The Particle ας (let / let's) | Greek Grammar

The imperative can only reach the person in front of you — the second person. But we constantly want to urge on ourselves ("let's go") or wave through a third party ("let him come," "let them say what they like"). English uses the helper let for both; Greek uses the little particle ας, placed — like θα and να — right before the verb. ας is one of the four modal particles (θα, να, ας, μη(ν)), and its flavour is unmistakable: softer, more permissive, and often more resigned than a straight order. Where the imperative pushes, ας lets things happen.

First person: "let's / let me"

With a first-person-plural verb, ας means "let's." With a first-person-singular verb, it means "let me." The verb is a normal subjunctive form (usually perfective for a single act).

Ας ξεκινήσουμε επιτέλους, αργήσαμε κιόλας μισή ώρα.

as ksekinísume epitélus, aryísame kiólas misí óra

Let's finally get started — we're already half an hour late.

Ας δούμε τι θα πει ο γιατρός πρώτα και μετά αποφασίζουμε.

as dhúme ti tha pi o yatrós próta ke metá apofasízume

Let's see what the doctor says first, and then we'll decide.

Ας το σκεφτώ λίγο και σου απαντάω αύριο.

as to skeftó lígho ke su apandáo ávrio

Let me think about it a bit and I'll answer you tomorrow.

Greek can also do "let's" with να (να πάμε), so the two overlap here — but they are not identical. να πάμε is a proposal you expect to be taken up ("shall we go / we should go"); ας πάμε is gentler and more take-it-or-leave-it ("let's go, if you like"). ας rarely pressures.

Third person: "let him / let them"

This is the use with no clean imperative equivalent. ας + a third-person verb grants permission, or — very often — signals indifference: go ahead, it's not my problem.

Ας φύγει, δεν τον χρειαζόμαστε άλλο εδώ.

as fíyi, dhen ton chriazómaste álo edhó

Let him go — we don't need him here anymore.

Ας λένε ό,τι θέλουν, εγώ ξέρω την αλήθεια.

as léne óti thélun, eghó kséro tin alíthia

Let them say whatever they want — I know the truth.

Ας αποφασίσει η Μαρία, δικό της θέμα είναι στο κάτω κάτω.

as apofasísi i María, dhikó tis théma íne sto káto káto

Let Maria decide — it's her business, after all.

Note the aspect at work: ας λένε (imperfective) means "let them keep on saying it," which is exactly the dismissive, ongoing sense you want; a perfective ας πουν would mean "let them say it once."

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Aspect carries the attitude here. The dismissive "let them go on" needs the imperfective (ας λένε, ας κάνει ό,τι θέλει). Switch to the perfective (ας πει, ας κάνει) and you're back to a single, bounded act — the shrug of indifference is gone.

Concessive ας: "so be it"

Stretched a little further, ας accepts a situation you can't change — English "so be it / never mind / fine." The fossilised Ας είναι is the core phrase, and κι ας ("even though / even if") introduces a concession before an action.

Ας είναι, δεν πειράζει· θα τα ξαναπούμε την άλλη βδομάδα.

as íne, dhen pirázi· tha ta ksanapúme tin áli vdhomádha

So be it, never mind — we'll talk again next week.

Θα βγω για τρέξιμο, κι ας κάνει κρύο έξω.

tha vgho ya tréksimo, ki as káni krío ékso

I'm going out for a run, even though it's cold outside.

The reproach use: ας + past

There is one more, higher-register twist worth knowing so you recognise it: ας + a past tense turns into reproach — "you should have…," said with a shrug of blame (informal).

Ας ερχόσουν λίγο νωρίτερα, θα προλαβαίναμε το τρένο.

as erchósun lígho norítera, tha prolavéname to tréno

You should have come a bit earlier — we'd have caught the train.

Ας το σκεφτόσουν πριν αρχίσεις να παραπονιέσαι τώρα.

as to skeftósun prin archísis na paraponiése tóra

You should have thought about that before you started complaining now.

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Three ways to urge action, softest last: the imperative orders (Φύγε! — Go!); να proposes or expects (Να φύγεις — you should go); ας merely permits or gives up (Ας φύγει — let him go). Reach for ας when you're waving something through, not pushing it.

Negating with μην

ας is negated with μη(ν) — never δεν. The particle order is fixed: ας μην + verb.

Ας μην αρχίσουμε πάλι τα ίδια, σε παρακαλώ.

as min archísume páli ta ídhia, se parakaló

Let's not start all that again, please.

Ας μην του το πει κανείς, θα στεναχωρηθεί.

as min tu to pi kanís, tha stenachorithí

Let no one tell him — he'll be upset.

Like θα and να, ας occupies the single preverbal particle slot, so it can never stack with another particle (no θα ας, no ας να), and any weak pronoun follows it, never precedes it (ας το κάνει, not the other way round). The parallel first-person command uses of ας and να are drawn together on first-person commands.

Common Mistakes

1. Negating with δεν. ας belongs to the subjunctive world, which negates with μη(ν).

❌ Ας δεν πάμε σινεμά απόψε, είμαι κουρασμένος.

Incorrect — ας negates with μην: ας μην πάμε.

✅ Ας μην πάμε σινεμά απόψε, είμαι κουρασμένος.

as min páme sinemá apópse, íme kurazménos

Let's not go to the cinema tonight, I'm tired.

2. Putting the weak pronoun before ας. Clitics attach after the particle, exactly as with θα and να.

❌ Τους ας περιμένουμε λίγο ακόμα.

Incorrect — the clitic follows ας: ας τους περιμένουμε.

✅ Ας τους περιμένουμε λίγο ακόμα, θα έρθουν.

as tus periménume lígho akóma, tha érthun

Let's wait for them a little longer — they'll come.

3. Stacking ας with θα. Only one particle can fill the slot before the verb.

❌ Θα ας φύγουμε πριν αρχίσει η βροχή.

Incorrect — ας can't combine with θα: ας φύγουμε.

✅ Ας φύγουμε πριν αρχίσει η βροχή.

as fíghume prin archísi i vrochí

Let's leave before the rain starts.

4. Not conjugating for the third-person subject. "Let Maria decide" needs a third-person verb — the subject and the ending must agree.

❌ Ας αποφασίσω η Μαρία μόνη της.

Incorrect — the subject is 3rd person: ας αποφασίσει η Μαρία.

✅ Ας αποφασίσει η Μαρία μόνη της.

as apofasísi i María móni tis

Let Maria decide on her own.

Key Takeaways

ας + subjunctive fills the imperative's gaps: "let's / let me" (first person) and "let him / them" (third person).
Its tone is milder and more permissive than the imperative and softer than να — often outright resignation (Ας είναι — so be it).
Concessive κι ας = "even though"; ας + a past tense = reproach ("you should have…").
Negate with μη(ν); ας sits in the single particle slot, so no θα ας, and clitics follow it (ας το κάνει).
The third-person verb must agree with its own subject: ας αποφασίσει η Μαρία.

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