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Questions & Answers about Τι θέλεις;
How do I pronounce it?
[ti ˈθelis]. Stress the first syllable of θέλεις. The letter θ is like the th in English “think” (not “this”), and ει sounds like “ee.” Roughly: tee THEH-lees.
Why is the punctuation a semicolon?
In Greek, the question mark is the semicolon (;) you see at the end: Τι θέλεις; is a question.
Why is there no separate word for “do” or “you”?
Greek doesn’t use the auxiliary “do” to form questions; intonation and punctuation do the job. The “you” is built into the verb ending: -εις in θέλεις means “you (singular) want.” You can add εσύ for emphasis: Εσύ τι θέλεις;
What are the parts of the sentence?
- Τι: interrogative pronoun “what” (for things/ideas).
- θέλεις: “you want,” 2nd person singular present of θέλω (“to want”).
Is Τι θες; also correct?
Yes. θες is a very common, shorter, colloquial form of θέλεις. Τι θες; is perfectly natural and a bit more casual.
How do I make it polite or formal?
- Formal/plural “you”: Τι θέλετε;
- Softer/more polite “What would you like?”:
- Friendly singular: Τι θα ήθελες;
- Polite or plural: Τι θα θέλατε;
When would I use Ποιο instead of Τι?
Use Τι for an open question (“what in general?”) and Ποιο for “which (one)” among options. Example: Τι θέλεις; vs Ποιο θέλεις; Το κόκκινο ή το μπλε;
Should Τι have an accent (τόνος)?
No. In modern spelling, monosyllables like τι are normally unaccented. You may see τί in older or emphatic writing, but standard today is τι.
Can I change the word order?
Yes, for emphasis:
- Neutral: Τι θέλεις;
- Emphasis on “you”: Εσύ τι θέλεις; or Τι θέλεις εσύ; Avoid Τι εσύ θέλεις;, which sounds unnatural.
How do I ask “Do you want it?”
Use a clitic object pronoun before the verb: Το θέλεις; (“Do you want it?”). Other examples: Τον θέλεις; (him/it masc.), Την θέλεις; (her/it fem.).
How is θέλω conjugated in the present?
- εγώ θέλω (I want)
- εσύ θέλεις / θες (you want, sg.)
- αυτός/αυτή/αυτό θέλει (he/she/it wants)
- εμείς θέλουμε
- εσείς θέλετε (you want, pl./polite)
- αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά θέλουν(ε)
Could Τι θέλεις; sound rude?
It can, if said sharply (like English “What do you want?!”). In neutral or friendly tone it’s fine. With strangers or in service contexts, prefer softer forms like Τι θα θέλατε;
How do I say “What do you want to do/eat/drink?”
Use να + verb:
- Τι θέλεις να κάνεις; (to do)
- Τι θέλεις να φας; (to eat)
- Τι θέλεις να πιεις; (to drink)
How would someone typically answer?
- Positive: Θέλω έναν καφέ. / Θέλω νερό.
- Negative: Δεν θέλω τίποτα. (“I don’t want anything.”) Note the negative δεν before the verb and τίποτα after it.
Does τι change for gender or number?
No—τι is invariable in these uses. There is a genitive form τίνος (“of what/whose”), but it’s less common in everyday speech.