English needs be at fault or be to blame where Greek has the compact verb φταίω. Its subject is the responsible person, circumstance, or thing. The emphatic Δεν φταίω εγώ is therefore natural in an argument: the strong pronoun contrasts who is responsible.
Δεν φταίω εγώ που ακυρώθηκε η συναυλία.
dhen ftéo eghó pu akiróthike i sinavlía
It's not my fault that the concert was cancelled.
Εσύ φταις που δεν κλείσαμε τραπέζι εγκαίρως.
esí ftes pu dhen klísame trapézi engéros
You're the reason we didn't book a table in time.
Principal parts
| Slot | Form | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Present | φταίω, φταις, φταίει, φταίμε, φταίτε, φταίνε / φταιν | φταις is one syllable; never ×φταίεις |
| Imperfect | έφταιγα | the stem gains γ |
| Aorist | έφταιξα | fault viewed as a bounded whole |
| Dependent | φταίξω | να φταίξω, θα φταίξω |
| Perfect | έχω φταίξει | |
| Imperative | φταίξε / φταίξτε(older paradigms) | grammatically recorded; ordinary current use is not established |
| Mediopassive / -μένος form | Does not exist: no ×φταίομαι and no verbal -μένος participle | |
The γ in έφταιγα belongs to the small vowel-final family, alongside έκλαιγα and έτρωγα. The ξ of έφταιξα is analogical, not evidence for a hidden velar. See vowel-final stems for the family rather than extending either alternation by guesswork.
The derived noun το φταίξιμο names the fault or blame, while ο φταίχτης / η φταίχτρα identifies the responsible person. These belong to the same family but do not change the verb's syntax: φταίω assigns responsibility; transitive κατηγορώ κάποιον explicitly accuses somebody.
Όταν χαλούσε κάτι, πάντα έφταιγε ο καιρός.
ótan chalúse káti, pánda éfteye o kerós
Whenever something went wrong, the weather was always to blame.
Όλοι φταίξαμε λίγο για το τελικό αποτέλεσμα.
óli ftéksame lígho ya to telikó apotélezma
We were all a little to blame for the final result.
Responsibility is normally assessed, not ordered. Older conjugation tables record the morphologically regular φταίξε / φταίξτε, so the forms should not be called nonexistent; ordinary current imperative use, however, is not established. Learn the forms for recognition, not as everyday commands.
Government
The responsible participant is nominative. Introduce the event or outcome with για + accusative, or use που + indicative to state the causal proposition. A direct accusative after φταίω is not the English object of blame.
Φταίει ο καιρός για τη μεγάλη καθυστέρηση.
ftéi o kerós ya ti megháli kathistérisi
The weather is to blame for the long delay.
Φταίω κι εγώ που δεν το έλεγξα νωρίτερα.
ftéo ki eghó pu dhen to élenksa norítera
I'm partly to blame too because I didn't check it earlier.
In Τι σου έφταιξα;, the genitive clitic names the person affected: literally, “In what way was I at fault to you?” It often challenges unfair treatment, not a request for a list of errors.
Τι σου έφταιξε ο γείτονας και του φώναξες έτσι;
ti su éftekse o yítonas ke tu fónakses étsi;
What did the neighbour ever do to you for you to shout at him like that?
Set phrases
- Δεν φταίω εγώ. — It is not my fault.
- Εσύ φταις. — You are to blame.
- Δεν φταίει κανείς. — Nobody is to blame.
- Τι σου έφταιξα; — What did I ever do to you?
- Δικό μου το φταίξιμο. — The fault is mine.
- ο φταίχτης / η φταίχτρα — the man / woman at fault
Δικό μου ήταν το φταίξιμο, όχι δικό σου.
dhikó mu ítan to ftéksimo, óchi dhikó su
It was my fault, not yours.
Αν δεν μιλήσουμε τώρα, θα φταίμε κι εμείς.
an dhen milísume tóra, tha ftéme ki emís
If we don't speak now, we'll be to blame too.
Apologies can acknowledge fault without repeating the verb; see apologizing.
Common Mistakes
Use φταις, not ×φταίεις, and έφταιγα, not ×έφταια. English “I blame you” is σε κατηγορώ or, with a change of perspective, εσύ φταις—never ×φταίω εσένα.
Key Takeaways
- φταίω · έφταιγα · έφταιξα · φταίξω · έχω φταίξει.
- The subject is who or what is responsible; use για or που for the cause or outcome.
- Older paradigms record φταίξε / φταίξτε, but ordinary current imperative use is not established. The mediopassive does not exist.
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