Questions & Answers about Εκείνες είναι στη συνάντηση τώρα.
What exactly does Εκείνες mean here, and why is it feminine?
Εκείνες is the feminine plural form of εκείνος = that (one) over there / those (ones) over there.
- Gender: It’s feminine plural nominative, so it refers to a group of females or feminine nouns.
- In this sentence it corresponds to they (specifically: those women / those (feminine) people).
If the group were male or mixed, you’d use εκείνοι instead:
- Εκείνοι είναι στη συνάντηση τώρα. = Those (men / mixed group) are at the meeting now.
What is the difference between εκείνες and αυτές?
Both can translate as they or those/these (feminine), but the nuance is different:
εκείνες = those (over there / more distant)
- Spatial or psychological distance
- Often implies “those ones (not these ones here)”
αυτές = these / they (feminine)
- Neutral or closer / more immediate reference
- Often just the ordinary subject pronoun they (fem.)
So:
- Εκείνες είναι στη συνάντηση τώρα. → Those women (over there / the other ones) are at the meeting now.
- Αυτές είναι στη συνάντηση τώρα. → They / These women are at the meeting now. (more neutral or “these here” depending on context)
Why do we even say Εκείνες? Could we just say Είναι στη συνάντηση τώρα?