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Ποιος αρχίζει τη συνάντηση; Εγώ ή η φίλη σου;

Ποιος αρχίζει τη συνάντηση; Εγώ ή η φίλη σου;
Who starts the meeting? Me or your friend (female)?
FromLesson 9inHardcore Greek
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Breakdown of Ποιος αρχίζει τη συνάντηση; Εγώ ή η φίλη σου;

ή
or
εγώ
I
η φίλη
the female friend
σου
your
ποιος
who
αρχίζω
to start
η συνάντηση
the meeting

Questions & Answers about Ποιος αρχίζει τη συνάντηση; Εγώ ή η φίλη σου;

Why is it Ποιος and not Ποια or Ποιον?
  • Ποιος is nominative (subject) masculine singular “who.” It’s used when the gender is unknown or mixed.
  • If you know you’re asking about a female, many speakers prefer Ποια.
  • Use Ποιον only for the accusative (object) “whom,” e.g., Ποιον αρχίζει; is wrong because the question word is the subject here.
  • Forms: masculine ποιος, feminine ποια, neuter ποιο (all nominative).
Do I need to match Ποιος/Ποια to the options given (Εγώ or η φίλη σου)?
Not strictly. Ποιος is a common default when the gender isn’t fixed. If both options are clearly female (e.g., you are female and the friend is female), Ποια is precise and natural: Ποια αρχίζει τη συνάντηση;
Why is the conjunction written as ή but the article as η?
  • ή (with accent) = “or.”
  • η (no accent) = feminine nominative singular article “the.”
    The accent distinguishes them in monotonic Greek.
Why is it τη συνάντηση and not την συνάντηση?
The final ν in the feminine article is often dropped before most consonants in modern Greek. Keep ν before vowels and certain consonants (κ, π, τ, ξ, ψ, μπ, ντ, γκ, τσ, τζ). Since σ isn’t on that list, τη συνάντηση is the standard form. την συνάντηση isn’t wrong, just less common in modern usage.
What case is η φίλη σου, and why?
η φίλη σου is nominative because it’s an alternative subject in the elliptical second question. The full idea is “Do I start (it) or does your friend (start it)?” So nominative η (not accusative τη).
Why is εγώ written explicitly? Could I drop it?
Greek usually drops subject pronouns, but εγώ is kept here for contrast (“I or your friend?”). You could still say: Ποιος αρχίζει τη συνάντηση; Εγώ ή η φίλη σου; or even: Ποιος αρχίζει τη συνάντηση; Η φίλη σου ή εγώ; Omitting εγώ would remove the contrast.
Is present tense (αρχίζει) the best choice here? What about θα αρχίσει?

Both are fine:

  • Ποιος αρχίζει… focuses on the scheduled/nearby action in a neutral, present-time way.
  • Ποιος θα αρχίσει… is very common for plans and arrangements and can sound slightly more natural in many contexts.
What’s the difference between αρχίζω and ξεκινάω/ξεκινώ?

They’re near-synonyms in this context:

  • αρχίζω = to begin/start (neutral, very common).
  • ξεκινάω/ξεκινώ = to set off/start (equally common; sometimes a bit more colloquial with -άω forms).
    Here, Ποιος ξεκινάει τη συνάντηση; would mean the same thing.
Can I also say “The meeting starts” in Greek?

Yes. Intransitive use: Η συνάντηση αρχίζει.
Transitive (someone starts it): Κάποιος αρχίζει τη συνάντηση.
Your sentence is the transitive pattern, asking who performs the action.

Why does Greek use a semicolon as a question mark?
In Greek typography, the semicolon (;) is the question mark. So ; ends questions.
How flexible is the word order?

Greek word order is flexible, but the given order is the most neutral: Ποιος αρχίζει τη συνάντηση;
Fronting the object (Ποιος τη συνάντηση αρχίζει;) is possible but sounds marked/emphatic or literary.

How would it change if I meant “your male friend”?

Use the masculine article and noun: ο φίλος σου.
Full sentence: Ποιος αρχίζει τη συνάντηση; Εγώ ή ο φίλος σου;

How do I pronounce and stress these words?
  • Ποιος: “pios” (one syllable)
  • αρχίζει: ar-HÍ-zi
  • τη συνάντηση: ti si-NÁN-ti-si
  • Εγώ: e-GÓ
  • η φίλη σου: i FÍ-li su
Can I say “You or your friend?” instead of “I or your friend?”
Yes: Εσύ ή η φίλη σου; That’s often more typical if the speaker isn’t one of the options. Your original sentence makes sense when the speaker is one of the two candidates.
Can I use που for “who” here?
No. που is a relative pronoun (“who/that/which” in relative clauses). For direct questions meaning “who,” use ποιος/ποια/ποιο.
How might I answer this question in Greek?
  • Short: Εγώ. / Η φίλη μου.
  • Full: Εγώ θα αρχίσω (τη συνάντηση). / Η φίλη μου θα αρχίσει (τη συνάντηση).
    If you’re answering about the other person: Εσύ θα αρχίσεις. / Η φίλη μου θα αρχίσει.

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