something unpleasant |
| από καρδιάς apó kardhiás | heartily; sincerely | (formal) or elevated, especially thanks and wishes |
| κατά βάθος katá váthos | deep down; fundamentally | common in speech and writing |
| εν τω μεταξύ en to metaksí | meanwhile; in the meantime | current expression with (archaic) dative morphology; especially careful speech and writing |
| προς Θεού pros Theú | for God's sake; please | emphatic plea or protest, not necessarily religious |
| στο περίπου sto perípu | roughly; approximately | (informal) |
| με το ζόρι me to zóri | by force; with great difficulty | (informal) |
| κατά λάθος katá láthos | by mistake; accidentally | everyday |
| από μνήμης apó mnímis | from memory | (formal); often about reciting or reproducing material |
These are lexical units, not a productive catalogue of meanings for με, σε, από, κατά, and προς. Their ordinary uses belong to the preposition overview; this page owns the frozen idioms. For the broader distinction between fixed expressions and more flexible word partnerships, see the collocations overview. A collocation may allow some grammatical substitution; the article and case inside these idioms are normally part of the stored expression.
Everyday movement, approximation, and accidents
Με τα πόδια answers how someone travels. The article and plural are part of the expression. Στο περίπου turns the adverb περίπου into a noun-like fixed phrase and sounds conversational; plain περίπου works in every register. Κατά λάθος reports lack of intention.
Πήγαμε με τα πόδια, γιατί δεν βρήκαμε ταξί.
píghame me ta pódhia, yatí dhen vríkame taksí
We went on foot because we couldn't find a taxi.
Πόσο θα κοστίσει, στο περίπου;
póso tha kostísi, sto perípu;
Roughly how much will it cost? (informal)
Σου έστειλα κατά λάθος το πρόχειρο αρχείο· διάγραψέ το.
su éstila katá láthos to próchiro archío; dhiághrapsé to
I accidentally sent you the draft file; delete it.
Surprise, pressure, and inner attitude
Στα καλά καθούμενα presents an event as unprovoked or unexpected and is especially natural before bad news, an argument, or a sudden mishap. Με το ζόρι has two connected readings: external coercion (“by force”) and barely managing something (“with great difficulty”). Κατά βάθος contrasts an inner truth with outward behavior.
Στα καλά καθούμενα μου είπε ότι φεύγει από την εταιρεία.
sta kalá kathúmena mu ípe óti févyi apó tin etería
Out of the blue, she told me she was leaving the company. (informal)
Με το ζόρι προλάβαμε το τελευταίο λεωφορείο.
me to zóri prolávame to teleftéo leoforío
We only just managed to catch the last bus. (informal)
Δεν μπορείς να τον κρατήσεις εδώ με το ζόρι.
dhen borís na ton kratísis edhó me to zóri
You can't keep him here by force. (informal)
Κατά βάθος ξέρει ότι έκανε λάθος, αλλά δεν το παραδέχεται.
katá váthos kséri óti ékane láthos, alá dhen to paradhéchete
Deep down he knows he made a mistake, but he won't admit it.
Living phrases with inherited case forms
Four expressions preserve older morphology. Εν τω μεταξύ contains an inherited dative article; από καρδιάς, από μνήμης, and προς Θεού preserve genitive forms. These endings do not make the whole phrases archaic. They are fossils inside current units, so trying to “modernize” them destroys the idiom.
Εγώ θα κλείσω τα εισιτήρια· εν τω μεταξύ, εσύ βρες ξενοδοχείο.
eghó tha klíso ta isitíria; en to metaksí, esí vres ksenodhochío
I'll book the tickets; meanwhile, you find a hotel.
Σας ευχαριστώ από καρδιάς για την υποστήριξή σας.
sas efcharistó apó kardhiás ya tin ipostíriksí sas
I thank you sincerely for your support. (formal)
Προς Θεού, μην του πεις τίποτα πριν μιλήσουμε.
pros Theú, min tu pis típota prin milísume
For God's sake, don't tell him anything before we talk.
Απήγγειλε από μνήμης ολόκληρο το ποίημα.
apíngile apó mnímis olókliro to píima
She recited the entire poem from memory. (formal)
Common Mistakes
❌ Εν το μεταξύ, εγώ θα τηλεφωνήσω στον Νίκο.
Incorrect—the fixed inherited form is εν τω μεταξύ.
✅ Εν τω μεταξύ, εγώ θα τηλεφωνήσω στον Νίκο.
en to metaksí, eghó tha tilefoníso ston Níko
Meanwhile, I'll call Nikos.
❌ Στα καλό καθούμενα άρχισε να φωνάζει.
Incorrect—the frozen phrase has plural καλά agreeing with καθούμενα.
✅ Στα καλά καθούμενα άρχισε να φωνάζει.
sta kalá kathúmena árchise na fonázi
Out of the blue, he started shouting. (informal)
❌ Τελικά βρήκαμε ταξί με το ζόρια.
Incorrect—the fixed phrase is singular με το ζόρι.
✅ Τελικά βρήκαμε ταξί με το ζόρι.
teliká vríkame taksí me to zóri
In the end, we found a taxi with great difficulty. (informal)
Key Takeaways
- Store the preposition, article, noun form, meaning, and register together.
- Older case forms inside a living idiom are not permission to build new phrases on the same pattern.
- For idiomatic production, exact wording matters: με τα πόδια, στα καλά καθούμενα, and κατά λάθος are indivisible units.
Related Topics
- Common Fixed PhrasesA2 — Understand high-frequency Greek phrases whose conversational meanings go beyond their literal words, from εντάξει and δεν πειράζει to έλα ντε and στο περίπου.
- κατά: against, about, according toB2 — How κατά changes meaning with the accusative and genitive, from everyday fixed phrases to formal opposition and standards.
- Compound (Two-Word) PrepositionsA2 — The spatial expressions built with place words plus σε or από, their accusative complements, and the pairings that must be learned whole.
- Fossilized Dative ExpressionsC1 — The ancient dative endings still embedded in modern Greek phrases — εν ολίγοις, εν μέρει, εν γνώσει, τω όντι, εν προκειμένω and the whole εν-family — how to recognise a fossil by its ending, what register each one belongs to, and why you must never build a new one.
- Katharevousa SurvivalsC1 — Recognize the frozen datives, learned participles, prepositions, genitives, and official formulas that survive in formal Modern Greek.