Εγώ μένω εδώ, αλλά οι άλλοι μένουν στο χωριό.

here

Breakdown of Εγώ μένω εδώ, αλλά οι άλλοι μένουν στο χωριό.

• εγώ: I
• μένω: to live
• αλλά: but

Questions & Answers about Εγώ μένω εδώ, αλλά οι άλλοι μένουν στο χωριό.

Why do we say Εγώ μένω εδώ instead of just Μένω εδώ?

In Greek, the subject pronoun (like εγώ, εσύ, αυτός) is usually dropped, because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• Μένω εδώ = I live here (perfectly correct and very common)

We add Εγώ when we want emphasis or contrast:

• Εγώ μένω εδώ, αλλά οι άλλοι μένουν στο χωριό.
  = I live here, but the others live in the village.

So Εγώ here highlights the contrast between me and the others. Without εγώ, the sentence is still correct, just a bit less emphatic:

• Μένω εδώ, αλλά οι άλλοι μένουν στο χωριό.

What is the difference between μένω and ζω for “to live”?

Both can translate as to live, but they are used a bit differently:

• μένω

  • basic meaning: to stay / to remain
  • very commonly: to live / reside (somewhere)
  • e.g. Μένω στην Αθήνα. = I live in Athens.

• ζω

  • basic meaning: to live, to be alive
  • also: to live (one’s life), to experience life
  • e.g. Ζω στην Αθήνα. = I live in Athens.
    Ζω μια δύσκολη ζωή. = I live a difficult life.
    Ακόμα ζει. = He/She is still alive.

In the sentence Εγώ μένω εδώ, αλλά οι άλλοι μένουν στο χωριό, μένω is natural because we’re talking about place of residence. Using ζω would be understood but slightly less neutral for this everyday “I live here” idea.