Greek prepositions are short, unchanging words that express relationships such as place, direction, time, source, company, purpose, and cause. The big beginner default is unusually simple: in their most frequent everyday uses, the core Modern Greek prepositions put the following noun phrase in the accusative. A smaller set takes the genitive; many of its members are learned in origin or especially frequent in formal writing.
The everyday system: preposition + accusative
| Preposition | Frequent English meanings | Model phrase |
|---|---|---|
| σε | to, at, in, on | στο γραφείο |
| από | from, by, of, since, than | από την Αθήνα |
| με | with, by means of | με τον φίλο μου |
| για | for, about, intended for | για τη δουλειά |
| μέχρι / ως / έως | until, as far as | μέχρι την Κυριακή |
| προς | toward; to (formal) | προς την έξοδο |
| χωρίς / δίχως | without | χωρίς ζάχαρη |
| παρά | despite; before the hour | παρά την κούραση |
| μετά | after | μετά το μάθημα |
| κατά | around, during, according to | κατά τη γνώμη μου |
This table maps the high-frequency constructions, not every construction available to each form. For example, κατά meaning “against” takes the genitive: κατά της πρότασης. The accusative-prepositions page owns those boundaries; the accusative remains the useful beginner default.
Πάω στο γραφείο με τη Μαρία μετά το μάθημα.
páo sto ghrafío me ti María metá to máthima
I'm going to the office with Maria after class.
Γύρισα από το νησί χωρίς τη βαλίτσα μου.
yírisa apó to nisí chorís ti valítsa mu
I came back from the island without my suitcase.
The case becomes visible on the article: ο φίλος → με τον φίλο, η φίλη → με τη φίλη, το παιδί → με το παιδί. A bare noun still belongs to the accusative frame even when its form does not visibly change: χωρίς ζάχαρη. Strong pronouns also use their accusative forms.
Αυτό είναι για σένα, όχι για μένα.
aftó íne ya séna, óchi ya ména
This is for you, not for me.
Θα μείνουμε μέχρι την Κυριακή και μετά θα φύγουμε.
tha mínume méchri tin Kiriakí ke metá tha fíghume
We'll stay until Sunday and then leave.
English usually hides case after a preposition except in contrasts such as with him, not with he. Greek shows it throughout the article and often on the noun or adjective too. Unlike Ancient Greek or German, everyday Modern Greek does not switch case to distinguish movement from location: σε + accusative serves both.
σε does the work of several English prepositions
Greek uses a smaller everyday core than English, so translation is not one word for one word. σε can mark a destination, a location, a point in time, or a surface: πάω στο γραφείο “to the office,” είμαι στο γραφείο “at the office,” μένω στην Αθήνα “in Athens,” στο τραπέζι “on the table.” The verb and the situation supply the relationship that English puts into the preposition.
Στις οχτώ θα είμαι στην πλατεία δίπλα στο περίπτερο.
stis ochtó tha íme stin platía dhípla sto períptero
At eight I'll be in the square beside the kiosk.
Τα κλειδιά είναι στο τραπέζι δίπλα στο κινητό σου.
ta klidhiá íne sto trapézi dhípla sto kinitó su
The keys are on the table next to your phone.
σε + definite article must fuse: σε + τον → στον, σε + την → στη(ν), σε + το → στο; plural στους, στις, στα. These are not informal shortenings. The full grid and final-ν rule belong on preposition + article contractions.
Compound prepositions add precision
Greek builds many precise spatial relations from an adverb or noun plus a core preposition: πάνω σε “on top of,” κάτω από “under,” δίπλα σε “next to,” μπροστά από “in front of,” μαζί με “together with.” The final short preposition passes its accusative government to the noun phrase.
Βάλε τα ποτήρια πάνω στο ράφι πριν έρθουν οι καλεσμένοι.
vále ta potíria páno sto ráfi prin érthun i kalesméni
Put the glasses on the shelf before the guests arrive.
Το δέμα είναι κάτω από τη σκάλα, δίπλα στην πόρτα.
to dhéma íne káto apó ti skála, dhípla stin pórta
The parcel is under the stairs, next to the door.
The genitive-governing set
A separate group takes the genitive. Many members are learned in origin or especially frequent in formal, official, and academic language, but genitive case is not itself a register label: λόγω and εναντίον also occur readily in ordinary speech and writing. Three high-value members are λόγω “because of,” μεταξύ “between,” and εναντίον “against.” The group is larger—εξαιτίας, μέσω, υπέρ, εντός and others belong to it—but beginners need to recognize the pattern before memorizing the inventory.
Η συναυλία αναβλήθηκε λόγω της βροχής.
i sinavlía anavlíthike lógho tis vrochís
The concert was postponed because of the rain.
Το χωριό βρίσκεται μεταξύ δύο ποταμών.
to chorió vrískete metaksí dhío potamón
The village lies between two rivers. (formal)
Πολλοί κάτοικοι είναι εναντίον της απόφασης.
polí kátiki íne enandíon tis apófasis
Many residents are against the decision.
There is no useful shortcut that derives the case from the English meaning. Learn the preposition together with its case: με + accusative, but μεταξύ + genitive.
Common Mistakes
❌ Μιλάω με ο φίλος μου κάθε βράδυ.
Incorrect—the object of everyday με must be accusative.
✅ Μιλάω με τον φίλο μου κάθε βράδυ.
miláo me ton fílo mu káthe vrádhi
I talk with my friend every evening.
❌ Πάμε σε την παραλία μετά τη δουλειά.
Incorrect—σε + την must fuse to στην.
✅ Πάμε στην παραλία μετά τη δουλειά.
páme stin paralía metá ti dhuliá
We're going to the beach after work.
❌ Μόλις γύρισα από στο γραφείο.
Incorrect—do not stack English 'from' onto the σε contraction; use από το.
✅ Μόλις γύρισα από το γραφείο και είμαι πτώμα.
mólis yírisa apó to ghrafío ke íme ptóma
I've just got back from the office and I'm exhausted.
❌ Η πτήση ακυρώθηκε λόγω την κακοκαιρία.
Incorrect—λόγω governs the genitive: της κακοκαιρίας.
✅ Η πτήση ακυρώθηκε λόγω της κακοκαιρίας.
i ptísi akiróthike lógho tis kakokerías
The flight was cancelled because of the bad weather.
Key Takeaways
- The core everyday pattern is preposition + accusative; it is a high-value default, not a claim that every construction with each form takes the same case. A smaller set takes the genitive.
- σε covers English to, at, in, and on and fuses obligatorily with the definite article.
- Compound prepositions such as πάνω σε and κάτω από inherit the case of their final preposition.
Related Topics
- The Accusative PrepositionsA1 — The core Modern Greek prepositions that take an accusative complement, from σε and από to μέχρι, χωρίς, παρά, and κατά.
- Preposition + Article: στον, στη, στοA1 — σε is the one Greek preposition that fuses with the article, and it fuses obligatorily — the full grid στον/στη(ν)/στο/στους/στις/στα plus the genitive στου/στης/στων, and why από, για and με only elide instead.
- Accusative After PrepositionsA1 — Every preposition you use in daily Greek — σε, από, με, για, μέχρι, χωρίς, προς — puts the following noun into the accusative, and σε fuses with the article to give στον, στη, στο; the genitive-taking prepositions are a small formal club you can safely postpone.
- 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.
- Formal Connectors From PrepositionsC1 — Recognition guide to the deep learned layer—βάσει, ένεκα, χάριν, δυνάμει, πλην, άνευ, and περί—in legal, academic, and journalistic Greek.