A simple sentence contains one finite clause: one central verb and the phrases that belong to it. The safest Greek template is (subject) + verb + object, but the parentheses matter. The subject is often unspoken, not every verb takes an object, and case endings—not position alone—identify who does what.
The basic action clause
Start with three roles:
| Role | Greek marking | Question it answers |
|---|---|---|
| subject | nominative; controls verb agreement | who or what performs/is responsible for the event? |
| finite verb | person and number ending | what happens? |
| direct object | usually accusative | who or what is affected, seen, wanted, or known? |
Ο Γιάννης διαβάζει ένα βιβλίο στο μπαλκόνι.
o Yánis dhiavázi éna vivlío sto balkóni
Yannis is reading a book on the balcony.
Ο Γιάννης is nominative and controls third-person singular διαβάζει. Ένα βιβλίο is the accusative object. Στο μπαλκόνι adds a location; it is not another object.
Η Μαρία ανοίγει το παράθυρο τώρα.
i María aníyi to paráthiro tóra
Maria is opening the window now.
Οι γείτονες αγόρασαν καινούριο αυτοκίνητο.
i yítones aghórasan kenúrio aftokínito
The neighbours bought a new car.
Neutral basic word order is subject–verb–object. It is the right production template when no phrase is being contrasted. Greek later moves constituents for topic and focus, but their cases remain the same.
Agreement links the subject and verb
A finite verb agrees with its subject in person and number. Position does not change that relationship.
Το παιδί κοιμάται στον καναπέ.
to pedhí kimáte ston kanapé
The child is sleeping on the sofa.
Τα παιδιά κοιμούνται στον καναπέ.
ta pedhiá kimúnde ston kanapé
The children are sleeping on the sofa.
The subject may also follow the verb:
Έφτασε επιτέλους το λεωφορείο.
éftase epitélus to leoforío
The bus has finally arrived.
Το λεωφορείο is still the nominative subject and έφτασε still agrees with it. English depends heavily on a fixed subject position; Greek lets nominative case and the verb ending carry more of that work.
The subject can remain unspoken
Greek is a pro-drop language. A verb ending can identify first or second person without a separate pronoun, and context normally identifies a third-person subject.
Διαβάζω ένα βιβλίο στο μπαλκόνι.
dhiavázo éna vivlío sto balkóni
I'm reading a book on the balcony.
Μαγειρεύουμε για τους φίλους μας απόψε.
mayirévume ya tus fílus mas apópse
We're cooking for our friends tonight.
The endings -ω and -ουμε already mean “I” and “we.” Adding εγώ or εμείς normally adds emphasis, contrast, or topic continuity instead of merely completing the sentence. The full discourse rule belongs to pro-drop.
Direct and indirect objects
Most direct objects take the accusative. In neutral Standard Greek, a recipient or affected person often appears as a genitive clitic before the verb.
Η Άννα γράφει το μήνυμα.
i Ána ghráfi to mínima
Anna is writing the message.
Η Άννα μου γράφει ένα μήνυμα.
i Ána mu ghráfi éna mínima
Anna is writing me a message.
In the second sentence ένα μήνυμα remains the direct object, while μου is the genitive recipient, “to me.” The verb decides which complements it allows. Some verbs use σε + accusative instead of a genitive clitic, and those choices must be learned with the verb. Northern and Pontic varieties may instead use accusative recipient clitics; that coherent regional pattern is not an error, while this page's production template is neutral Standard Greek.
Του δίνω τα κλειδιά της αποθήκης.
tu dhíno ta klidhiá tis apothíkis
I'm giving him the storage-room keys.
Copula clauses
With είμαι, the sentence links the subject to an identity, profession, or description. The complement is not a direct object, so it does not become accusative; a predicate noun or adjective agrees with the subject.
Ο πατέρας μου είναι δάσκαλος.
o patéras mu íne dháskalos
My father is a teacher.
Η αδερφή μου είναι πολύ κουρασμένη σήμερα.
i adherfí mu íne polí kurazméni símera
My sister is very tired today.
Once the subject is clear, it can disappear here too:
Είναι δάσκαλος σε ένα σχολείο κοντά στην πλατεία.
íne dháskalos se éna scholío kondá stin platía
He is a teacher at a school near the square.
Existential clauses
To introduce something as existing or present, Greek uses υπάρχει / υπάρχουν, not a translated English dummy there.
Υπάρχει πρόβλημα με το ασανσέρ.
ipárchi próvlima me to asansér
There is a problem with the lift.
Υπάρχουν δύο ελεύθερες θέσεις δίπλα μας.
ipárchun dhío eléftheres thésis dhípla mas
There are two empty seats beside us.
Here the verb agrees with the following nominative phrase. The wider contrast with conversational έχει is on existential υπάρχει.
Reusable templates
| Purpose | Template |
|---|---|
| neutral action | subject-NOM + verb + object-ACC |
| known subject | verb + object-ACC |
| recipient (neutral Standard) | genitive clitic + verb + object-ACC |
| identity/description | (subject-NOM) + είμαι + predicate-NOM |
| existence | υπάρχει/υπάρχουν + subject-NOM |
Common Mistakes
1. Using an accusative predicate after είμαι.
❌ Ο πατέρας μου είναι τον δάσκαλο.
Incorrect—δάσκαλος identifies the subject and remains nominative.
✅ Ο πατέρας μου είναι δάσκαλος σε δημοτικό σχολείο.
o patéras mu íne dháskalos se dhimotikó scholío
My father is a teacher at a primary school.
2. Leaving a direct object in the nominative. The object of συναντώ must be accusative.
❌ Εγώ συναντώ ο Νίκος κάθε πρωί.
Incorrect—the object is τον Νίκο, not the nominative ο Νίκος.
✅ Συναντώ τον Νίκο κάθε πρωί.
sinandó ton Níko káthe proí
I run into Nikos every morning.
3. Leaving a plural subject with a singular verb.
❌ Οι φίλοι μου μένει κοντά.
Incorrect—the plural subject οι φίλοι requires μένουν.
✅ Οι φίλοι μου μένουν κοντά.
i fíli mu ménun kondá
My friends live nearby.
Key Takeaways
- A simple clause centers on one finite verb; neutral transitive order is subject–verb–object.
- The nominative subject controls agreement, direct objects are normally accusative, and recipients may be genitive.
- Subject pronouns are optional because the verb ending marks person and number.
- Copula complements identify or describe the subject; existential υπάρχει/υπάρχουν introduces a new entity.
Related Topics
- Basic Word Order (SVO)A1 — Build neutral Greek statements with subject–verb–object order, then use nominative and accusative marking to keep the roles clear.
- Nominative: The SubjectA1 — The case of the doer — how the nominative marks the subject, why the verb ending lets Greek drop it altogether, why the subject can sit after the verb without confusion, and the verbs like μου αρέσει where the English subject turns out not to be the Greek one.
- Existential υπάρχει (there is/are)A2 — Use υπάρχει or υπάρχουν with a following nominative noun to say ‘there is/are,’ without an English-style dummy ‘there’; colloquial speech also uses existential έχει.
- Dropping the Subject (Pro-Drop)A1 — Greek verb endings identify the subject, so pronouns and familiar noun subjects normally stay unspoken unless contrast or clarity requires them.