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Questions & Answers about Εσείς μιλάτε ελληνικά πολύ καλά.
Do I need to include the pronoun Εσείς, or can I just say Μιλάτε ελληνικά πολύ καλά?
You can omit Εσείς. Greek is pro‑drop; the verb ending -τε already shows the subject is “you” plural/formal. Keeping Εσείς adds emphasis (“you in particular”).
Is this addressing one person or several people?
Εσείς/μιλάτε is second‑person plural; it can mean you plural or polite/formal you (singular). Context clarifies which one.
How would I say it informally to one person?
Use second‑person singular: Εσύ μιλάς ελληνικά πολύ καλά, and usually drop the pronoun: Μιλάς ελληνικά πολύ καλά.
What tense and mood is μιλάτε?
Present indicative, 2nd person plural, of μιλάω/μιλώ (to speak).
What’s the difference between μιλάτε and λέτε?
Μιλάτε = you speak (a language). Λέτε = you say/tell. Say “You speak Greek” as Μιλάτε ελληνικά, not Λέτε ελληνικά.
Why is there no article before ελληνικά? Why not τα ελληνικά?
With verbs like speak/learn/know, languages usually appear without the article: μιλάω ελληνικά, μαθαίνω γαλλικά. Use the article when you treat the language as a noun/thing: Τα ελληνικά σας είναι πολύ καλά, Τα ελληνικά είναι δύσκολα.
What exactly is ελληνικά grammatically?
It’s the neuter plural of ελληνικός, used as a noun meaning “Greek (language).” Here it’s the direct object of μιλάτε.
Can I move πολύ καλά to a different position?
Yes. Common options: Μιλάτε πολύ καλά ελληνικά; Πολύ καλά μιλάτε ελληνικά. Word order mostly changes emphasis; all are natural.
Why καλά and not καλός?
Καλά is the adverb “well” (from adjective καλός = good). After a verb you need the adverb: μιλάτε καλά/πολύ καλά, not καλός.
Is πολύ the right form here? I’ve also seen πολλή/πολλοί.
Yes. Πολύ here is an adverb meaning “very” and does not change form. The variable forms πολύς/πολλή/πολύ are adjectives meaning “much/many” (e.g., πολλοί άνθρωποι).
How do I pronounce the sentence?
[eˈsis miˈlate eli.niˈka poˈli kaˈla]. A handy transliteration is: Esís miláte elliniká polí kalá. Stress the syllables with the written accents.
Should ελληνικά be capitalized?
No. Names of languages are lowercase in Greek: ελληνικά, αγγλικά, γαλλικά. It’s capitalized only at the start of a sentence.
Is adding Εσείς a way to be polite?
Politeness comes from using the plural form (μιλάτε) for a single person. Εσείς just emphasizes the subject (“you” specifically). In formal letters you may see capitalized Σας for politeness, but not εσείς in normal prose.
Can I say ομιλείτε ελληνικά instead?
Ομιλείτε is very formal/old‑fashioned. In everyday Modern Greek prefer μιλάτε.
How do I turn it into a question?
Use question intonation and the Greek question mark (;) in writing: Μιλάτε ελληνικά; To ask about proficiency you can say Μιλάτε καλά ελληνικά;
How do I negate it?
Place δεν before the verb: Δεν μιλάτε ελληνικά πολύ καλά. In informal writing you may see δε; the standard form is δεν.
Could I use ελληνική instead of ελληνικά here?
Not by itself. Ελληνική is the feminine singular adjective (e.g., ελληνική γλώσσα = Greek language). As the object of “speak,” use the neuter plural ελληνικά.
Do πολύ and καλά agree with εσείς in any way?
No. They’re adverbs; adverbs don’t agree with the subject. Agreement happens with adjectives and nouns.
Are there more idiomatic compliments I can use?
Yes: Μιλάτε άπταιστα ελληνικά (you speak Greek fluently), Μιλάτε εξαιρετικά/πάρα πολύ καλά ελληνικά (extremely/very very well), or Τα ελληνικά σας είναι πολύ καλά (“Your Greek is very good”).
Can I mix εσύ with μιλάτε (e.g., Εσύ μιλάτε)?
No. Pronoun and verb must match: εσύ μιλάς (singular) vs εσείς μιλάτε (plural/formal).
What are the present‑tense forms of μιλάω/μιλώ?
Both variants are used. Present indicative:
- εγώ μιλάω/μιλώ
- εσύ μιλάς
- αυτός/αυτή/αυτό μιλάει/μιλά
- εμείς μιλάμε
- εσείς μιλάτε
- αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά μιλάνε/μιλούν(ε)
Where are the stress marks and why are they important?
Greek marks one stressed vowel per word of two+ syllables: εσείς, μιλάτε, ελληνικά, πολύ, καλά. Correct stress is essential for natural pronunciation and sometimes for meaning.
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