The Greek third person plural pronoun system encompasses three distinct forms based on gender: αυτοί (aftí) for masculine plural, αυτές (aftés) for feminine plural, and αυτά (aftá) for neuter plural. This tripartite distinction reflects a fundamental characteristic of Greek grammar that differs significantly from English, where “they” is gender-neutral.
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FAQ: What does “they” mean in Greek? Greek expresses “they” through three gender-specific forms: αυτοί (masculine), αυτές (feminine), and αυτά (neuter). The choice depends on the gender of the people or things being referenced, with masculine used for mixed-gender groups and as the default form.
In this lesson’s 15 main examples, you will encounter all three forms of the third person plural pronoun in various syntactic positions—as subjects, in prepositional phrases, and in different case forms. You’ll observe how Greek speakers select the appropriate gender form based on context, and how these pronouns interact with verb conjugations and noun agreement.
The genre section (examples 16-30) presents these pronouns within a narrative text about a group of friends, demonstrating natural usage patterns and showing how gender agreement operates in extended discourse.
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Greek has three forms of “they” based on gender: αυτοί (masc.), αυτές (fem.), αυτά (neut.) -
Masculine plural is used for mixed-gender groups -
Pronouns decline for case (nominative, genitive, accusative) -
Gender agreement extends throughout the sentence -
Stress marks are crucial for distinguishing forms -
Often omitted in speech when the verb ending makes the subject clear
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The Greek pronouns in this lesson feature several important orthographic elements: -
Stress marks (tonos): The accent mark (΄) appears on different syllables in different forms -
αυτοί (afTÍ) - masculine, stressed on final syllable -
αυτές (afTÉS) - feminine, stressed on final syllable -
αυτά (afTÁ) - neuter, stressed on final syllable -
Diphthongs: The combination αυ is pronounced [af] before voiceless consonants and [av] before vowels and voiced consonants -
Letter similarities: Be careful not to confuse: -
ο (omicron) with α (alpha) -
ε (epsilon) with α (alpha)
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24.1 Αυτοί (aftí) they-MASC είναι (íne) are οι (i) the φίλοι (fíli) friends μου (mu) my
24.2 Αυτές (aftés) they-FEM δουλεύουν (dulévun) work στο (sto) in-the νοσοκομείο (nosokomío) hospital
24.3 Αυτά (aftá) they-NEUT τα (ta) the παιδιά (pediá) children παίζουν (pézun) play στην (stin) in-the αυλή (avlí) yard
24.4 Τους (tus) them-MASC είδα (ída) I-saw χθες (hthes) yesterday στην (stin) in-the πλατεία (platía) square
24.5 Αυτές (aftés) they-FEM μιλούν (milún) speak Ελληνικά (eliniká) Greek πολύ (polý) very καλά (kalá) well
24.6 Πού (pu) where είναι (íne) are αυτοί (aftí) they-MASC Έφυγαν (éfigan) they-left νωρίς (norís) early
24.7 Τα (ta) them-NEUT βιβλία (vivlía) books αυτά (aftá) these είναι (íne) are δικά (diká) own τους (tus) their
24.8 Αυτοί (aftí) they-MASC δεν (den) not ξέρουν (ksérun) know τίποτα (típota) nothing για (ya) about το (to) the θέμα (théma) subject
24.9 Πήγαμε (pígame) we-went μαζί (mazí) together τους (tus) with-them-MASC στο (sto) to-the θέατρο (théatro) theater
