Πίνω μόνο νερό.

the water

Breakdown of Πίνω μόνο νερό.

• πίνω: to drink
• μόνο: only

Questions & Answers about Πίνω μόνο νερό.

Is πίνω “I drink” or “I’m drinking”?

Both. The Greek present (πίνω) covers both simple and progressive aspect, so context decides whether it’s habitual (I only drink water) or happening now (I’m only drinking water right now).

What is the exact verb form of πίνω?

πίνω is present indicative active, 1st person singular of the verb “to drink.”

How do I conjugate πίνω in the present?

• εγώ πίνω (I drink)
• εσύ πίνεις (you drink)
• αυτός/αυτή/αυτό πίνει (he/she/it drinks)
• εμείς πίνουμε (we drink)
• εσείς πίνετε (you drink)
• αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά πίνουν(ε) (they drink) — final -ε is optional

How do I say it in the past or future?

• Simple past (aorist): Ήπια μόνο νερό. (I drank only water.)
• Imperfect (ongoing/repeated past): Έπινα μόνο νερό. (I used to/was only drinking water.)
• Simple future (one time): Θα πιω μόνο νερό. (I’ll drink only water [once/on that occasion].)
• Future continuous/habitual: Θα πίνω μόνο νερό. (I’ll be/keep only drinking water.)

What about commands (imperatives) with “drink only water”?

• One-time action: Πιες μόνο νερό. (Drink only water.)
• Ongoing/habitual instruction: Πίνε μόνο νερό. (Keep/always drink only water.)
  Plural/polite: Πιείτε μόνο νερό. / Πίνετε μόνο νερό.

How do I pronounce Πίνω μόνο νερό?

• IPA: [ˈpino ˈmono neˈro]
• Approximation: PEE-no MO-no ne-RO (stress on the capitalized syllables).
  Note: ο and ω sound the same in Modern Greek.

What do the accent marks mean here?

The accents (τόνος) mark stress: πίνω (stress on -πι-), μόνο (on -μό-), νερό (on -ρό-). They don’t change vowel quality; they just show which syllable is stressed.

Why is there no article before νερό?

Greek usually omits the article with indefinite mass nouns used generically. Πίνω μόνο νερό = “I only drink water (in general).”
Use the article when specific or previously mentioned: Πίνω μόνο το νερό = “I drink only the water (that specific water).”

What gender and case is νερό here? What’s the plural?

• νερό is neuter. In this sentence it’s the direct object, so accusative (neuter nominative and accusative look the same).
• Plural: νερά (“waters,” used for bodies of water or different kinds of water).

Can I move μόνο around? Does word order change the meaning?

Yes—μόνο should directly precede the word/phrase it limits.

• Πίνω μόνο νερό. = I drink only water.
• Μόνο νερό πίνω. = Same meaning, stronger emphasis on “only water.”
• Μόνο εγώ πίνω νερό. = Only I drink water.
  Avoid Μόνο πίνω νερό if you mean “I only drink water”; it tends to sound like “The only thing I do is drink water,” which is odd here. Also avoid Πίνω νερό μόνο in neutral speech.

Can I use μόνον instead of μόνο?

Yes. μόνον is an older/more formal variant with a movable final -ν. In everyday modern Greek, μόνο is far more common.

Does μόνο ever mean “alone”?

No. μόνο is the adverb “only.”
“Alone” is the adjective μόνος/μόνη/μόνο and agrees with the noun:

• Είμαι μόνος. (I’m alone — male speaker.)
• Είμαι μόνη. (female speaker.)

Can I include the subject pronoun εγώ?

Yes, for emphasis: Εγώ πίνω μόνο νερό. (“I, as opposed to others, only drink water.”) Greek normally drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the person.

How do I ask or negate this idea?

• Question: Πίνεις μόνο νερό; (Do you only drink water?)
• Simple negation: Δεν πίνω νερό. (I don’t drink water.)
• “I don’t only drink water — I also drink juice.”
  Δεν πίνω μόνο νερό — πίνω και χυμό.

Any common spelling traps with πίνω?

Yes: πίνω (I drink) vs πεινώ (I’m hungry; formal/older form of πεινάω). They look similar but mean different things. Also remember Greek requires the accent on multi-syllable words: write πίνω, not “πινω.”

How do I say “I only drink water and coffee”?

Πίνω μόνο νερό και καφέ.
You can also front the focused phrase for emphasis: Μόνο νερό και καφέ πίνω.