Εσύ μιλάς αγγλικά ή ελληνικά;

or

Breakdown of Εσύ μιλάς αγγλικά ή ελληνικά;

• εσύ: you
• μιλάω: to speak
• αγγλικά: in English

Questions & Answers about Εσύ μιλάς αγγλικά ή ελληνικά;

Why does the sentence end with a semicolon-looking mark?

In Greek, the character that looks like a semicolon (;) is the question mark. So ; in Greek equals ? in English. For an actual semicolon/colon in Greek, you’ll see a raised dot · (called άνω τελεία), though it’s rare in modern usage.

Do I need the pronoun Εσύ here?

No. Greek is a “pro-drop” language, so the subject pronoun is usually omitted. Μιλάς αγγλικά ή ελληνικά; is the most natural neutral version. Including Εσύ adds emphasis, roughly “Do you (as opposed to someone else) speak English or Greek?”

Why is there no article (like “the”) before αγγλικά/ελληνικά?

With verbs like μιλάω/μιλώ (to speak) and ξέρω (to know), languages are used without an article: Μιλάω ελληνικά, Ξέρω αγγλικά. Use the article when the language is the subject or otherwise specified: Τα ελληνικά είναι δύσκολα (“Greek is difficult”), Τα αγγλικά της είναι άπταιστα (“Her English is flawless”). Advanced: you may see topicalized patterns like Τα αγγλικά τα μιλάει πολύ καλά, but the default after μιλάω is no article.

Why are the words for languages plural (e.g., αγγλικά, ελληνικά)?