Topic: the main question words ποιος, ποια, τι, πού, πότε, γιατί, πώς, πόσο. Level A2, context — everyday life and exam situations in Cyprus.
Today's topic is the main question words, which come up often in speech, in writing and in the A2 exam.
| Greek word | Meaning | When it is used | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ποιος / ποια / ποιο | who? which? | Asking about a person or choosing from options | Ποιος είναι αυτός; Who is this? |
| τι | what? | Asking about an object, an action or information | Τι κάνεις; What are you doing? / How are you? |
| πού | where? where to? | Place or direction | Πού μένεις; Where do you live? |
| πότε | when? | Time, date, schedule | Πότε αρχίζει το μάθημα; When does the lesson start? |
| γιατί | why? | Reason | Γιατί αργείς; Why are you late? |
| πώς | how? | Manner, state, impression | Πώς πάω στη Λευκωσία; How do I get to Nicosia? |
| πόσο | how much? how? | Price, quantity, degree, duration | Πόσο κάνει ο καφές; How much is the coffee? |
In Greek the question word is usually placed at the start of the question.
In writing, a question ends with a ;, because in Greek the semicolon plays the role of the question mark.
Ποιος changes according to gender and number. It has to agree with the noun.
| Gender / number | Form | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine, singular | ποιος | Ποιος άντρας είναι ο γιατρός; | Which man is the doctor? |
| feminine, singular | ποια | Ποια γυναίκα είναι η δασκάλα; | Which woman is the teacher? |
| neuter, singular | ποιο | Ποιο ξενοδοχείο είναι κοντά στη θάλασσα; | Which hotel is near the sea? |
| masculine, plural | ποιοι | Ποιοι φίλοι σου μένουν στην Πάφο; | Which of your friends live in Paphos? |
| feminine, plural | ποιες | Ποιες μέρες δουλεύεις; | Which days do you work? |
| neuter, plural | ποια | Ποια μαθήματα έχεις σήμερα; | Which lessons do you have today? |
Τι does not change. It is one of the most frequent question words.
| Question | Translation | Typical answer |
|---|---|---|
| Τι κάνεις; | How are you? / What are you doing? | Καλά, ευχαριστώ. — Fine, thanks. |
| Τι δουλειά κάνεις; | What do you do for work? | Είμαι μηχανικός. — I am an engineer. |
| Τι θέλεις να πιεις; | What would you like to drink? | Θέλω νερό. — I want water. |
| Τι ώρα είναι; | What time is it? | Είναι τρεις. — It's three o'clock. |
Πού is used both for place and for direction. The meaning is often clear from the verb.
| Meaning | Greek example | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| Where? | Πού μένεις; | Where do you live? |
| Where? | Πού είναι το φαρμακείο; | Where is the pharmacy? |
| Where to? | Πού πας; | Where are you going? |
| Where from? | Από πού είσαι; | Where are you from? |
Πότε is used for questions about time, schedules, appointments, dates and habits.
| Answer in Greek | Translation |
|---|---|
| σήμερα | today |
| αύριο | tomorrow |
| το πρωί | in the morning |
| το απόγευμα | in the afternoon |
| την Κυριακή | on Sunday |
Γιατί asks about a reason. In the answer you can use γιατί or επειδή to mean "because".
Πώς is used when we ask about a manner, a state, a route or an impression.
| Question | Translation | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Πώς είσαι; | How are you? | Είμαι καλά. — I'm fine. |
| Πώς σε λένε; | What's your name? | Με λένε Άννα. — My name is Anna. |
| Πώς πάω στο κέντρο; | How do I get to the centre? | Πάρε το λεωφορείο. — Take the bus. |
| Πώς είναι ο καιρός σήμερα; | What's the weather like today? | Έχει ζέστη. — It's hot. |
Πόσο is used for price, quantity, duration and degree.
| Situation | Question | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Πόσο κάνει αυτό; | How much is this? |
| Price of a drink | Πόσο κάνει ο καφές; | How much is the coffee? |
| Duration | Πόσο καιρό μένεις στην Κύπρο; | How long have you lived in Cyprus? |
| Distance | Πόσο μακριά είναι η Πάφος; | How far is Paphos? |
| Degree | Πόσο δύσκολο είναι το τεστ; | How difficult is the test? |
When πόσος stands before a noun, it can change form:
| Form | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| πόσος | Πόσος χρόνος χρειάζεται; | How much time is needed? |
| πόση | Πόση ζάχαρη θέλεις; | How much sugar do you want? |
| πόσο | Πόσο νερό πίνεις; | How much water do you drink? |
| πόσοι / πόσες / πόσα | Πόσα παιδιά έχεις; | How many children do you have? |
| Mistake | Why it's wrong | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| Που μένεις; | In a question you need the accent: πού. | Πού μένεις; |
| Πως είσαι; | In a question you need the accent: πώς. | Πώς είσαι; |
| Ποια είναι ο φίλος σου; | Ο φίλος is masculine, so you need the form ποιος. | Ποιος είναι ο φίλος σου; |
| Πόσο παιδιά έχεις; | παιδιά is neuter plural, so you need the form πόσα. | Πόσα παιδιά έχεις; |
| Τι ώρα ανοίγει; with no context | You need to say what exactly opens. | Τι ώρα ανοίγει το κατάστημα; |
The exam often tests your ability to ask a simple question and answer it in an everyday context.
| Exam topic | Question in Greek | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Personal information | Πώς σε λένε; | What's your name? |
| Origin | Από πού είσαι; | Where are you from? |
| Place of residence | Πού μένεις στην Κύπρο; | Where do you live in Cyprus? |
| Work | Τι δουλειά κάνεις; | What do you do for work? |
| Studies | Γιατί μαθαίνεις ελληνικά; | Why are you learning Greek? |
| Schedule | Πότε έχεις ελεύθερο χρόνο; | When do you have free time? |
| Shopping | Πόσο κάνει αυτό το βιβλίο; | How much is this book? |
| Directions | Πώς πάω στο λιμάνι; | How do I get to the port? |
Answers: 1) Πού μένεις; 2) Πόσο κάνει ο χυμός; 3) Γιατί μαθαίνεις ελληνικά; 4) Ποια είναι η Μαρία; 5) Τι ώρα είναι;
Possible answers: 1) Πότε ανοίγει το κατάστημα; 2) Πώς σε λένε; 3) Πού είναι η τράπεζα; 4) Πόσο κάνει το εισιτήριο για τη Λεμεσό; 5) Γιατί είσαι στο σπίτι σήμερα;
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