Greek law and administration preserve the densest learned layer of the modern language. A form may call an applicant ο αιτών, a letter may begin διά της παρούσης, and a notice may request action with παρακαλείσθε όπως. These formulas are current in their domains but conspicuous elsewhere. Learn to unpack them into ordinary Modern Greek before trying to reproduce them.
Recognition first
Legal wording aims to define participants, scope, duties, exceptions, and consequences with stable reusable formulas. That stability keeps inherited morphology alive. It can also make a sentence harder to process, because one participle or nominal phrase may replace a full relative clause.
Ο αιτών υποχρεούται να προσκομίσει τα απαιτούμενα δικαιολογητικά εντός δέκα ημερών.
o etón ipochreúete na proskomísi ta apetúmena dhikeoloyitiká endós dhéka imerón.
The applicant is required to produce the necessary supporting documents within ten days. (legal/administrative)
Αυτός που κάνει την αίτηση πρέπει να φέρει τα απαραίτητα έγγραφα μέσα σε δέκα μέρες.
aftós pu káni tin étisi prépi na féri ta aparétita éngrafa mésa se dhéka méres.
The person applying must bring the necessary documents within ten days. (everyday paraphrase)
The first version is not a code to imitate in a normal email. Its value is compact reference: once ο αιτών has been defined, the document can use the same label throughout.
Ο υπογράφων and ο αιτών
Ο υπογράφων “the undersigned / the man signing” and ο αιτών “the male applicant” are declined active participles in -ων. Feminine forms are η υπογράφουσα and η αιτούσα; plurals include οι υπογράφοντες and οι αιτούντες. The article and ending identify gender, number, and case.
Ο υπογράφων δηλώνει ότι έλαβε γνώση όλων των όρων της σύμβασης.
o ipoghráfon dhilóni óti élave ghnósi ólon ton óron tis símvasis.
The undersigned declares that he has read and understood all the terms of the contract. (legal)
Η αιτούσα φέρει την ευθύνη για την ακρίβεια των δηλωθέντων στοιχείων.
i etúsa féri tin efthíni ya tin akrívia ton dhilothéndon stichíon.
The female applicant bears responsibility for the accuracy of the information declared. (legal)
Δηλωθέντων is another learned participle, here genitive plural “of the declared [items].” Contemporary forms may replace such compression with των στοιχείων που δηλώθηκαν. The participles remain adjectival and agree; they are not uninflected titles.
Εν, διά, υπό, κατά
These inherited prepositions survive in fixed frames with different case patterns. Do not memorize them as four direct equivalents of modern σε, με, από, εναντίον.
| Form | Legal/official frame | Everyday decoding |
|---|---|---|
| εν | εν ισχύι, εν γνώσει, εν προκειμένω | σε ισχύ, γνωρίζοντας, σε αυτή την περίπτωση |
| διά + genitive | διά της παρούσης, διά της νομίμου οδού | με αυτό το έγγραφο, μέσω της νόμιμης διαδικασίας |
| υπό + accusative | υπό την προϋπόθεση ότι | με την προϋπόθεση ότι |
| υπό + genitive | agent in older highly formal passives | από + accusative |
| κατά + genitive | κατά της απόφασης | εναντίον της απόφασης |
| κατά + accusative | κατά τον νόμο, κατά τα ανωτέρω | σύμφωνα με τον νόμο, σύμφωνα με τα παραπάνω |
Η άδεια τελεί υπό την προϋπόθεση ότι θα τηρηθούν οι κανόνες ασφαλείας.
i ádhia telí ipó tin proipóthesi óti tha tirithún i kanónes asfalías.
The permit is conditional on compliance with the safety rules. (legal/formal)
Η προσφυγή στρέφεται κατά της διοικητικής απόφασης.
i prosfiyí stréfete katá tis dhiikitikís apófasis.
The appeal is directed against the administrative decision. (legal)
Η αίτηση εξετάζεται κατά τα οριζόμενα στο άρθρο 5.
i étisi eksetázete katá ta orizómena sto árthro pénte.
The application is examined in accordance with the provisions of Article 5. (legal)
Εν is not productive: the dative forms inside its phrases are fossils. Υπό and κατά change meaning with case and collocation, so the following noun phrase is part of what must be decoded.
Διά της παρούσης
Διά της παρούσης literally means “by means of the present [letter/document]” and functions like “hereby / by this letter” (legal/official). The omitted feminine noun may be επιστολής, δήλωσης, or another document recoverable from context. Παρούσης retains learned genitive morphology.
Διά της παρούσης σας γνωστοποιούμε την απόφαση του διοικητικού συμβουλίου.
dhiá tis parúsis sas ghnostopiúme tin apófasi tu dhiikitikú simvulíu.
By this letter, we hereby notify you of the board's decision. (official)
Με αυτή την επιστολή σας ενημερώνουμε για την απόφαση του συμβουλίου.
me aftí tin epistolí sas enimerónume ya tin apófasi tu simvulíu.
With this letter, we inform you about the board's decision. (clear current paraphrase)
The current paraphrase is appropriate in most professional correspondence. The inherited formula remains conventional in declarations, notices, and deliberately formal administrative templates.
Παρακαλείσθε όπως
Παρακαλείσθε is a learned second-person plural mediopassive: “you are requested.” It is followed in this official formula by όπως + finite verb form, without να. The construction politely encodes an instruction, not a tentative personal favor.
Παρακαλείσθε όπως προσκομίσετε αντίγραφο της ταυτότητάς σας κατά την είσοδο.
parakalísthe ópos proskomísete andíghrafo tis taftótitás sas katá tin ísodho.
