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Υπάρχει κανείς έξω ή είμαι μόνος;

Υπάρχει κανείς έξω ή είμαι μόνος;
Is anyone outside or am I alone (male)?
FromLesson 9inHardcore Greek
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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.

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