24.10 Αυτές (aftés) they-FEM οι (i) the γυναίκες (yinékes) women είναι (íne) are δασκάλες (daskáles) teachers
24.11 Τους (tus) to-them-MASC άρεσε (árese) pleased πολύ (polý) very η (i) the ταινία (tenía) movie
24.12 Αυτά (aftá) they-NEUT δεν (den) not είναι (íne) are εδώ (edó) here
24.13 Οι (i) the γονείς (yonís) parents τους (tus) their ζουν (zun) live στην (stin) in-the Αθήνα (athína) Athens
24.14 Αυτοί (aftí) they-MASC είναι (íne) are πολύ (polý) very καλοί (kalí) good άνθρωποι (ánthropi) people
24.15 Τις (tis) them-FEM βλέπω (vépo) I-see κάθε (káthe) every μέρα (méra) day στο (sto) at-the σχολείο (sholío) school
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24.1 Αυτοί είναι οι φίλοι μου Aftí íne i fíli mu “They are my friends”
24.2 Αυτές δουλεύουν στο νοσοκομείο Aftés dulévun sto nosokomío “They work at the hospital”
24.3 Αυτά τα παιδιά παίζουν στην αυλή Aftá ta pediá pézun stin avlí “Those children are playing in the yard”
24.4 Τους είδα χθες στην πλατεία Tus ída hthes stin platía “I saw them yesterday in the square”
24.5 Αυτές μιλούν Ελληνικά πολύ καλά Aftés milún eliniká polý kalá “They speak Greek very well”
24.6 Πού είναι αυτοί; Έφυγαν νωρίς Pu íne aftí? Éfigan norís “Where are they? They left early”
24.7 Τα βιβλία αυτά είναι δικά τους Ta vivlía aftá íne diká tus “These books are theirs”
24.8 Αυτοί δεν ξέρουν τίποτα για το θέμα Aftí den ksérun típota ya to théma “They don’t know anything about the subject”
24.9 Πήγαμε μαζί τους στο θέατρο Pígame mazí tus sto théatro “We went with them to the theater”
24.10 Αυτές οι γυναίκες είναι δασκάλες Aftés i yinékes íne daskáles “These women are teachers”
24.11 Τους άρεσε πολύ η ταινία Tus árese polý i tenía “They liked the movie very much”
24.12 Αυτά δεν είναι εδώ Aftá den íne edó “They/These aren’t here”
24.13 Οι γονείς τους ζουν στην Αθήνα I yonís tus zun stin athína “Their parents live in Athens”
24.14 Αυτοί είναι πολύ καλοί άνθρωποι Aftí íne polý kalí ánthropi “They are very good people”
24.15 Τις βλέπω κάθε μέρα στο σχολείο Tis vépo káthe méra sto sholío “I see them every day at school”
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24.1 Αυτοί είναι οι φίλοι μου Aftí íne i fíli mu
24.2 Αυτές δουλεύουν στο νοσοκομείο Aftés dulévun sto nosokomío
24.3 Αυτά τα παιδιά παίζουν στην αυλή Aftá ta pediá pézun stin avlí
24.4 Τους είδα χθες στην πλατεία Tus ída hthes stin platía
24.5 Αυτές μιλούν Ελληνικά πολύ καλά Aftés milún eliniká polý kalá
24.6 Πού είναι αυτοί; Έφυγαν νωρίς Pu íne aftí? Éfigan norís
24.7 Τα βιβλία αυτά είναι δικά τους Ta vivlía aftá íne diká tus
24.8 Αυτοί δεν ξέρουν τίποτα για το θέμα Aftí den ksérun típota ya to théma
24.9 Πήγαμε μαζί τους στο θέατρο Pígame mazí tus sto théatro
24.10 Αυτές οι γυναίκες είναι δασκάλες Aftés i yinékes íne daskáles
24.11 Τους άρεσε πολύ η ταινία Tus árese polý i tenía
24.12 Αυτά δεν είναι εδώ Aftá den íne edó
24.13 Οι γονείς τους ζουν στην Αθήνα I yonís tus zun stin athína
24.14 Αυτοί είναι πολύ καλοί άνθρωποι Aftí íne polý kalí ánthropi
24.15 Τις βλέπω κάθε μέρα στο σχολείο Tis vépo káthe méra sto sholío
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These are the grammar rules for αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά (they)
Greek maintains grammatical gender for plural pronouns, requiring speakers to choose among three forms: -
αυτοί (aftí) - masculine plural -
αυτές (aftés) - feminine plural -
αυτά (aftá) - neuter plural
This differs fundamentally from English, where “they” is gender-neutral.
