Τι σημαίνει «ούτε»;

What does "ούτε" mean?

Breakdown of Τι σημαίνει «ούτε»;

• τι: what
• σημαίνω: to mean
• ούτε: nor

Questions & Answers about Τι σημαίνει «ούτε»;

How do I pronounce the word ούτε?

IPA: [ˈute], roughly “OO-teh.”

• The accent mark over ύ means the stress is on the first syllable (ού).
• ου is one sound /u/ (like the oo in “food”).
• τ is an unaspirated t.
• ε is a close-mid e (like the vowel in Spanish “pero” or close to English “met,” but tenser).

What kind of word is ούτε, and what does it express?

It’s a negative coordinating conjunction (and sometimes an adverbial negative). It typically means:

• “neither/nor” when used in pairs: ούτε … ούτε …
• “nor” linking to a previous negative clause
• “not even,” especially in the patterns ούτε (alone), ούτε καν, or ούτε που

Do I always need two ούτεs (neither…nor), or can I use just one?

Both are possible, depending on meaning.

• Pair for “neither…nor”: Ούτε ο Γιάννης ούτε η Μαρία ήρθαν. (Neither John nor Mary came.) Note the verb is plural because the subject is plural.
• Single ούτε for “nor” after a negative: Δεν ήρθε, ούτε τηλεφώνησε. (He didn’t come, nor did he call.)
• Single ούτε for “not even/…either”: Ούτε εγώ πήγα. (I didn’t go either / Me neither.)

Do I use δεν with ούτε?

Rule of thumb:

• If ούτε comes before a verb or introduces a second clause, you normally don’t use δεν with that verb: Δεν ήρθε, ούτε τηλεφώνησε.; Ούτε ήρθε ούτε τηλεφώνησε.
• If ούτε links objects/complements after a negated verb, you keep δεν: Δεν είδα ούτε τον Γιάννη ούτε τη Μαρία.
• Avoid forms like ούτε δεν ήρθε in the same clause; they’re unidiomatic.

Can ούτε mean “not even”? How do ούτε καν and ούτε που work?

Yes.

• Bare ούτε can mean “not even”: Ούτε το είδα. (I didn’t even see it.)
• ούτε καν strengthens “not even”: Ούτε καν τον χαιρέτησα. (I didn’t even greet him.)
• ούτε που ≈ “not even to the extent of”: Ούτε που το κατάλαβα. (I didn’t even realize.)

What’s the difference between ούτε and ή?

• ή … ή … = “either … or …”: Ή ο Γιάννης ή η Μαρία θα έρθει.
• ούτε … ούτε … = “neither … nor …”: Ούτε ο Γιάννης ούτε η Μαρία θα έρθουν.

What’s the difference between ούτε and μήτε?

They’re near-synonyms. μήτε is more formal/literary or found in set phrases. In everyday speech, ούτε is more common:

• Μήτε… μήτε… (formal/poetic) vs Ούτε… ούτε… (neutral/colloquial).

How do I say “Me neither” / “Nor do I” in Greek?

Use Ούτε εγώ, optionally with a verb:

• — Δεν πάω. — Ούτε εγώ. (— I’m not going. — Me neither.)
• — Δεν το είδα. — Ούτε εγώ το είδα. (— I didn’t see it. — Neither did I.)

Why is there a semicolon at the end? Is that really a question mark?

Yes. In Greek, the question mark is written with the character that looks like an English semicolon: ;

• So Τι σημαίνει … ; is a question.
• The Greek semicolon/colon is a different mark (the raised dot ·, called άνω τελεία).

What are the angle quotation marks « » around ούτε? Do I need spaces?

Greek commonly uses guillemets « » for quotes. In this usage (quoting a single word), there’s typically no space between the quotes and the word: «ούτε». You can also see straight quotes in informal contexts, but « » are the standard in formal writing.

Why does τι have no accent, while σημαίνει and ούτε do?

Most one-syllable words in Greek don’t show an accent mark in monotonic orthography, so τι appears unaccented. Words with two or more syllables show the stressed syllable:

• σημαίνει is stressed on -μαί- (pronounced [siˈmeni]).
• ούτε is stressed on the first syllable (ού-).

What exactly is σημαίνει in terms of grammar?

It’s the 3rd person singular present of σημαίνω (“to mean, signify”). The pattern Τι σημαίνει X; is the standard way to ask “What does X mean?” Another common, slightly more colloquial option is Τι θα πει X;

How would I transliterate the whole sentence, and where is the stress?

A simple transliteration is: Ti siméni oute? (showing stress with an acute: siméni, oúte). Pronunciation: [ti siˈmeni ˈute].

Can I connect more than two items with ούτε?

Yes—repeat ούτε before each item:

• Δεν πίνω ούτε καφέ, ούτε τσάι, ούτε αλκοόλ. (I drink neither coffee, nor tea, nor alcohol.)