Υπάρχει κανείς έξω ή είμαι μόνος;

Is anyone outside or am I alone (male)?

Breakdown of Υπάρχει κανείς έξω ή είμαι μόνος;

• είμαι: to be
• ή: or
• μόνος: alone
• υπάρχω: to exist
• έξω: outside
• κανείς: anyone

Questions & Answers about Υπάρχει κανείς έξω ή είμαι μόνος;

What does Υπάρχει mean, and how is it different from είναι?

• Υπάρχει = there is/exists (3rd sg. of υπάρχω). Use it for existence/availability: Υπάρχει πρόβλημα = There is a problem.
• είναι = is/are (from είμαι). Use it for identity/state/location: Το βιβλίο είναι στο τραπέζι = The book is on the table.
• In existential questions, both are possible: Υπάρχει κανείς; and Είναι κανείς; both mean Is anyone there?, with υπάρχει sounding a bit more explicit/formal.

Why is υπάρχει singular here? Shouldn’t it be plural if we mean people?

• The grammatical subject is κανείς (anyone), which is singular, so Υπάρχει (sg) is correct.
• With a plural noun you’d use υπάρχουν: Υπάρχουν άνθρωποι έξω; = Are there people outside?

What exactly does κανείς mean? How does it differ from κάποιος and κανένας?

• κανείς: in questions/negatives = anyone/anybody; in some formal/general statements = one/people.
• κάποιος: someone/somebody (often suggests you think there is someone).
• κανένας: very common colloquial variant of κανείς; in negatives = nobody; in questions/colloquial affirmatives = any/anyone. Examples:
• Υπάρχει κανείς έξω; Is anyone outside?
• Δεν υπάρχει κανείς έξω. There isn’t anyone outside.
• Υπάρχει κάποιος έξω; Is someone outside? (you suspect yes)
• Υπάρχει κανένας έξω; Colloquial and very common.

Could I say Είναι κανείς έξω; Is that natural?

• Yes, very idiomatic. Είναι κανείς έξω; is perhaps the most common way to ask Is anyone out(side)? (e.g., when knocking).

What does έξω function as here? Do I need από?

• έξω is an adverb meaning outside; no preposition needed when it stands alone.
• To specify what it’s outside of, use έξω από + accusative: έξω από το σπίτι = outside the house.

Why is the conjunction ή accented? Is it the same as η?

• ή (with accent) = or (conjunction). It’s accented to distinguish it from η (feminine article the / pronoun she).
• They sound the same; the accent marks the meaning difference in writing.

How do you pronounce the whole sentence?

• IPA: [iˈparçi kaˈnis ˈekso i ˈime ˈmonos]
• Rough guide: i-PÁR-chi ka-NÍS É-xo ee Í-me MÓ-nos Notes:
• υ in Υπάρχει sounds like ee.
• χ before ε/ι is a soft h (like German ich).
• ει and η/ή sound like ee; ξ = ks; ω = o.

Do I need to say εγώ? Why not Εγώ είμαι μόνος;

• Greek usually drops subject pronouns; είμαι already means I am.
• Add εγώ only for emphasis/contrast: Εγώ είμαι μόνος = I am the one who’s alone (not someone else).

Does μόνος agree with the speaker’s gender? What if I’m a woman?

• Yes, it agrees with the subject:
  • masculine: μόνος
  • feminine: μόνη
  • neuter: μόνο
• A woman would say: είμαι μόνη.

What’s the difference between είμαι μόνος and είμαι μόνος μου?

• είμαι μόνος = I am alone (no one with me; possibly lonely).
• είμαι μόνος μου = I’m on my own/by myself (emphasizes doing something without help; not necessarily lonely).

Is the word order fixed? Could I say Έξω υπάρχει κανείς;

• Word order is flexible. Υπάρχει κανείς έξω; and Έξω υπάρχει κανείς; are both fine; the latter foregrounds the place.
• Greek questions rely on intonation, not inversion.

Can I shorten it to just Υπάρχει κανείς έξω; Is that complete?

• Yes. The second clause ή είμαι μόνος; is an optional alternative; the first clause alone is a perfectly natural question.

How do I say There isn’t anyone outside?

• Δεν υπάρχει κανείς έξω. Greek uses negative concord: δεν
  • κανείς.
• Colloquial: Δεν υπάρχει κανένας έξω.

Is κανείς more formal than κανένας?

• Slightly. κανείς feels neutral/standard; κανένας is very common in everyday speech. In many contexts they’re interchangeable.

Why is there a semicolon at the end? Is that a typo?

• Not a typo. In Greek, the question mark is written like the English semicolon: ;. So …μόνος; is a question.
• For what English writes as a semicolon/colon, Greek uses the raised dot · (ano teleia).

Any common spelling pitfalls in this sentence?

• Υπάρχει: accent on -πάρ-; starts with Υ but sounds like ee.
• κανείς: accent on the last syllable; spell ει, not ι.
• έξω: one word; accent on the first syllable; ξ is a single letter.
• ή must carry an accent (to distinguish it from η).
• End questions with the Greek ;, not ?.

Can I add μήπως to soften the question (by any chance)?

• Yes: Μήπως υπάρχει κανείς έξω; or Μήπως είναι κανείς έξω; adds a polite, tentative by any chance nuance.