Πού είναι το τηλέφωνό σας;

to be

Breakdown of Πού είναι το τηλέφωνό σας;

• πού: where
• το τηλέφωνο: the phone
• σας: your

Questions & Answers about Πού είναι το τηλέφωνό σας;

What does boldσαςbold mean here? Is it plural or polite singular?

boldσαςbold is the second-person plural pronoun, and it’s also used for polite/formal singular. So boldτο τηλέφωνό σαςbold can mean "your phone" when speaking politely to one person or to several people.

Why does boldτηλέφωνόbold have two accents in boldτο τηλέφωνό σαςbold?

Because boldσαςbold is an enclitic (an unstressed word that leans on the previous word). When a word accented on the antepenult (third syllable from the end) is followed by an enclitic, Greek adds a second accent on the last syllable to keep the stress within the last three syllables. So boldτηλέφωνοbold becomes boldτηλέφωνόbold before boldσας/σου/μουbold. In casual writing many people omit that second accent, but the standard spelling includes it.

Why is there a semicolon at the end — bold;bold — instead of a question mark?

In Greek, the question mark is written with the symbol that looks like the English semicolon: bold;bold. The English-style question mark ? is not used in Greek.

Can I say this informally to a friend?

Yes: boldΠού είναι το τηλέφωνό σου;bold Replace boldσαςbold with boldσουbold for informal singular. Everything else stays the same.

Do I always need the article boldτοbold with possessives?

Almost always, yes. Greek typically uses the definite article with possessive clitics: boldτο βιβλίο μουbold, boldη τσάντα σουbold, boldτο τηλέφωνό σαςbold. You drop the article mainly in vocatives or certain set phrases. boldΈνα τηλέφωνό σαςbold means "one phone of yours" (one among several).

Could the word order be different?

Yes. Besides boldΠού είναι το τηλέφωνό σας;bold you might hear boldΤο τηλέφωνό σας πού είναι;bold That version often puts extra focus on "your phone," but the meaning is the same.

Is boldείναιbold "is" or "are"?

Both. boldείναιbold is used for he/she/it is and for they are. The present of boldείμαιbold is: είμαι, είσαι, είναι, είμαστε, είστε, είναι. Here it means "is" because boldτο τηλέφωνόbold is singular.

What’s the difference between boldτηλέφωνοbold and boldκινητόbold?

• boldτηλέφωνοbold = telephone in general (landline or the device in general).
• boldκινητό (τηλέφωνο)bold = mobile/cell phone.
  "Where is your cell phone?" → boldΠού είναι το κινητό σας;bold

Why is boldπούbold accented? I also see boldπουbold without an accent.

Accented boldπού/πώςbold are question words ("where?/how?"). Unaccented boldπουbold is a relative particle ("that/which/who"). The accent distinguishes them: boldΠού είναι…;bold vs boldτο μέρος που μένωbold ("the place that I live").

Can I leave out boldείναιbold, like in English "Where your phone?"

No. Greek needs the verb "to be" here. You must say boldΠού είναι…bold

What case is boldσαςbold and what case is the noun phrase?

boldσαςbold is genitive (possessive). The whole noun phrase boldτο τηλέφωνό σαςbold is nominative here because it’s the subject of boldείναιbold. Neuter nouns often look the same in nominative and accusative, which can hide this from beginners.

Where does the stress fall when speaking?

• boldΠούbold is stressed on its only syllable.
• boldείναιbold is stressed on boldείbold.
• boldτηλέφωνόbold has main stress on boldλέbold and an additional bump on boldνόbold due to the enclitic.
  Transliteration: Pu Íne to ti-LÉ-fo-NÓ sas. IPA: [pu ˈine to tiˈlefɔˌno sas].

Could I put boldσαςbold somewhere else, like before the noun?

With clitics, no: it follows the noun/adjective (boldτο βιβλίο σαςbold, boldτο δικό σας βιβλίοbold). For emphasis/contrast use boldδικός/δική/δικόbold: boldΠού είναι το δικό σας τηλέφωνο;bold

How would I make it plural: "Where are your phones?"

boldΠού είναι τα τηλέφωνά σας;bold Note the plural article boldταbold, plural noun boldτηλέφωναbold, and the added accent before the enclitic: boldτηλέφωνάbold.

Is capitalizing boldΣαςbold required for politeness?

Only in very formal letters/emails you may see capitalized boldΣαςbold for respect. In normal writing, use lowercase boldσαςbold (unless it begins the sentence).

Do I ever need a preposition with boldπούbold here?

Not in this question: boldΠού είναι…;bold is correct by itself. Use prepositions only when required by meaning or the verb. For example, answers can add a prepositional phrase: boldΣτο σπίτι.bold ("At home.")