Correlative constructions organize one relation in two linked parts: όσο…τόσο sets two changing scales against each other, τόσο…που links degree to result, and pairs such as άλλος…άλλος distribute different members. The first half creates an expectation that the second half completes, so placement and parallel structure matter as much as the individual words.
όσο…τόσο: two scales change together
The high-frequency proportional pattern όσο X, τόσο Y means “the more X, the more Y,” or with a negative scale, “the less X, the less Y.” Each half contains a measure expression, often a comparative.
Όσο περνούν οι μέρες, τόσο νιώθω καλύτερα.
óso pernún i méres, tóso niótho kalítera
The more the days pass, the better I feel.
Όσο περισσότερο τον γνωρίζω, τόσο πιο πολύ τον εκτιμώ.
óso perisótero ton ghnorízo, tóso pio polí ton ektimó
The more I get to know him, the more I appreciate him.
Όσο λιγότερο κοιμάσαι, τόσο δυσκολότερα συγκεντρώνεσαι.
óso lighótero kimáse, tóso dhiskolótera singendrónese
The less you sleep, the harder it is to concentrate.
English signals this construction with two instances of the, although neither is an article. Greek is more transparent: όσο establishes the changing degree and τόσο measures the matching consequence. The first clause commonly comes first, but inversion is possible when discourse makes the result the starting point.
τόσο…που and τέτοιος…που: degree produces a result
In τόσο…που, τόσο modifies an adjective, adverb, or quantity, and the που-clause states the actual result. This is neutral and frequent in speech. Τόσο…ώστε is more common in (formal) writing; ώστε να can present a contemplated or potential result, a distinction developed on result conjunctions.
Μιλούσαν τόσο δυνατά που τους άκουγε όλος ο δρόμος.
milúsan tóso dhinatá pu tus ákughe ólos o dhrómos
They were talking so loudly that the whole street could hear them.
Η εξήγηση ήταν τόσο σαφής ώστε κανείς δεν ζήτησε διευκρινίσεις.
i eksíyisi ítan tóso safís óste kanís dhen zítise dhiefkrinísis
The explanation was so clear that nobody asked for clarification. (formal)
With a noun, Greek uses inflected τέτοιος “such” or τόσος “so much/many.” The determiner agrees with that noun; the following result clause does not “agree” with it.
Έδειξε τέτοια ψυχραιμία που τους καθησύχασε όλους.
édhikse tétia psichremía pu tus kathisíchase ólus
She showed such composure that she reassured everyone.
Μαζεύτηκαν τόσοι δημοσιογράφοι που δεν χωρούσαν στην αίθουσα.
mazéftikan tósi dhimosioghráfi pu dhen chorúsan stin éthusa
So many journalists gathered that they did not fit in the room.
The difficult point is local agreement: τέτοια ψυχραιμία, τόσοι δημοσιογράφοι, but invariable adverbial τόσο σαφής. See τέτοιος and τόσος for the paradigms.
άλλος…άλλος: distributing members
Repeated άλλος assigns different states or actions to different members of an understood group: “one…, another…” or in the plural “some…, others….” Each form agrees with the participant it denotes.
Άλλος γελούσε, άλλος κοιτούσε το ρολόι κι άλλος είχε ήδη φύγει.
álos ghelúse, álos kitúse to rolói ki álos íche ídhi fíyi
One was laughing, another was looking at the clock, and another had already left.
Άλλοι ήθελαν να συνεχίσουν, άλλοι προτιμούσαν να σταματήσουν.
áli íthelan na sinechísun, áli protimúsan na stamatísun
Some wanted to continue; others preferred to stop.
This construction is neutral in both speech and writing. It does not identify the individuals; it partitions a contextually known set.
ό,τι…αυτό and όποιος…αυτός
A free relative can establish an open variable, while a demonstrative in the main clause resumes it. Ό,τι…αυτό corresponds to “whatever…, that…,” and όποιος…αυτός to “whoever…, that person….” The demonstrative is often omissible, but including it creates an explicit, balanced correspondence.
