Υποτίθεται ότι το φυτό θέλει φως.

to want

Breakdown of Υποτίθεται ότι το φυτό θέλει φως.

• ότι: that
• το φως: the light
• το φυτό: the plant

Questions & Answers about Υποτίθεται ότι το φυτό θέλει φως.

What does Υποτίθεται mean here?

Υποτίθεται literally comes from a verb meaning to suppose / to assume, but in this kind of sentence it is usually used impersonally.

So Υποτίθεται ότι... means something like:

• It is supposed that...
• It is assumed that...
• Supposedly...

In everyday English, you would often translate the whole sentence more naturally rather than word-for-word.

Why is Υποτίθεται in the third person singular?

Because this is an impersonal expression. Greek often uses third person singular forms in statements where English uses it:

• Υποτίθεται ότι... = It is supposed that...
• Φαίνεται ότι... = It seems that...

There is no real subject here in the usual sense. The verb just appears in the fixed third person singular form.

What is the role of ότι in this sentence?