Masculine plural (αυτοί): -
All-male groups: αυτοί οι άντρες (these men) -
Mixed-gender groups: αυτοί οι φίλοι (these friends - male and female) -
Default when gender is unknown or irrelevant -
Grammatically masculine nouns in plural
Feminine plural (αυτές): -
All-female groups: αυτές οι γυναίκες (these women) -
Grammatically feminine nouns in plural
Neuter plural (αυτά): -
Neuter nouns in plural: αυτά τα παιδιά (these children) -
Things/objects that are grammatically neuter -
Abstract concepts -
Young animals/children (often)
Like all Greek pronouns, the third person plural declines for case:
NOMINATIVE (subject) -
αυτοί / αυτές / αυτά
GENITIVE (possessive) -
αυτών (aftón) - “their” or “of them” (all genders) -
Often appears as τους (tus) when possessive
ACCUSATIVE (direct object) -
Masculine: τους (tus) or αυτούς (aftús) -
Feminine: τις (tis) or αυτές (aftés) -
Neuter: τα (ta) or αυτά (aftá)
Greek has two pronoun systems:
Weak (clitic) forms - attach to verbs: -
τους (masculine) -
τις (feminine) -
τα (neuter)
Example: Τους είδα (I saw them)
Strong (emphatic) forms - stand alone: -
αυτούς (masculine) -
αυτές (feminine) -
αυτά (neuter)
Example: Είδα αυτούς (I saw THEM - emphatic)
αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά can function as: -
Personal pronouns (they): -
Αυτοί έρχονται (They are coming) -
Demonstrative pronouns (these/those): -
Αυτοί οι άνθρωποι (These people)
Context determines which function applies.
Greek is a “pro-drop” language. Because verbs conjugate for person and number, pronouns are often omitted when the meaning is clear:
With pronoun: Αυτοί πηγαίνουν στο σχολείο (They go to school) Without: Πηγαίνουν στο σχολείο (Go-3PL to school = They go to school)
The pronoun is included for: -
Emphasis -
Clarity when context is ambiguous -
Contrast (comparing different groups)
Pronouns must agree with their referents in: -
Gender: Must match the noun(s) referenced -
Number: Already plural by definition -
Case: Changes based on grammatical function
Example of agreement: -
Οι δασκάλες (the teachers-FEM) → Αυτές (they-FEM) -
Οι δάσκαλοι (the teachers-MASC) → Αυτοί (they-MASC)
Full paradigm (all forms used in speech):
Case Masculine Feminine Neuter NOM αυτοί αυτές αυτά GEN αυτών αυτών αυτών ACC αυτούς/τους αυτές/τις αυτά/τα
-
Using masculine for all-female groups -
❌ Οι γυναίκες; Αυτοί είναι δασκάλες -
✅ Οι γυναίκες; Αυτές είναι δασκάλες -
Forgetting case changes in object position -
❌ Είδα αυτοί -
✅ Είδα αυτούς (or Τους είδα) -
Confusing weak and strong forms -
Weak forms (τους, τις, τα) typically come before the verb -
Strong forms (αυτούς, αυτές, αυτά) come after for emphasis -
Overusing pronouns -
Greek speakers often omit pronouns when the verb ending is clear -
“Έρχονται αύριο” is more natural than “Αυτοί έρχονται αύριο” in many contexts
Subject pronouns (nominative): -
Usually before verb: Αυτοί έρχονται -
Can follow verb for emphasis or in questions: Πού πηγαίνουν αυτοί;
Object pronouns (accusative): -
Weak forms before verb: Τους είδα -
Strong forms after verb: Είδα αυτούς
Third person plural pronouns: -
Three genders: masculine, feminine, neuter -
Decline for case: nominative, genitive, accusative -
Two form sets: weak (clitic) and strong (emphatic) -
Function: personal pronoun or demonstrative -
Pro-drop: often omitted when verb conjugation is clear -
Agreement: must match referent in gender and case
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The Modern Greek pronoun system descends from Ancient Greek’s more complex paradigm, which included dual number (for pairs) in addition to singular and plural. The modern three-gender distinction preserves an ancient Indo-European feature that English has largely lost except in singular third person (he/she/it).
Unlike many European languages currently debating gender-neutral pronouns, Greek faces unique challenges due to its pervasive grammatical gender system. The masculine plural as the default for mixed-gender groups reflects traditional grammatical conventions, though some contemporary speakers discuss more inclusive alternatives.
The phrase αυτοί και αυτές (they-masculine and they-feminine) is sometimes used to explicitly include both genders, particularly in formal or political discourse.