You are requested to present a copy of your identity card upon entry. (official notice)
Παρακαλούμε να έχετε μαζί σας ένα αντίγραφο της ταυτότητάς σας.
parakalúme na échete mazí sas éna andíghrafo tis taftótitás sas.
Please have a copy of your identity card with you. (clear current alternative)
The impersonal passive page explains why such notices favor passive and learned forms. In face-to-face interaction, use an imperative or παρακαλούμε να, not the public-address-system formula.
δυνάμει του νόμου, εφεξής, ως ακολούθως
Three phrases recur so often that recognizing them transforms contract reading:
- δυνάμει + genitive “by virtue of,” normally citing legal authority;
- εφεξής “henceforth,” defining the shortened name used later in the document;
- ως ακολούθως “as follows,” introducing an enumerated statement or list.
Η αρμοδιότητα αυτή ασκείται δυνάμει του άρθρου δώδεκα του νόμου.
i armodhiótita aftí askíte dhinámi tu árthru dhódheka tu nómu.
This power is exercised by virtue of Article Twelve of the law. (legal)
Η εταιρεία Άλφα, εφεξής καλούμενη «η Εταιρεία», εδρεύει στην Αθήνα.
i etería Álfa, efeksís kalúmeni «i Etería», edhrévi stin Athína.
Alpha Company, hereinafter referred to as “the Company,” has its registered office in Athens. (contract)
Τα συμβαλλόμενα μέρη συμφωνούν ως ακολούθως: πρώτον, τηρείται απόλυτη εχεμύθεια.
ta simvalómena méri simfonún os akolúthos: próton, tiríte apóliti echemíthia.
The contracting parties agree as follows: first, strict confidentiality shall be maintained. (contract)
In the last example συμβαλλόμενα means “contracting,” not simply “participating.” Legal vocabulary often specializes a common-looking participle.
Reading obligations, permissions, and termination
Legal verbs distinguish what a party must, may, or can have done to it. Υποχρεούται να imposes a duty; δικαιούται να grants a right; δύναται να is a learned “may/can”; λύεται and καταγγέλλεται describe termination under different legal mechanisms. Do not translate every form as vague English shall.
Ο μισθωτής δικαιούται να καταγγείλει τη σύμβαση με έγγραφη προειδοποίηση τριάντα ημερών.
o misthotís dhikeúte na katangíli ti símvasi me éngrafi proidhopíisi triánda imerón.
The tenant is entitled to terminate the contract with thirty days' written notice. (legal)
The grammatical subject identifies the holder of the right. A passive or impersonal version may instead foreground the contract or procedure, so always locate the subject before deciding who owes what.
Monotonic presentation and older documents
All examples here use current monotonic orthography. Older statutes, church-influenced formulas, or unrevised templates may be polytonic. Preserve polytonic only in an exact quotation; normalize it mentally for reading, then solve the older vocabulary and syntax separately.
Common Mistakes
Producing officialese in an ordinary professional email
Διά της παρούσης is valid but often heavier than the task requires. Clear current Standard Greek can remain fully formal.
✅ Σας ενημερώνουμε ότι το αίτημά σας εγκρίθηκε.
✅ Sas enimerónume óti to étimá sas engríthike.
We inform you that your request has been approved. (clear formal)
Reading ο αιτών as an uninflected label
It is a participle and agrees: ο αιτών, η αιτούσα, οι αιτούντες. Case changes it as well: του αιτούντος.
✅ Πρέπει να βεβαιωθεί το γνήσιο της υπογραφής του αιτούντος.
✅ Prépi na veveothí to ghnísio tis ipoghrafís tu etúndos.
The authenticity of the applicant's signature must be certified. (official)
Adding να after Παρακαλείσθε όπως
The inherited formula uses όπως προσκομίσετε, without να. In plainer current prose, switch the entire frame to παρακαλούμε να προσκομίσετε.
✅ Παρακαλούμε να συμπληρώσετε όλα τα υποχρεωτικά πεδία.
✅ Parakalúme na simplirósete óla ta ipochreotiká pedhía.
Please complete all required fields.
Losing the genitive after δυνάμει
Δυνάμει is a frozen dative connector whose modern complement is genitive: δυνάμει του νόμου. Learn the whole frame rather than trying to decline δυνάμει.
✅ Η αποζημίωση χορηγείται δυνάμει της σχετικής υπουργικής απόφασης.
✅ I apozimíosi choryíte dhinámi tis schetikís ipuryikís apófasis.
Compensation is granted by virtue of the relevant ministerial decision. (legal)
Key Takeaways
- Legal Greek is recognition-first: unpack participles, nominalizations, and inherited prepositions into current clauses.
- Ο υπογράφων / η υπογράφουσα and ο αιτών / η αιτούσα are declined participles, not fixed labels.
- Learn εν, διά, υπό, κατά inside their attested frames and case meanings.
- Διά της παρούσης, παρακαλείσθε όπως, δυνάμει του νόμου, εφεξής, and ως ακολούθως are stable document formulas.
- Current formal correspondence need not imitate the most archaizing legal templates.
Related Topics
- Katharevousa SurvivalsC1 — Recognize the frozen datives, learned participles, prepositions, genitives, and official formulas that survive in formal Modern Greek.
- 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.
- Impersonal and Agentless PassivesB2 — The two routes Greek uses to keep the doer out of the sentence: mediopassive forms in signs, notices and reports — including completed agentless events such as Ανακοινώθηκε and Δόθηκε — and the everyday subjectless third-person plural (Μου έκλεψαν το πορτοφόλι, Λένε ότι…).