A Greek finite verb agrees with its subject in person and number, whether that subject comes before the verb, follows it, or stays unspoken. English marks agreement weakly (I play but she plays); Greek verb endings make it central to sentence structure.
Singular and plural subjects
A grammatically singular subject takes a singular verb; a grammatically plural subject takes a plural verb.
Ο μαθητής γράφει στον πίνακα.
o mathitís ghráfi ston pínaka
The student is writing on the board.
Οι μαθητές γράφουν στον πίνακα.
i mathités ghráfun ston pínaka
The students are writing on the board.
Η φίλη μου μένει κοντά.
i fíli mu méni kondá
My friend lives nearby.
Οι φίλες μου μένουν κοντά.
i fíles mu ménun kondá
My friends live nearby.
The noun phrase and verb change together: ο μαθητής γράφει → οι μαθητές γράφουν, η φίλη μένει → οι φίλες μένουν. The article signals number before the listener even reaches the verb.
Agreement in person
When the subject is a speaker or addressee, the verb also matches first, second, or third person.
| Subject | Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| εγώ | μένω | I live/stay |
| εσύ | μένεις | you live/stay |
| αυτός / αυτή / αυτό | μένει | he/she/it lives/stays |
| εμείς | μένουμε | we live/stay |
| εσείς | μένετε | you live/stay |
| αυτοί / αυτές / αυτά | μένουν | they live/stay |
Εγώ μένω στην Αθήνα, αλλά εσύ μένεις στον Πειραιά.
eghó méno stin Athína, alá esí ménis ston Pireá
I live in Athens, but you live in Piraeus. (contrastive subjects)
The pronouns appear because the speakers are contrasted. Neutral Μένω στην Αθήνα is complete: agreement still operates when the subject is silent. Agreement and pro-drop are two sides of one system.
Agreement survives flexible word order
The subject need not stand before the verb. A postverbal nominative controls exactly the same agreement.
Έφτασε το λεωφορείο.
éftase to leoforío
The bus arrived.
Έφτασαν τα λεωφορεία μαζί.
éftasan ta leoforía mazí
The buses arrived together.
The postverbal nominative is the subject: singular το λεωφορείο selects έφτασε, while plural τα λεωφορεία selects έφτασαν. Find the nominative phrase rather than assuming that the first noun controls agreement.
Subjects joined by και
Two singular subjects joined by και denote more than one participant and therefore take a plural verb.
Ο Γιάννης και η Μαρία ήρθαν νωρίς.
o Yánis ke i María írthan norís
Yannis and Maria came early.
Η μητέρα μου και ο πατέρας μου δουλεύουν στο κέντρο.
i mitéra mu ke o patéras mu dhulévun sto kéndro
My mother and father work in the city center.
The conjunction creates one plural subject although each noun is singular. Mixed grammatical persons follow rules covered on coordination and agreement; the A1 rule is X και Y → plural verb.
Collective subjects: grammatical form comes first
A collective noun refers to many individuals but has singular grammatical form. The neutral and formal default is therefore singular agreement.
Ο κόσμος λέει ότι το μαγαζί θα κλείσει.
o kózmos léi óti to maghazí tha klísi
People say the shop is going to close.
Η πλειοψηφία θεωρεί σωστή την απόφαση.
i pliopsifía theorí sostí tin apófasi
The majority considers the decision correct. (neutral/formal agreement)
Η ομάδα μας παίζει πολύ καλά φέτος.
i omádha mas pézi polí kalá fétos
Our team is playing very well this year.
English creates a transfer trap: people is plural, and British English allows the team are. Produce ο κόσμος λέει, η ομάδα παίζει, η πλειοψηφία θεωρεί as the dependable Greek default.
Spontaneous speech sometimes lets meaning override singular form when speakers mentally unpack a collective into its members. Plural agreement with ο κόσμος or another collective is therefore licensed in suitable colloquial contexts, not impossible. Semantic agreement and mismatches covers its registers; at A1, produce the singular default.
Neuter plurals take plural verbs in Modern Greek
Modern Greek treats a neuter plural subject like every other plural subject.
Τα παιδιά παίζουν στο πάρκο.
ta pedhiá pézun sto párko
The children are playing in the park.
Τα φώτα έσβησαν ξαφνικά.
ta fóta ézvisan ksafniká
The lights went out suddenly.
Ancient Greek allowed a neuter plural with a singular verb. That historical rule does not govern ordinary Modern Greek: τα παιδιά παίζουν, τα φώτα έσβησαν. Modern number agreement is simpler.
Mass nouns and plural-looking meanings
A mass noun also agrees according to its Greek grammatical number. Singular το νερό takes a singular verb, while plural nouns such as τα χρήματα “money” take a plural verb even when English uses a singular mass noun.
Το νερό βράζει ήδη.
to neró vrázi ídhi
The water is already boiling.
Τα χρήματα δεν φτάνουν για όλο τον μήνα.
ta chrímata dhen ftánun ya ólo ton mína
The money isn't enough for the whole month.
Agreement follows the Greek noun phrase, not its English translation. See mass and collective nouns for the lexical differences.
Common Mistakes
1. Giving a singular subject a plural verb.
❌ Το παιδί παίζουν μόνο του στην αυλή.
Incorrect—το παιδί is singular, so the verb must be παίζει.
✅ Το παιδί παίζει μόνο του στην αυλή.
to pedhí pézi móno tu stin avlí
The child is playing alone in the yard.
2. Keeping the verb singular after two subjects joined by και.
❌ Ο Γιάννης και η Μαρία ήρθε μαζί στη συνάντηση.
Incorrect—the coordinated subject is plural, so the verb must be ήρθαν.
✅ Ο Γιάννης και η Μαρία ήρθαν μαζί στη συνάντηση.
o Yánis ke i María írthan mazí sti sinándisi
Yannis and Maria came to the meeting together.
3. Using a singular verb with an ordinary plural noun.
❌ Οι φίλες μου μένει κοντά στο πανεπιστήμιο.
Incorrect—οι φίλες is plural, so the verb must be μένουν.
✅ Οι φίλες μου μένουν κοντά στο πανεπιστήμιο.
i fíles mu ménun kondá sto panepistímio
My friends live near the university.
Key Takeaways
- The verb agrees with its subject in person and number, even when the subject is silent or follows the verb.
- A subject X και Y takes plural agreement.
- Singular collectives normally take a singular verb: ο κόσμος λέει, η ομάδα παίζει; semantic plural agreement is a licensed advanced pattern, not an A1 default.
- Modern Greek neuter plurals take plural verbs: τα παιδιά παίζουν.
- Follow the grammatical number of the Greek noun, not its English translation: τα χρήματα δεν φτάνουν.
Related Topics
- Mass and Collective NounsB2 — How Greek handles the stuff you cannot count — το νερό, το ψωμί, ο καφές — when those nouns suddenly go plural (δύο καφέδες), how to measure them out (ένα ποτήρι νερό, λίγο ψωμί), and why ο κόσμος translates as people yet takes a stubbornly singular verb.
- Semantic Agreement and MismatchesC1 — Handle collective meaning, polite plural address, coordinated subjects, and mixed-gender groups where grammatical form and real-world reference pull agreement in different directions.
- 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.