Standard Modern Greek (Demotic Greek) uses these forms uniformly across Greece and Cyprus. However, some dialectal variations exist: -
Cretan dialects: May use different stress patterns -
Pontic Greek: Has archaic pronoun forms -
Cypriot Greek: Minor pronunciation differences but same forms
The pronoun forms themselves don’t change by register, but usage patterns differ:
Formal contexts: -
More explicit pronoun use (less pro-drop) -
Preference for strong forms for clarity -
Full forms in writing
Informal contexts: -
Heavy pro-drop (pronouns often omitted) -
Weak clitic forms predominate -
Context-dependent interpretation
Greek speakers navigate complex social terrain with pronouns: -
Respect and distance: Using third person instead of second person -
Speaking of someone present: “Τι θέλει αυτός;” (What does he want?) instead of direct address -
Gossip and reference: Third person pronouns allow discussing people not present -
The choice of pronoun gender immediately identifies who is being discussed -
Inclusivity in groups: Using αυτοί for mixed groups is automatic and rarely questioned, though awareness is growing
Written Greek: -
Pronouns more frequently expressed -
Formal pronoun use predominates -
Clear antecedent-pronoun relationships
Spoken Greek: -
Heavy pro-drop (30-40% pronoun omission) -
Intonation and context carry meaning -
Weak forms vastly outnumber strong forms
Several common expressions use these pronouns: -
Αυτοί είναι! (That’s them! / Those are the ones!) -
Κι αυτοί! (Them too!) -
Μα αυτοί; (But them? - expressing surprise) -
Με αυτούς; (With them? - expressing doubt or dismay)
Greek allows considerable freedom in pronoun placement for stylistic effect:
Standard order: Pronoun + Verb -
Αυτοί πηγαίνουν (They go)
Emphatic order: Verb + Pronoun -
Πηγαίνουν αυτοί! (THEY go! / They’re the ones going!)
Topic-prominent: Pronoun fronted for discourse topic -
Αυτοί, τους ξέρω καλά (Them, I know well / As for them, I know them well)
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Αυτοί (aftí) they που (pu) who περπάτησαν (perpátisan) walked στα (sta) on-the μονοπάτια (monopátia) paths του (tu) of-the ουρανού (uranú) sky και (ke) and βρήκαν (vríkan) found τα (ta) the σημάδια (simádia) signs στις (stis) on-the πέτρες (pétres) stones αυτοί (aftí) they που (pu) who άνοιξαν (ániksan) opened τα (ta) the μάτια (mátia) eyes των (ton) their παιδιών (pedión) of-children στο (sto) to-the φως (fos) light
Αυτοί που περπάτησαν στα μονοπάτια του ουρανού και βρήκαν τα σημάδια στις πέτρες, αυτοί που άνοιξαν τα μάτια των παιδιών στο φως
Aftí pu perpátisan sta monopátia tu uranú ke vríkan ta simádia stis pétres, aftí pu ániksan ta mátia ton pedión sto fos
“They who walked on the paths of the sky and found the signs on the stones, they who opened the children’s eyes to the light”
Αυτοί που περπάτησαν στα μονοπάτια του ουρανού και βρήκαν τα σημάδια στις πέτρες, αυτοί που άνοιξαν τα μάτια των παιδιών στο φως
Aftí pu perpátisan sta monopátia tu uranú ke vríkan ta simádia stis pétres, aftí pu ániksan ta mátia ton pedión sto fos
Vocabulary: -
περπάτησαν (perpátisan) = they walked (aorist tense) -
μονοπάτια (monopátia) = paths (neuter plural) -
ουρανού (uranú) = of sky (genitive) -
σημάδια (simádia) = signs (neuter plural) -
πέτρες (pétres) = stones (feminine plural) -
άνοιξαν (ániksan) = they opened (aorist) -
μάτια (mátia) = eyes (neuter plural)
Grammar: -
Αυτοί που: Relative clause structure (they who...) -
Repetition of αυτοί: Anaphoric repetition creates emphasis and rhythm -
Genitive constructions: του ουρανού (of the sky), των παιδιών (of the children) -
Masculine plural: Used for the unspecified heroes/ancestors being honored
Literary context: Elytis uses the masculine plural αυτοί to invoke the collective ancestors and heroes of Greek history. The repetition of αυτοί που creates a litany-like structure, building up layers of meaning. This passage exemplifies how Greek uses pronouns to create cohesion across long poetic periods while maintaining clear reference to collective subjects.
