Breakdown of Τι προτείνεις εσύ; Να διαλέξουμε κάτι διαφορετικό;
Questions & Answers about Τι προτείνεις εσύ; Να διαλέξουμε κάτι διαφορετικό;
Why is the subject pronoun εσύ included? Can I omit it?
Greek usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the person. Adding εσύ adds emphasis: Τι προτείνεις εσύ; ≈ “What do you suggest (you in particular)?”
- Neutral: Τι προτείνεις;
- Emphatic options: Τι προτείνεις εσύ; / Εσύ τι προτείνεις; (fronting εσύ is even stronger emphasis)
What form is προτείνεις?
It’s 2nd person singular, present indicative of προτείνω (to suggest/recommend).
Mini paradigm (present):
- εγώ προτείνω (I suggest)
- εσύ προτείνεις (you suggest)
- αυτός/αυτή/αυτό προτείνει
- εμείς προτείνουμε
- εσείς προτείνετε
- αυτοί/ές/ά προτείνουν(ε)
Why is the Greek question mark a semicolon (;)?
In Greek, the symbol (;) serves as the question mark. That’s why you see Τι προτείνεις εσύ; and Να διαλέξουμε κάτι διαφορετικό; both ending with a semicolon.
The Greek semicolon (the “real” semicolon) is a raised dot: · (άνω τελεία), which you’ll rarely meet.
What does να do in Να διαλέξουμε…;?
Is διαλέξουμε present or aorist? Why that choice?
Διαλέξουμε is the aorist subjunctive (1st person plural) of διαλέγω. The aorist views the action as a single, whole event, which is exactly what you want for a one-off suggestion.
Contrast:
- Να διαλέξουμε (aorist) = “Shall we choose (once, now)?”
- Να διαλέγουμε (present) would suggest ongoing/habitual action: “Should we be choosing (regularly)?”—not the intended meaning here.
Could I say this in other natural ways?
Yes. Common alternatives:
- Ας διαλέξουμε κάτι διαφορετικό. (Let’s choose something different.) — statement-like suggestion
- Μήπως να διαλέξουμε κάτι διαφορετικό; (How about we choose…?) — very idiomatic, soft
- Θες να διαλέξουμε κάτι διαφορετικό; (Do you want us to choose…?) — informal, sounds like a suggestion
Why is it κάτι διαφορετικό and not another gender?
Κάτι (something) is neuter, so any adjective modifying it also appears in neuter singular: διαφορετικό.
More examples: κάτι ωραίο, κάτι σημαντικό, κάτι μικρό.
Is there a difference between κάτι διαφορετικό and κάτι άλλο?
- Κάτι διαφορετικό = “something different” (of a different kind/quality)
- Κάτι άλλο = “something else/another thing” (just not the same one)
They often overlap, but διαφορετικό highlights difference in nature, άλλο just means another option.
How do I pronounce the sentence?
A simple guide (stress in caps; approximate sounds):
- Τι = tee
- προτείνεις = pro-TEE-nees (ει = /i/)
- εσύ = e-SEE
- Να = na
- διαλέξουμε = thya-LEX-ou-me (δ = voiced “th” as in “this”; δια = dya; ξ = /ks/; ου = /u/)
- κάτι = KA-tee
- διαφορετικό = thya-fo-re-ti-KO
Together: Ti proteíneis esý? Na dialéxoume káti diaforetikó?
Could/should I use ποιο instead of τι?
Use:
- Τι for “what (in general)” suggestions.
- Ποιο for “which (one from a set).”
Examples: - Τι προτείνεις; (What do you recommend?)
- Ποιο πιάτο προτείνεις; (Which dish do you recommend?)
How would I make it polite/plural?
- Τι προτείνετε εσείς; (What do you suggest? — polite/plural)
- A more deferential form: Τι θα προτείνατε; (What would you recommend?)
The follow-up suggestion stays the same if it’s “we”: Να διαλέξουμε κάτι διαφορετικό;
Can I move words around?
Yes, Greek allows flexible word order for emphasis:
- Τι προτείνεις; (neutral)
- Τι προτείνεις εσύ; / Εσύ τι προτείνεις; (emphasis on “you”)
- Να διαλέξουμε κάτι διαφορετικό; (neutral)
- Κάτι διαφορετικό να διαλέξουμε; (fronted object = emphasis on “something different”)
How do I negate the suggestion?
Use μη(ν) with the subjunctive:
- Να μην διαλέξουμε κάτι διαφορετικό; = “Shouldn’t we choose something different?”
In practice you’ll see both μη and μην; μην is common before vowels.
Are there synonyms for προτείνω?
Yes:
- συστήνω/συνιστώ = recommend (often more formal)
Examples: - Τι μας προτείνεις; (What do you recommend to us?)
- Τι μας συνιστάτε; (polite/formal)
What’s the difference between διαλέγω and επιλέγω?
Both mean “choose,” but:
- διαλέγω is the everyday word: pick/choose.
- επιλέγω is more formal/technical: select/opt for.
In casual speech here, διαλέξουμε is the natural choice.
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