Ό,τι αποφασίσει η ομάδα, αυτό θα εφαρμόσουμε.
óti apofasísi i omádha, aftó tha efarmósume
Whatever the team decides, that is what we will implement.
Όποιος τελειώσει πρώτος, αυτός θα κλείσει το γραφείο.
ópios teliósi prótos, aftós tha klísi to ghrafío
Whoever finishes first will be the one to close the office.
Όποιον προτείνει η επιτροπή, αυτόν θα καλέσουμε σε συνέντευξη.
ópion protíni i epitropí, aftón tha kalésume se sinéndefksi
Whoever the committee recommends is the person we will invite to interview.
Case is assigned separately inside each clause. In the last example, όποιον is the object of προτείνει and αυτόν the object of θα καλέσουμε; their matching accusative reflects matching roles, not a special agreement command between the two halves. Gender and number follow the intended referent.
Parallelism and information structure
Correlatives are easiest to process when paired elements begin at parallel points. A noun phrase should balance a noun phrase, a comparative phrase another comparative phrase, and a clause another clause. Speakers can stretch this symmetry for rhetoric, especially in (literary) or (formal) prose, but the basic dependency must remain recoverable.
Όσο πιο απλή είναι η διαδικασία, τόσο λιγότερα λάθη γίνονται.
óso pio aplí íne i dhiadhikasía, tóso lighótera láthi yínonde
The simpler the procedure is, the fewer mistakes are made. (formal)
Common Mistakes
1. Confusing ό,τι “whatever” with ότι “that.”
❌ Ότι διαλέξεις, αυτό θα πληρώσω.
Incorrect—the free relative meaning ‘whatever’ requires the comma: ό,τι.
✅ Ό,τι διαλέξεις, αυτό θα πληρώσω.
óti dhialéksis, aftó tha pliróso
Whatever you choose, that is what I'll pay for.
2. Leaving τέτοιος uninflected before a feminine noun.
❌ Έκανε τέτοιο φασαρία που ξύπνησαν όλοι.
Incorrect—τέτοιος agrees with feminine φασαρία, so the form is τέτοια.
✅ Έκανε τέτοια φασαρία που ξύπνησαν όλοι.
ékane tétia fasaría pu ksípnisan óli
She made such a racket that everyone woke up.
3. Using nominative όποιος where the embedded verb needs an object.
❌ Όποιος καλέσεις, αυτόν θα δεχτούμε.
Incorrect—the person is the object of καλέσεις, so the free relative must be accusative όποιον.
✅ Όποιον καλέσεις, αυτόν θα δεχτούμε.
ópion kalésis, aftón tha dhechtúme
Whoever you invite, that is the person we will receive.
Key Takeaways
- όσο…τόσο correlates two changing degrees; τόσο/τέτοιος…που links degree or kind to an actual result.
- άλλος…άλλος distributes different members of an understood set.
- Free-relative pairs use ό,τι…αυτό and όποιος…αυτός; each clause assigns its own case.
- Agreement is local, while parallel placement makes the two-part dependency clear.
Related Topics
- τέτοιος and τόσοςB1 — Greek points at kinds and quantities the way it points at objects: τέτοιος is 'that sort of' and τόσος is 'that much', and both decline and agree — τέτοια προβλήματα, τόση ζέστη, τόσα λεφτά. The hard part is that τόσο is also an invariable adverb, so Είναι τόσο ωραία never agrees while Τόση ζέστη! always does.
- Result: ώστε, έτσι πουB2 — Greek distinguishes asserted consequences from contemplated results with ώστε, ώστε να, έτσι που, με αποτέλεσμα να, and τόσο/τέτοιος…που.
- Comparative ClausesB2 — Compare Greek propositions with απ' ό,τι and όσο, leave predictable material unspoken, and reject an alternative with παρά να.