Έχεις νερό;

Do you have water?

Breakdown of Έχεις νερό;

• το νερό: the water
• έχω: to have

Questions & Answers about Έχεις νερό;

How do I pronounce Έχεις νερό;?

• IPA: [ˈeçis neˈro]
• Rough guide: EH-hees ne-RO
• Notes:
  • χ in έχεις is a fricative, not English h. Before e/i it’s the softer [ç] (like German ich).
  • ρ is a quick tapped r.
  • The accent marks show stress: first syllable in Έχεις, last syllable in νερό.

Why does the sentence end with a semicolon?

In Greek, the semicolon (;) is the question mark. So Έχεις νερό; is a yes/no question. A statement would be Έχεις νερό. with a period.

Why is there no word for English do or any?

• Greek doesn’t use a helper like English do; you just use the verb with question intonation.
• Mass nouns like νερό can appear without an article to mean “any/some water.” To be explicit, add λίγο: Έχεις λίγο νερό; (Do you have some/a little water?).

Where is the word you? Why isn’t εσύ used?

Greek is pro‑drop: the verb ending shows the subject, so the pronoun is usually omitted. Έχεις already means “you (singular) have.” Use Εσύ έχεις νερό; only for emphasis or contrast.

Is this informal or polite? How do I ask the same thing politely or to more than one person?

• Έχεις νερό; = informal singular.
• Έχετε νερό; = plural “you” or polite singular. Politer options:
• Έχετε μήπως λίγο νερό; (By any chance, do you have some water?)
• Μου δίνετε λίγο νερό, παρακαλώ; (Would you give me some water, please?)
• Θα μπορούσα να έχω λίγο νερό; (Could I have some water?)

What verb is this, and how is it conjugated?

It’s the present of έχω (to have).

• εγώ: έχω
• εσύ: έχεις
• αυτός/αυτή/αυτό: έχει
• εμείς: έχουμε
• εσείς: έχετε
• αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά: έχουν / έχουνε

What case and gender is νερό?

• νερό is neuter; article: το (sg), τα (pl).
• Here it’s the direct object (accusative singular), which for neuter looks the same as nominative: (το) νερό.
• Core forms: sg το νερό / του νερού; pl τα νερά / των νερών.

Why is there no article? When would I use one?

No article because you mean water in general/unspecified quantity. Use:

• Το νερό for specific/known water (the water we mentioned).
• Ένα νερό when ordering or counting a unit (e.g., one bottle/glass): “a/one water.”

How do I answer this question?

• Yes: Ναι, έχω. / Ναι, έχω λίγο.
• No: Όχι, δεν έχω. / Όχι, δεν έχω καθόλου. Notes:
• δεν is the standard negator before verbs.
• καθόλου = “at all.”

How do I ask “Is there any water?” instead of “Do you have water?”

Use Υπάρχει νερό; (Is there water?). It’s about existence/availability rather than someone’s possession.

Can I change the word order?

Yes. Neutral: Έχεις νερό; You can front the object for emphasis: Νερό έχεις; (focus on “water”). The basic meaning is the same; word order affects emphasis.

What about the sound of χ? Is it like English h?

No. χ is a fricative like German ch.

• Before front vowels (e, i) it’s [ˈeçis].
• Before back vowels (a, o, u) it’s English approximations: “hy” for [ç], “kh” for .

How would I say “Do you have bottled water?” or “some water”?

• Έχεις/Έχετε εμφιαλωμένο νερό; (bottled water)
• Έχεις/Έχετε λίγο νερό; (some/a little water)

Are there more natural or situational ways to ask for water?

Yes:

• In a shop/café: Ένα νεράκι, παρακαλώ. (A small/bottled water, please.) νεράκι is a polite diminutive.
• Μήπως έχετε λίγο νερό; (Do you perhaps have some water?)
• Informal: Έχεις λίγο νερό πάνω σου; (Do you have any water on you?)

Does έχεις always mean possession?

Mostly, but it often means “have available/carry/stock” in context. In a store, Έχετε νερό; = “Do you carry/sell water?”

What intonation should I use?

Use rising intonation at the end for a yes/no question.

• Statement: Έχεις νερό. (falling)
• Question: Έχεις νερό; (rising)