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24.16 Οι (i) the φίλοι (fíli) friends συναντήθηκαν (sinandíthikan) met στο (sto) at-the καφενείο (kafenío) café Αυτοί (aftí) they ήταν (ítan) were τέσσερις (téseris) four
24.17 Δύο (dío) two από (apó) of αυτούς (aftús) them ήταν (ítan) were άντρες (ándres) men και (ke) and δύο (dío) two γυναίκες (yinékes) women
24.18 Αυτές (aftés) they-FEM οι (i) the γυναίκες (yinékes) women μίλησαν (mílisan) spoke πρώτες (prótes) first για (ya) about το (to) the ταξίδι (taksídi) trip
24.19 Τους (tus) them άρεσε (árese) pleased η (i) the ιδέα (idéa) idea να (na) to πάνε (páne) go στα (sta) to-the νησιά (nisiá) islands
24.20 Αυτοί (aftí) they οι (i) the άντρες (ándres) men προτείναν (protínan) proposed τη (ti) the Σαντορίνη (sandoríni) Santorini
24.21 Αυτές (aftés) they-FEM όμως (ómos) however ήθελαν (íthelan) wanted να (na) to επισκεφτούν (episképtun) visit τη (ti) the Μύκονο (míkono) Mykonos
24.22 Μετά (metá) after από (apó) from μια (mia) one ώρα (óra) hour συζήτησης (sizítisis) of-discussion αυτοί (aftí) they αποφάσισαν (apofásisan) decided να (na) to πάνε (páne) go και (ke) to στα (sta) to-the δύο (dío) two νησιά (nisiá) islands
24.23 Τα (ta) the παιδιά (pediá) children τους (tus) their ήταν (ítan) were μικρά (miká) small Αυτά (aftá) they-NEUT έμειναν (éminan) stayed με (me) with τη (ti) the γιαγιά (yayá) grandmother
24.24 Η (i) the γιαγιά (yayá) grandmother τα (ta) them-NEUT αγαπούσε (agapúse) loved πολύ (polý) very και (ke) and αυτά (aftá) they-NEUT την (tin) her λάτρευαν (látrevan) adored
24.25 Το (to) the πρώτο (próto) first βράδυ (vrádi) evening αυτοί (aftí) they έφαγαν (éfagan) ate σε (se) at ένα (éna) a παραδοσιακό (paradosiakó) traditional ταβερνάκι (tavernáki) small-tavern
24.26 Τους (tus) them εξυπηρέτησε (eksiperétise) served ο (o) the ιδιοκτήτης (idiokdítis) owner ο (o) the ίδιος (ídios) himself
24.27 Αυτός (aftós) he τους (tus) them έφερε (éfere) brought ψάρι (psári) fish φρέσκο (frésko) fresh από (apó) from τη (ti) the θάλασσα (thálasa) sea
24.28 Οι (i) the φίλοι (fíli) friends κάθισαν (káthisan) sat μέχρι (méhri) until αργά (argá) late Αυτοί (aftí) they μίλησαν (mílisan) talked για (ya) about παλιές (paliés) old αναμνήσεις (anamníseis) memories
24.29 Αυτές (aftés) they-FEM οι (i) the στιγμές (stigmés) moments ήταν (ítan) were πολύτιμες (polýtimes) precious για (ya) for όλους (ólus) all τους (tus) them
24.30 Την (tin) the επόμενη (epómeni) next μέρα (méra) day αυτοί (aftí) they ξύπνησαν (ksípnisan) woke-up νωρίς (norís) early για (ya) for να (na) to δουν (dun) see την (tin) the ανατολή (anatolí) sunrise του (tu) of-the ηλίου (ilíu) sun
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24.16 Οι φίλοι συναντήθηκαν στο καφενείο. Αυτοί ήταν τέσσερις I fíli sinandíthikan sto kafenío. Aftí ítan téseris “The friends met at the café. They were four”
24.17 Δύο από αυτούς ήταν άντρες και δύο γυναίκες Dío apó aftús ítan ándres ke dío yinékes “Two of them were men and two women”
24.18 Αυτές οι γυναίκες μίλησαν πρώτες για το ταξίδι Aftés i yinékes mílisan prótes ya to taksídi “Those women spoke first about the trip”
24.19 Τους άρεσε η ιδέα να πάνε στα νησιά Tus árese i idéa na páne sta nisiá “They liked the idea of going to the islands”
24.20 Αυτοί οι άντρες πρότειναν τη Σαντορίνη Aftí i ándres protínan ti sandoríni “Those men proposed Santorini”
24.21 Αυτές όμως ήθελαν να επισκεφτούν τη Μύκονο Aftés ómos íthelan na episképtun ti míkono “They (the women) however wanted to visit Mykonos”
24.22 Μετά από μια ώρα συζήτησης αυτοί αποφάσισαν να πάνε και στα δύο νησιά Metá apó mia óra sizítisis aftí apofásisan na páne ke sta dío nisiá “After an hour of discussion they decided to go to both islands”
