The Particle ας (let / let's)

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)). It often sounds permissive, concessive or resigned, although context can make it a lively proposal or a sharp reproach.

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: perfective when the proposal is viewed as bounded, imperfective when it is viewed internally or as an open policy.

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 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 make first-person proposals with να or a bare plural form. Their ranked contrast belongs on first-person commands; here the point is simply that ας is the particle used across all the meanings on this page.

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.

Ας πουν κι αυτοί τη γνώμη τους και μετά αποφασίζουμε.

as pun ki aftí ti ghnómi tus ke metá apofasízume

Let them have their say too, and then we'll decide. (bounded contribution → perfective)

Note the aspect at work: ας λένε (imperfective) opens an ongoing stretch of talk; ας πουν (perfective) grants a bounded contribution. Either can sound permissive or dismissive. Aspect shapes the event's contour, while the attitude comes from ας plus context; a finite series may also be packaged perfectively.

💡

A single situation need not be perfective, and a dismissive reading need not be imperfective. Compare ongoing ας λένε ό,τι θέλουν with bounded ας πουν ό,τι θέλουν: both are grammatical, and both can carry a shrug.

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 fixed expression ας όψεται / ας όψονται identifies someone or something as responsible for a bad outcome — roughly "X is to blame."

Ας όψεται ο Γιώργος που μας έπεισε να έρθουμε με τέτοια βροχή.

as ópsete o Yórghos pu mas épise na érthume me tétia vrochí

George is to blame for persuading us to come in weather like this.

The reproach use: ας + past

There is one more twist worth knowing: ας + a past tense turns into an informal reproach — "you should have…," said with blame or exasperation.

Ας πρόσεχες λίγο περισσότερο· τώρα είναι αργά.

as próseches lígho perisótero· tóra íne arghá

You should have been a little more careful; now it's too late.

Ας μην τα έλεγες όλα· τώρα το έμαθαν όλοι.

as min ta éleghes óla· tóra to émathan óli

You shouldn't have told them everything; now everyone knows.

💡

Past morphology changes the force of ας. With a present-dependent form it normally permits or proposes; with an imperfect or a past negative, it conventionally looks back and blames: Ας πρόσεχες, Ας μην τα έλεγες όλα.

Negating with μην

ας is negated with μη(ν) — never δεν. The particle order is fixed: ας μη(ν) + verb, with ν retained or dropped by the normal sound rule.

Ας μη μιλάει τόσο δυνατά· κοιμάται το μωρό.

as mi milái tóso dhinatá· kimáte to moró

Let him not talk so loudly; the baby is asleep.

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 έρθει απόψε, είναι κουρασμένος.

Incorrect — ας negates with μην: ας μην έρθει.

✅ Ας μην έρθει απόψε, είναι κουρασμένος.

as min érthi apópse, íne kurazménos

Let him not come tonight; he's tired.

2. Using ας as a complement linker. After verbs such as θέλω and impersonal πρέπει, Greek selects να, not ας. The complement pattern is mapped on modal particles.

3. Reading every third-person ας as neutral permission. In context, ας λένε ό,τι θέλουν is commonly dismissive: the speaker withdraws concern rather than politely granting permission.

The separate word-order rule is simple: ας occupies the particle slot by itself, and clitics follow it (ας το κάνει). Do not stack it with θα or να.

Key Takeaways

ας + subjunctive fills the imperative's gaps: "let's / let me" (first person) and "let him / them" (third person).
It is often permissive, concessive or resigned, but context can make it an energetic proposal or a sharp past reproach.
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).
Aspect remains a viewpoint choice: perfective packages a bounded act or finite series; imperfective presents an internal, ongoing or open view.

First person: "let's / let me"

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 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.

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.

Ας πουν κι αυτοί τη γνώμη τους και μετά αποφασίζουμε.

as pun ki aftí ti ghnómi tus ke metá apofasízume

Let them have their say too, and then we'll decide. (bounded contribution → perfective)

💡

Concessive ας: "so be it"

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 fixed expression ας όψεται / ας όψονται identifies someone or something as responsible for a bad outcome — roughly "X is to blame."

Ας όψεται ο Γιώργος που μας έπεισε να έρθουμε με τέτοια βροχή.

as ópsete o Yórghos pu mas épise na érthume me tétia vrochí

George is to blame for persuading us to come in weather like this.

The reproach use: ας + past

There is one more twist worth knowing: ας + a past tense turns into an informal reproach — "you should have…," said with blame or exasperation.

Ας πρόσεχες λίγο περισσότερο· τώρα είναι αργά.

as próseches lígho perisótero· tóra íne arghá

You should have been a little more careful; now it's too late.

Ας μην τα έλεγες όλα· τώρα το έμαθαν όλοι.

as min ta éleghes óla· tóra to émathan óli

You shouldn't have told them everything; now everyone knows.

💡

Negating with μην

ας is negated with μη(ν) — never δεν. The particle order is fixed: ας μη(ν) + verb, with ν retained or dropped by the normal sound rule.

Ας μη μιλάει τόσο δυνατά· κοιμάται το μωρό.

as mi milái tóso dhinatá· kimáte to moró

Let him not talk so loudly; the baby is asleep.

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.

Common Mistakes

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

❌ Ας δεν έρθει απόψε, είναι κουρασμένος.

Incorrect — ας negates with μην: ας μην έρθει.

✅ Ας μην έρθει απόψε, είναι κουρασμένος.

as min érthi apópse, íne kurazménos

Let him not come tonight; he's tired.

2. Using ας as a complement linker. After verbs such as θέλω and impersonal πρέπει, Greek selects να, not ας. The complement pattern is mapped on modal particles.

The separate word-order rule is simple: ας occupies the particle slot by itself, and clitics follow it (ας το κάνει). Do not stack it with θα or να.

Key Takeaways

ας + subjunctive fills the imperative's gaps: "let's / let me" (first person) and "let him / them" (third person).
It is often permissive, concessive or resigned, but context can make it an energetic proposal or a sharp past reproach.
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).
Aspect remains a viewpoint choice: perfective packages a bounded act or finite series; imperfective presents an internal, ongoing or open view.

First person: "let's / let me"

Third person: "let him / let them"

Concessive ας: "so be it"

The reproach use: ας + past

Negating with μην

Common Mistakes

Key Takeaways

Related Topics

The Particle ας (let / let's)

First person: "let's / let me"

Third person: "let him / let them"

Concessive ας: "so be it"

The reproach use: ας + past

Negating with μην

Common Mistakes

Key Takeaways

Related Topics