Greek weak pronouns live in front of the verb — Μου λέει, Σε βλέπω, Το ξέρω. Give somebody an order, though, and the pronoun hops to the other side: Πες μου, Δώσε μου, Πάρ' το. This page is the quick pattern, the five commands worth learning as whole words, and the single contrast you need at this level. Everything underneath it — the extra accent, the order when two pronouns pile up, the contracted forms — is worked out in full on clitics with the imperative, and this page hands you straight over to it.
The pattern
Positive command → the pronoun goes behind the verb and sticks to it.
Πες μου κάτι καλό, έχω χάλια μέρα.
pes mu káti kaló, écho chália méra
Tell me something nice, I'm having a rotten day.
Δώσε μου δύο λεπτά και είμαι έτοιμος.
dhóse mu dhío leptá ke íme étimos
Give me two minutes and I'm ready.
Ρώτα τον, αυτός ξέρει.
róta ton, aftós kséri
Ask him — he's the one who knows.
Five to learn whole
Do not build these from the rule each time. They are among the most frequent phrases in spoken Greek, and fluent speakers store them as single items.
| Command | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Πες μου | tell me | from λέω |
| Δώσε μου | give me | the everyday request word |
| Πάρ' το | take it, grab it | shortened from Πάρε το (informal) |
| Άσε με | leave me, let me | also "let it go": Άσ' το |
| Περίμενέ με | wait for me | note the two accents |
Πάρ' το, δικό σου είναι.
pár' to, dhikó su íne
Take it, it's yours.
Άσε με λίγο, θέλω να ηρεμήσω.
áse me lígho, thélo na iremíso
Leave me alone for a bit, I want to calm down.
Περίμενέ με στη γωνία, έρχομαι σε πέντε λεπτά.
perímené me sti ghonía, érchome se pénde leptá
Wait for me on the corner, I'll be there in five minutes.
When two pronouns follow — the person and the thing — the person comes first: Δώσε μού το, Φέρε μάς το. The reason and the drill are on two clitics together.
Say no and it goes back in front
This is the whole contrast at A2. A negative "command" in Greek is not an imperative at all — it is μη(ν) plus an ordinary verb form — so the pronoun returns to its normal place in front. Learn the pairs together.
Φέρε μου ένα ποτήρι νερό.
fére mu éna potíri neró
Bring me a glass of water.
Μη μου φέρνεις άλλο νερό, δεν διψάω.
mi mu férnis álo neró, dhen dhipsáo
Don't bring me any more water, I'm not thirsty.
Μην τον ρωτάς τώρα, είναι νευριασμένος.
min ton rotás tóra, íne nevriazménos
Don't ask him right now, he's in a mood.
Positive Ρώτα τον and negative Μην τον ρωτάς — same verb, same pronoun, opposite sides. The rest of the prohibition system is on negative commands.
Common Mistakes
1. Putting the pronoun in front of a positive command. English keeps it after the verb in both directions, so learners copy the negative word order into the positive.
❌ Με άσε ήσυχο, δουλεύω.
Incorrect — a positive command takes the pronoun behind it: Άσε με.
✅ Άσε με ήσυχο, δουλεύω.
áse me ísicho, dhulévo
Leave me in peace, I'm working.
2. Leaving the pronoun behind the verb after μη(ν). Once μην is there, the sentence is no longer a command form.
❌ Μην ξεχάσεις το.
Incorrect — after μην the pronoun goes in front: Μην το ξεχάσεις.
✅ Μην το ξεχάσεις, είναι σημαντικό.
min to ksechásis, íne simandikó
Don't forget it, it's important.
3. Treating a να-clause as a command. Να μου πεις sounds like an instruction in English, but να makes it an ordinary clause.
❌ Να πεις μου τι έγινε.
Incorrect — after να the pronoun goes in front: Να μου πεις.
✅ Να μου πεις πώς πήγε η συνέντευξη.
na mu pis pos píye i sinéndefksi
Tell me how the interview went.
4. Thinking the polite plural behaves differently. It does not — a plural command is still a command.
❌ Μου πείτε πού είναι η στάση, παρακαλώ.
Incorrect — the plural command flips the pronoun too: Πείτε μου.
✅ Πείτε μου πού είναι η στάση, παρακαλώ.
píte mu pu íne i stási, parakaló
Could you tell me where the bus stop is, please?
Key Takeaways
- Positive command → pronoun behind the verb: Πες μου, Δώσε μου, Πάρ' το, Άσε με, Περίμενέ με.
- Negative → pronoun back in front: Μην το ξεχάσεις, Μη μου φέρνεις, Μην τον ρωτάς.
- The plural/polite command works exactly the same way: Πείτε μου.
- Only a bare command flips it. Put να or μην in front and the pronoun returns to its normal place.
- Learn the five commands above as whole words, accents and apostrophes included.
Now practice Greek
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Greek →Related Topics
- Clitics With the ImperativeB1 — Why weak pronouns jump to the far side of a positive command (Πες μου, Δώσε μού το) — the enclitic order, the second accent, the apostrophe contraction, and the way the negative flips them straight back in front.
- Two Clitics TogetherB1 — Greek stacks the indirect and the direct object in front of the verb as a single block — Μου το έδωσε, Σου τα άφησα, Της την πήρε — in the fixed order genitive then accusative, the mirror image of English 'gave it to me'. The order, the everyday clusters worth memorising whole, and why nothing may ever slip between the two little words.
- Where Clitics GoA2 — One rule covers almost every weak pronoun in Greek: it stands immediately in front of the finite verb with nothing allowed in between — Το βλέπω, Δεν σε ξέρω, Θα σου το πω, Να με πάρεις. Two contexts send it behind instead. Includes the full list of what stacks in front of the verb, why an adverb can never squeeze in, and why Greek keeps the clitic with its own verb instead of moving it up.