Questions & Answers about Τι λες τώρα;
Word by word:
- Τι = what (interrogative pronoun, used for direct questions).
- λες = you say / you are saying (2nd person singular present of the verb λέω).
- τώρα = now.
So literally the sentence is What are you saying now?
The you is not written, because in Greek it is usually understood from the verb ending (-εις → you).
The idiomatic meaning comes from tone and context, not from the literal words alone.
When a Greek speaker is surprised, shocked, or finds something hard to believe, they can use Τι λες τώρα; with an incredulous tone. In that context it no longer means a simple request for clarification; it’s more like:
- You can’t be serious!
- No way!
- Are you kidding me?
- What are you talking about (come on)?
In a neutral context, if you genuinely didn’t understand what someone just said and you want them to repeat or explain, Τι λες τώρα; can also be taken literally as What are you saying now? But in everyday speech, especially with a surprised tone, it’s very often an exclamation of disbelief rather than a real information question.
In modern Greek with the monotonic system (the one you are learning), τι as a question word is normally written without an accent:
- Τι κάνεις; – What are you doing?
- Τι λες τώρα; – What are you saying now?
In older, polytonic texts you may see τί with an accent. You might still occasionally see τί in some careful or academic writing to emphasize its interrogative function, but in everyday modern Greek orthography, you just write τι without an accent.
So for your purposes:
→ Use τι (no accent) as what in questions.
Λες is the 2nd person singular present tense of the verb λέω (to say / to tell).
Present tense of λέω (informal common form):
- εγώ λέω – I say / I am saying
- εσύ λες – you say / you are saying
- αυτός / αυτή / αυτό λέει – he / she / it says
- εμείς λέμε – we say
- εσείς λέτε – you (plural/formal) say
- αυτοί / αυτές / αυτά λένε – they say
Older or more formal Greek also has λέγω, but in everyday modern speech you will overwhelmingly hear λέω and λες.
Because Greek doesn’t distinguish between simple present and present continuous in form, λες can mean both you say and you are saying, depending on context.
Λες (present) focuses on what the person is saying right now, from the speaker’s perspective.
Compare:
Τι λες τώρα;
Literally: What are you saying now?
Focus: the content of what you are (right now) saying / claiming / telling me.Τι είπες τώρα;
Literally: What did you just say?
Focus: something you have already said, often one second ago. This can also express shock or offense at what was just said.
Both can be emotionally loaded, but:
- Τι λες τώρα; often expresses disbelief about an ongoing claim or topic:
You can’t be serious with what you’re saying right now. - Τι είπες τώρα; often reacts to a specific sentence that has just been uttered:
What did you just say (to me)?!
In your example, the speaker is reacting to what the person is currently saying or asserting, so the present λες fits.
Τώρα literally means now, but in this expression it often has an extra emotional or pragmatic function.
Literal time sense:
It can simply mean at this moment:
Τι λες τώρα; – What are you saying now (as opposed to before)?Discourse/emotional function:
Very often, τώρα adds a feeling like:- Come on, seriously…
- Right now, honestly…?
- Now look what you’re saying…
In that emotional use, τώρα doesn’t refer to clock time so much as it emphasizes the speaker’s reaction: it helps turn the sentence into something like You can’t be serious!
So yes, it is now, but it also works as a kind of intensifier of disbelief in many contexts.
Yes, you can say Τώρα τι λες;, and it is natural Greek. The meaning is very close, but the focus shifts slightly.
Τι λες τώρα;
Neutral order; emphasis more on what you are saying.
Roughly: What are you saying (now)? / What are you talking about!Τώρα τι λες;
Emphasis leans a bit more on τώρα:
something like What are you saying now (of all times)?
It can sound a bit more like: Now what are you saying?!
Both can be used with disbelief. In many everyday contexts they are almost interchangeable, with nuance mostly conveyed by tone of voice.
Τι τώρα λες; is not natural.
To be more polite/formal, you switch to the plural/formal you: λέτε.
Informal (to a friend, someone your age, a child):
Τι λες τώρα;Formal / polite (to an older person, a stranger, or in plural):
Τι λέτε τώρα;
Note: the emotion of the phrase is still somewhat incredulous or confrontational. Even with λέτε, you can sound rude if your tone is sharp. In a truly polite context, you might choose a softer phrase instead, for example:
- Σοβαρά μιλάτε; – Are you speaking seriously?
- Το εννοείτε αυτό; – Do you mean that?
Greek is a pro‑drop language: subject pronouns (like εγώ, εσύ, αυτός) are usually omitted when they are clear from the verb ending.
- λες already tells us it’s you (singular), so εσύ is normally unnecessary.
You can add εσύ for emphasis:
- Εσύ τι λες τώρα; – And what do you say now? / What are you saying now?
That can emphasize contrast:
- Εγώ λέω να πάμε. Εσύ τι λες τώρα;
I say we should go. What do you say now?
Or it can sound more confrontational, depending on tone:
YOU, what are you saying now?!
So yes, it’s grammatically correct, but it changes the tone by putting stress on you.
It can be both, depending on context and intonation.
Genuine question (neutral or slightly confused tone):
- You didn’t hear or understand what someone said.
- You want them to repeat or clarify.
Then Τι λες τώρα; can simply mean What are you saying now?
Rhetorical / emotional (incredulous, surprised, amused, or annoyed tone):
- You find what they’re saying unbelievable, shocking, or silly.
Then it functions like:
You can’t be serious! / Are you kidding me? / What are you talking about!
- You find what they’re saying unbelievable, shocking, or silly.
In real conversations, it is very often used with this rhetorical, emotional force, but the literal question meaning is also possible. The difference is mainly in tone of voice and situation.