24.23 Τα παιδιά τους ήταν μικρά. Αυτά έμειναν με τη γιαγιά Ta pediá tus ítan miká. Aftá éminan me ti yayá “Their children were small. They stayed with their grandmother”
24.24 Η γιαγιά τα αγαπούσε πολύ και αυτά την λάτρευαν I yayá ta agapúse polý ke aftá tin látrevan “Grandmother loved them very much and they adored her”
24.25 Το πρώτο βράδυ αυτοί έφαγαν σε ένα παραδοσιακό ταβερνάκι To próto vrádi aftí éfagan se éna paradosiakó tavernáki “The first evening they ate at a traditional little tavern”
24.26 Τους εξυπηρέτησε ο ιδιοκτήτης ο ίδιος Tus eksiperétise o idiokdítis o ídios “The owner himself served them”
24.27 Αυτός τους έφερε ψάρι φρέσκο από τη θάλασσα Aftós tus éfere psári frésko apó ti thálasa “He brought them fresh fish from the sea”
24.28 Οι φίλοι κάθισαν μέχρι αργά. Αυτοί μίλησαν για παλιές αναμνήσεις I fíli káthisan méhri argá. Aftí mílisan ya paliés anamníseis “The friends sat until late. They talked about old memories”
24.29 Αυτές οι στιγμές ήταν πολύτιμες για όλους τους Aftés i stigmés ítan polýtimes ya ólus tus “Those moments were precious for all of them”
24.30 Την επόμενη μέρα αυτοί ξύπνησαν νωρίς για να δουν την ανατολή του ηλίου Tin epómeni méra aftí ksípnisan norís ya na dun tin anatolí tu ilíu “The next day they woke up early to see the sunrise”
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24.16 Οι φίλοι συναντήθηκαν στο καφενείο. Αυτοί ήταν τέσσερις I fíli sinandíthikan sto kafenío. Aftí ítan téseris
24.17 Δύο από αυτούς ήταν άντρες και δύο γυναίκες Dío apó aftús ítan ándres ke dío yinékes
24.18 Αυτές οι γυναίκες μίλησαν πρώτες για το ταξίδι Aftés i yinékes mílisan prótes ya to taksídi
24.19 Τους άρεσε η ιδέα να πάνε στα νησιά Tus árese i idéa na páne sta nisiá
24.20 Αυτοί οι άντρες πρότειναν τη Σαντορίνη Aftí i ándres protínan ti sandoríni
24.21 Αυτές όμως ήθελαν να επισκεφτούν τη Μύκονο Aftés ómos íthelan na episképtun ti míkono
24.22 Μετά από μια ώρα συζήτησης αυτοί αποφάσισαν να πάνε και στα δύο νησιά Metá apó mia óra sizítisis aftí apofásisan na páne ke sta dío nisiá
24.23 Τα παιδιά τους ήταν μικρά. Αυτά έμειναν με τη γιαγιά Ta pediá tus ítan miká. Aftá éminan me ti yayá
24.24 Η γιαγιά τα αγαπούσε πολύ και αυτά την λάτρευαν I yayá ta agapúse polý ke aftá tin látrevan
24.25 Το πρώτο βράδυ αυτοί έφαγαν σε ένα παραδοσιακό ταβερνάκι To próto vrádi aftí éfagan se éna paradosiakó tavernáki
24.26 Τους εξυπηρέτησε ο ιδιοκτήτης ο ίδιος Tus eksiperétise o idiokdítis o ídios
24.27 Αυτός τους έφερε ψάρι φρέσκο από τη θάλασσα Aftós tus éfere psári frésko apó ti thálasa
24.28 Οι φίλοι κάθισαν μέχρι αργά. Αυτοί μίλησαν για παλιές αναμνήσεις I fíli káthisan méhri argá. Aftí mílisan ya paliés anamníseis
24.29 Αυτές οι στιγμές ήταν πολύτιμες για όλους τους Aftés i stigmés ítan polýtimes ya ólus tus
24.30 Την επόμενη μέρα αυτοί ξύπνησαν νωρίς για να δουν την ανατολή του ηλίου Tin epómeni méra aftí ksípnisan norís ya na dun tin anatolí tu ilíu
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The narrative demonstrates sophisticated pronoun usage in extended discourse:
Gender switching (examples 24.18-24.22): -
Αυτές (they-FEM) refers specifically to the two women -
Αυτοί (they-MASC) refers to the two men -
Αυτοί (they-MASC) refers to the entire mixed group as default
Neuter plural (examples 24.23-24.24): -
Αυτά refers to τα παιδιά (the children - grammatically neuter) -
Demonstrates how neuter plural is maintained even for people when the noun is neuter
Pronoun variation for cohesion: -
Strong forms (αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά) when introducing new topics or for emphasis -
