Language/Modern-greek-1453/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be

Modern Greek (1453-) Grammar - How to Use "Be"

Hi Modern Greek (1453-) learners! 😊
In this lesson, you will learn how to use the verb "be" in Modern Greek (1453-). As always, we will provide you with cultural information and interesting facts!

After mastering this lesson, these related pages might interest you: Direct and indirect speech & Augment in modern Greek.

The Verb "Be"

The verb "be" is one of the most important verbs in every language, including Modern Greek (1453-). The verb "be" expresses existence, identity, and other relationships between the subject and the predicate.

In Modern Greek (1453-), the verb "be" is translated into the verb "είμαι" (eimai). This verb is used to indicate the existence, identity, or location of the subject. Moreover, it is also used to indicate possession.

For example:

Modern Greek (1453-)	Pronunciation	English
είμαι (eimai)	['ime]	am/is/are

• Person 1: Είσαι φοιτητής; (Eísai foitítis?) (Are you a student?)
• Person 2: Ναι, είμαι φοιτητής. (Nai, eimai foitítis.) (Yes, I am a student.)

In this dialogue, we used the verb "είμαι" (eimai) to express identity (being a student).

However, in many cases, Modern Greek (1453-) uses other verbs instead of "be." For instance, Modern Greek (1453-) uses "have" instead of "be" to express age.

Example:

Modern Greek (1453-)	Pronunciation	English
έχω (écho)	['exo]	have

• Person 1: Πόσο χρόνων είσαι; (Poso chrónon eísai?) (How old are you?)
• Person 2: Είμαι 25 χρόνων. (Eímai 25 chrónon.) (I am 25 years old.)
• Person 1: Έχεις 25 χρόνια; (Écheis 25 chroniá?) (Are you 25 years old?)
• Person 2 : Ναι, έχω 25 χρόνια. (Nai, écho 25 chroniá.) (Yes, I am 25 years old.)

In this dialogue, we used the verb "έχω" (écho) to express age.

Conjugation of the Verb "Be"

In Modern Greek (1453-), the verb "be" has irregular forms in the present tense, unlike in English.

Here is the conjugation of the verb "είμαι" (eimai) in the present tense:

Person	Singular	Plural
1st person	είμαι (eimai)	είμαστε (eímaste)
2nd person (informal)	είσαι (eísai)	είστε (eíste)	2nd person (formal)	είστε (eíste)	είστε (eíste)
3rd person	είναι (eínai)	είναι (eínai)

Here are some examples of how to use the verb "είμαι" (eimai) in the present tense:

Modern Greek (1453-)	Pronunciation	English
είμαι (eimai) φοιτητής.	['ime]	I am a student.

Modern Greek (1453-)	Pronunciation	English
είστε (eíste) οι καλύτεροι φίλοι μου.	['iste]	You are my best friends.

Modern Greek (1453-)	Pronunciation	English
είναι (eínai) ένα όμορφο βιβλίο.	['ine]	It is a beautiful book.

Negation of the Verb "Be"

In Modern Greek (1453-), the negation of the verb "be" is expressed by the particle "δεν" (den) placed before the verb "είμαι" (eimai). For example:

Modern Greek (1453-)	Pronunciation	English
Δεν είμαι (Den eimai) φοιτητής.	[ðen 'ime]	I am not a student.

Questions with the Verb "Be"

In Modern Greek (1453-), to ask a question with the verb "be," you just need to raise the intonation of your voice at the end of the sentence. Additionally, you can also use the question words, like "ποιος" (poios), "που" (pou), "πότε" (póte), etc. For example:

Modern Greek (1453-)	Pronunciation	English
Είναι (Eínai) αργά;	['ine]	Is it late?

Modern Greek (1453-)	Pronunciation	English
Ποιος είναι (Poios eínai) αυτός;	[pios 'ine]	Who is he?

Summary

In summary, the verb "be" is translated into the verb "είμαι" (eimai) in Modern Greek (1453-). The verb "είμαι" (eimai) is used to indicate the existence, identity, or location of the subject. Moreover, it is also used to indicate possession.

Remember that you can also use other verbs instead of "be" in some cases, like "have" for expressing age. To improve your Modern Greek (1453-) Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Other Lessons

• Demonstrative Pronouns
• Sentense Structure
• Questions
• Definite and Indefinite Article
• Particularities of: Πώς, πως, πού, που, ή, η
• Greek voices verbs Φωνή και συζυγίες ρημάτων
• Particles
• Alphabet
• Les numéraux ordinaux cardinaux
• Methods of Argument

Sources

• Modern-greek-1453 Grammar - Relative Pronouns
• Modern-greek-1453 Grammar - Particularities of: Πώς, πως, πού ...