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Σας είπαν να φέρετε και διαβατήριο, ή αρκεί η ταυτότητα;

Σας είπαν να φέρετε και διαβατήριο, ή αρκεί η ταυτότητα;
Did they tell you (polite/plural) to bring a passport too, or is the ID card enough?

Breakdown of Σας είπαν να φέρετε και διαβατήριο, ή αρκεί η ταυτότητα;

ή
or
να
to
σας
you
φέρνω
to bring
λέω
to tell
η ταυτότητα
the ID card
το διαβατήριο
the passport
και
too
αρκώ
to be enough
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Questions & Answers about Σας είπαν να φέρετε και διαβατήριο, ή αρκεί η ταυτότητα;

Why does the sentence start with Σας? What exactly does it mean here?

Σας is the object pronoun meaning you in a formal singular or plural sense. Here it means you (sir/ma’am / you all) as the people being told something.
If it were informal singular, you’d expect σε instead: Σε είπαν… (less common/less natural in this structure; usually Σου είπαν… with another verb form).

Who is the subject of είπαν? Is it literally “they”?

Yes, grammatically είπαν is 3rd person plural (“they said/told”), but Greek often uses this as an impersonal “they” meaning something like “you were told” / “did they tell you” without specifying who.
So it’s very natural even if the speaker doesn’t know or doesn’t want to mention the person/office that gave the instruction.

What tense is είπαν, and why is it used instead of a present tense?

είπαν is aorist past (simple past) of λέω (“say/tell”). It refers to a completed past event: someone told you (at some point).
If you wanted “Are they telling you (now)…?”, you’d use present: Σας λένε να…? (less common in this context).

Why do we have να φέρετε? What does να do?

να introduces a subjunctive clause in Greek. After verbs like “tell/ask/order,” Greek typically uses να + subjunctive instead of an infinitive.
So Σας είπαν να φέρετε… literally works like “They told you that you should bring…”.

What form is φέρετε? Is it imperative?

φέρετε here is 2nd person plural subjunctive (aorist subjunctive) of φέρνω (“bring”). It is not an imperative, even though it can feel “command-like” in English.
It matches Σας (formal/plural “you”).
Imperative would be different, e.g. Φέρτε… (“Bring…!”).

Does και mean “and” or “also” here?

Here και means “also / as well”:
να φέρετε και διαβατήριο = “to bring a passport as well.”
Greek uses και for both “and” and “also”; context tells you which.

Why is there no article: why διαβατήριο and not το διαβατήριο?

Both are possible. Omitting the article is common when talking about an item in a general/document requirement sense: “bring (a) passport”.
Adding the article can sound more specific/definite: να φέρετε και το διαβατήριο = “bring the passport too (the one you have).”

How does αρκεί work grammatically? What is its subject?

αρκεί means “is enough / suffices” (3rd person singular). Its subject is η ταυτότητα (“the ID card”), which is why the verb is singular:
αρκεί η ταυτότητα; = “is the ID enough?”
Greek often places the verb before the subject like this.

Why is ταυτότητα feminine with η?

ταυτότητα is a feminine noun, so it takes η in the nominative singular: η ταυτότητα = “the ID (card).”
By contrast, διαβατήριο is neuter (το διαβατήριο if you include the article).

What’s the purpose of the comma before ή? Is it required?

The comma helps separate two alternatives and makes the question easier to read:
…, ή αρκεί η ταυτότητα; = “…, or is the ID enough?”
In Greek, a comma before ή isn’t always strictly required, but it’s common when the second part is a fuller clause (as here).

Could I rephrase this with a more direct “Do I need…?” structure?

Yes, common alternatives are:

  • Χρειάζεται να φέρω και διαβατήριο ή αρκεί η ταυτότητα; = “Do I need to bring a passport too, or is the ID enough?”
  • Πρέπει να φέρω διαβατήριο ή αρκεί η ταυτότητα; = “Must I bring a passport, or is the ID enough?”
    The original with Σας είπαν… specifically references what you were told previously.