Breakdown of Αυτός έχει φέρει ψωμί και αυτή έχει βρει πιάτα.
και
and
το ψωμί
the bread
έχω
to have
αυτή
she
αυτός
he
βρίσκω
to find
φέρνω
to bring
το πιάτο
the plate
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Questions & Answers about Αυτός έχει φέρει ψωμί και αυτή έχει βρει πιάτα.
Why are the subject pronouns Αυτός and αυτή used? Can I drop them?
Greek usually drops subject pronouns because the verb shows person/number. Here, the pronouns are kept to emphasize and to make it clear there are two different subjects (he vs she). Without them, Έχει φέρει ψωμί και έχει βρει πιάτα could be taken as the same person doing both actions unless context already makes it clear.
Do αυτός and αυτή mean he/she or this man/this woman?
Both are possible. When they stand alone, they are personal pronouns (he, she). When they modify a noun, they are demonstratives (this), e.g. αυτός ο άντρας = this man, αυτή η γυναίκα = this woman. For that over there, Greek often uses εκείνος/εκείνη.
How is the Greek present perfect formed, as in έχει φέρει and έχει βρει?
It’s the present of έχω + the perfective non-finite form of the verb:
- I have written: έχω γράψει
- He/she has found: έχει βρει
- We have brought: έχουμε φέρει The auxiliary έχω conjugates (έχω, έχεις, έχει, έχουμε, έχετε, έχουν), but the second part (γράψει/βρει/φέρει) does not change with person.
Why is it έχει φέρει and not φέρνει or έφερε?
- έχει φέρει = has brought (present relevance/result)
- φέρνει = brings/is bringing (present/habitual)
- έφερε = brought (simple past/aorist) Choose based on time and nuance.
Does Greek use the present perfect as often as English?
No. Greek uses the aorist (έφερε, βρήκε) very widely for past events, even when English might prefer has brought/has found. The perfect (έχει φέρει/βρει) is used when the current result or relevance is in focus (already, so far, up to now, look at the result).
Why is there no article before ψωμί and πιάτα?
Indefinite mass and plural nouns usually appear without an article:
- έχει φέρει ψωμί = has brought (some) bread
- έχει βρει πιάτα = has found plates Use the definite article for specific items: το ψωμί, τα πιάτα. If you want to stress indefiniteness, you can say μερικά πιάτα (some plates) or ένα ψωμί (a loaf of bread).
Can I write κι αυτή instead of και αυτή?
Yes. και often becomes κι before a vowel sound, so κι αυτή is very common and perfectly correct. It doesn’t change the meaning.
Where do object pronouns go with the perfect?
Clitic object pronouns go before the auxiliary έχει:
- Το έχει φέρει = He/She has brought it
- Την έχει βρει = He/She has found her/it (fem.) Negation comes before the clitic: Δεν το έχει φέρει, Δεν την έχει βρει.
How do I negate the whole sentence?
Put δεν before έχει in each clause: Αυτός δεν έχει φέρει ψωμί και αυτή δεν έχει βρει πιάτα.
Do verbs agree with gender in Greek? Should anything change because it’s he vs she?
No. Verbs do not change for gender in Greek. Only the pronouns/adjectives show gender. έχει φέρει and έχει βρει are the same for he and she.
Why does βρει have no accent mark? How is it pronounced?
Monosyllables normally don’t take an accent mark. βρει is one syllable, pronounced like vree. A rough pronunciation for the whole sentence is: aftós Échi FÉri psomí ke aftí Échi vrí PIAta.
Why is βρει spelled with ει but βρήκα with η?
It’s an irregular stem alternation you just learn with the verb. Key forms:
- βρίσκω (I find)
- βρήκα (I found)
- να βρω / θα βρω (to find / I will find)
- έχω βρει (I have found)
What are the principal parts for φέρνω and βρίσκω?
- φέρνω (bring), aorist έφερα, perfect έχω φέρει, subj/future stem φέρω (e.g., να φέρω, θα φέρω), imperfect έφερνα.
- βρίσκω (find), aorist βρήκα, perfect έχω βρει, subj/future stem βρω (e.g., να βρω, θα βρω), imperfect έβρισκα.
Can I omit the second έχει to avoid repetition?
No. The auxiliary is required in each clause: …και αυτή έχει βρει πιάτα. A form like …και αυτή βρει πιάτα is ungrammatical without να.
What’s the difference between έχει βρει and έχει βρεθεί?
- έχει βρει = has found (active)
- έχει βρεθεί = has been found / has ended up (passive or mediopassive), e.g., Τα πιάτα έχουν βρεθεί = The plates have been found.
Could I change the word order?
Yes, Greek allows flexibility for emphasis:
- Neutral: Αυτός έχει φέρει ψωμί και αυτή έχει βρει πιάτα.
- Focus on objects: Ψωμί έχει φέρει αυτός και πιάτα έχει βρει αυτή. Reordering changes emphasis, not core meaning.