Weak forms (τους/τις/τα) for ongoing reference within the same topic -
Pro-drop when context is completely clear
Demonstrative function (examples 24.18, 24.20, 24.29): -
Αυτές οι γυναίκες (these women) -
Αυτοί οι άντρες (those men) -
Αυτές οι στιγμές (those moments) -
Shows how same forms function as demonstratives with article + noun
Natural pro-drop patterns: -
Example 24.28: Μίλησαν (they talked) - pronoun omitted when referent is clear -
Example 24.22: Αποφάσισαν (they decided) - verb ending carries the meaning
This narrative exemplifies how Greek uses its three-gender pronoun system to maintain clear reference across multiple sentences while varying forms for discourse cohesion and emphasis.
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αυτοί [afˈti] -
αυ = [af] before voiceless consonants -
τοί = [ˈti] with stress on final syllable -
Common error: stressing first syllable
αυτές [afˈtes] -
Similar pattern, stress on -τές -
The ε is pronounced as [e], not [i]
αυτά [afˈta] -
Stress on final syllable -τά -
The α is open [a]
τους [tus] -
Pronounced quickly, attached to verb -
Reduced stress
τις [tis] -
Not confused with article τις -
Context determines meaning
τα [ta] -
Very short, unstressed -
Blends with following word
Form IPA Notes αυτοί [afˈti] Stress final αυτές [afˈtes] Stress final αυτά [afˈta] Stress final αυτούς [afˈtus] Accusative masculine τους [tus] Weak form τις [tis] Weak form τα [ta] Weak form
Search for: -
“Greek pronoun pronunciation” -
“Greek third person plural” -
“Modern Greek grammar lesson pronouns” -
Native Greek conversation videos focusing on plural forms
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This lesson is part of the Latinum Institute’s Modern Greek course, systematically building language competence through frequency-based vocabulary progression. The course has served autodidact learners since 2006 with a proven methodology centered on interlinear construed texts.
Why Pronoun Gender Matters: Understanding Greek’s three-gender pronoun system is crucial for: -
Correct agreement with nouns -
Natural-sounding speech -
Following conversations and written texts -
Expressing yourself clearly in Greek
The Interlinear Advantage: This lesson’s word-by-word glossing reveals how Greek pronouns work in real sentences, showing: -
When to use each gender form -
How case changes affect meaning -
When Greeks omit pronouns versus when they express them -
Natural word order patterns
Building on Previous Lessons: This lesson assumes familiarity with: -
Basic Greek verb conjugations (from earlier lessons) -
The article system (ο/η/το) -
Nominative and accusative cases -
Simple sentence structures
Next Steps: Future lessons will expand on: -
Other pronoun forms (possessive, reflexive) -
More complex case usage -
Pronoun combinations -
Advanced discourse patterns
Trustpilot Reviews: See what learners say about Latinum Institute materials at https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk
Course Index: Access the complete lesson series at https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
The Autodidact Method: This course empowers independent learners through: -
Complete grammatical explanations without assuming prior knowledge -
Authentic literary citations showing real usage -
Cultural context for deeper understanding -
Progressive difficulty building genuine competence
Why This Matters: Greek pronouns aren’t just grammar—they’re windows into how Greek speakers organize their world, reference people and things, and structure their thoughts. Mastering them opens doors to authentic communication and literary appreciation.
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