Τι είναι αυτό;

to be

Breakdown of Τι είναι αυτό;

• αυτός: this
• τι: what

Questions & Answers about Τι είναι αυτό;

How do you pronounce it?

Pronunciation: Ti íne aftó? (IPA: [ti ˈine afˈto]). Stress: είναι = [ˈíne]; αυτό = [afˈtó]. Note that αυ becomes [f] before a voiceless consonant like τ, so αυτό sounds like [aftó], not [avtó].

Why is there a semicolon at the end?

In Greek, the symbol ; is the question mark. The raised middle dot · (άνω τελεία) is used like a semicolon/colon.

Does it mean “What’s this?” or “What’s that?”

Both, depending on context. αυτό literally means “this (near me/us).” For something farther away, you can use εκείνο: Τι είναι εκείνο; You may also hear Τι είναι αυτό εκεί; (“What’s that over there?”).

Why is αυτό neuter?

Greek defaults to the neuter for unknown or inanimate things. Once you name the item, it has its own grammatical gender (e.g., ο υπολογιστής = masculine). Forms: masculine αυτός, feminine αυτή, neuter αυτό, plural αυτά.

What is the normal word order? Can I say Αυτό τι είναι;?

The neutral order is Τι είναι αυτό; You can also say Αυτό τι είναι; to put emphasis on “this.” But Τι αυτό είναι; is not idiomatic.

What’s the difference between τι and ποιος/ποιο?

τι asks “what?” about a thing or category: Τι είναι αυτό; “What is this?” ποιος/ποια/ποιο ask “who?/which?”: Ποιος είναι αυτός; “Who is this (man)?” or Ποιο βιβλίο είναι αυτό; “Which book is this?”

Do I need an accent on τι (as τί)?

In modern usage, interrogative τι is usually written without an accent. You may see τί in older texts or for emphasis/exclamation (e.g., Τί ωραία!), but for straightforward questions τι is standard.

What form of the verb is είναι?

είναι is the 3rd person of είμαι “to be,” and it serves for both singular and plural in the present: it means “is/are.” Examples: Τι είναι αυτό; “What is this?” Τι είναι αυτά; “What are these?”

Why isn’t there an article?

αυτό here is a demonstrative pronoun and stands alone, so no article is used. With a noun, use demonstrative + article + noun: Αυτό το βιβλίο “this book,” Εκείνο το σπίτι “that house.”

What intonation should I use?

Wh-questions typically have falling intonation. Start higher on Τι and fall toward the end: Ti Íne aftó↘.

Does τι change with gender or number?

No. τι is indeclinable in modern Greek. For plural, change only the demonstrative: Τι είναι αυτά; “What are these?”

Can I use this for people?

Not for “who.” Τι είναι αυτός/αυτή; means “What is he/she?” (often about occupation, or dismissively by tone). To ask “Who is this?” say Ποιος είναι αυτός; / Ποια είναι αυτή;

Are there informal variants?

Yes:

• Τι ’ναι αυτό; (contracted είναι; casual speech)
• Αυτό τι είναι; (fronting for emphasis)
• Τι είναι αυτό εδώ; / Τι είναι αυτό εκεί; (“this here”/“that there”)

How do I type the Greek question mark?

Type the semicolon character ;. In Greek typography, that glyph functions as the question mark. The raised dot · is a different mark.