Question 1

Why is the verb passive in πώς γράφεται instead of active like πώς γράφουν?

Accepted Answer

Greek uses the passive voice with γράφεται to mean “is spelled/ is written (orthographically).” The subject is the word or name itself: το όνομά μου γράφεται…. If you use the active, e.g., Πώς γράφεις το όνομά σου;, you’re asking a person “How do you write your name?” (i.e., what letters do you use), not “How is it spelled” in general.

Question 2

What’s the difference between πώς and πως?

Accepted Answer

- πώς (with accent) = “how.” It introduces questions, including indirect ones: ρωτάνε πώς γράφεται…
- πως (no accent) = “that,” a conjunction similar to ότι: είπε πως θα έρθει = “he said that he will come.”  
They sound the same; the accent distinguishes them in writing.

Question 3

Why does το όνομά μου have two accent marks in one word (on ό and ά)?

Accepted Answer

Because μου is an enclitic. When a proparoxytone word (accent on the antepenultimate), like όνομα, is followed by an enclitic (e.g., μου, σου), it gets an extra accent on the last syllable: το όνομά μου. This is a standard rule of the monotonic system.  
Compare:
- το όνομα (no enclitic)  
- το όνομά μου (extra accent added)  
With paroxytone words (accent on the penultimate), no extra accent is added: το σπίτι μου (not “σπίτί”).

Question 4

Why is there a definite article το in το όνομά μου even though μου already shows possession?

Accepted Answer

Greek normally keeps the definite article with possessed nouns: το βιβλίο μου, η αδελφή μου, το όνομά μου. Dropping the article is limited to special contexts (headlines, set phrases, vocatives, some predicates). In a normal sentence like this, you need το.

Question 5

Why ρωτάνε? Could I use ρωτούν or ρωτάν(ε) instead?

Accepted Answer

All are correct:
- ρωτάνε = very common, everyday
- ρωτάν(ε) = also common; the -ε is optional
- ρωτούν(ε) = more formal/literary  
They’re just different 3rd-person plural endings of the verb ρωτάω/ρωτώ “to ask.”

Question 6

Can I say Ρωτάνε όλοι πώς… instead of Όλοι ρωτάνε πώς…?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Both are grammatical. Fronting Όλοι puts emphasis on “everyone” (“Everyone is asking…”), while Ρωτάνε όλοι… is a bit more neutral or verb-focused. In practice, both are natural.

Question 7

Why is όλοι masculine? What if I mean only women, or things?

Accepted Answer

Greek uses the masculine plural for mixed or unspecified groups of people: όλοι = “everyone / all (people).”  
- Only women: όλες ρωτάνε…  
- Things (neuter): όλα (e.g., Όλα γράφονται λάθος; = “Are all things written wrong?”)

Question 8

Why is there no question mark at the end?

Accepted Answer

Because this is a statement containing an indirect question. Greek uses the question mark (;) for direct questions only. Here, ρωτάνε is the main verb of a declarative sentence.

Question 9

Do I need a comma before πώς?

Accepted Answer

Typically, no. A comma is usual before ότι/πως (= “that”), but not before interrogative πώς (= “how”) when it introduces an indirect question that is the object of the verb. Some writers add a comma for a pause, but it isn’t required: Όλοι ρωτάνε πώς… is standard.

Question 10

Could I say Πώς γράφω το όνομά μου; instead of Πώς γράφεται το όνομά μου;?

Accepted Answer

You can, but it means something else: Πώς γράφω το όνομά μου; = “How do I write my name?” (addressed to yourself or asking for instructions). Πώς γράφεται το όνομά μου; = “How is my name spelled?” (general spelling).

Question 11

What’s the difference between γράφεται and γράφετε?

Accepted Answer

- γράφεται = “is written/is spelled” (3rd person singular, present passive)  
- γράφετε = “you write” (2nd person plural, present active)  
They’re spelled similarly but mean very different things.

Question 12

Is μου always unstressed and written after the noun? Could I put it before, like English “my name”?

Accepted Answer

The weak possessive pronoun μου is enclitic: it follows the noun and has no accent: το όνομά μου.  
For emphasis, you can use the strong form with δικός/δική/δικό: το δικό μου όνομα = “my own name.” Placing μου before the noun isn’t normal.

Question 13

Why is το όνομά μου in the nominative case, not the accusative?

Accepted Answer

In the clause πώς γράφεται το όνομά μου, the subject of the passive verb γράφεται is το όνομά μου, so it’s nominative. In passive constructions, the logical “thing being written” becomes the grammatical subject.

Question 14

Does ρωτάω mean both “ask (a question)” and “ask for (request)”? When do I use για?

Accepted Answer

- ρωτάω κάποιον κάτι = “I ask someone something / I ask a question.”  
- ρωτάω για κάτι = “I ask about something.”  
For “ask for (request),” Greek prefers ζητάω: ζητάω ένα στυλό = “I ask for a pen.” In the sentence here, πώς γράφεται… is the direct content of the question, so no για is needed.

Question 15

Does the present ρωτάνε mean “are asking” or “ask”?

Accepted Answer

Both. The Greek present (ενεστώτας) covers progressive and habitual: Όλοι ρωτάνε… can mean “Everyone is asking (now)” or “Everyone asks (generally),” depending on context.

Question 16

Do I ever hyphenate with μου (e.g., όνομά-μου)?

Accepted Answer

No. Enclitics like μου, σου, του are written as separate words without hyphens or apostrophes: το όνομά μου, το βιβλίο σου.

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