The verb "to be": είμαι
Greek needs the linking verb where English can drop it. There is no "I tired" here — you say είμαι κουρασμένος, with the "am" put back in. For example: “Είμαι από τη Μόσχα” — I am from Moscow. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Greek needs the linking verb where English can drop it. There is no "I tired" here — you say είμαι κουρασμένος (íme kurazménos), with the "am" put back in.
The pronoun usually falls away: the ending already carries the person. Εγώ είμαι (egó íme) sounds like "as for ME", with a push.
One shape covers "he is" and "they are": είναι (íne) does both jobs. Which one is meant comes from the talk around it.
Table
| person | form | example |
|---|---|---|
| εγώ (I) | είμαι | Είμαι καλά |
| εσύ (you, sing.) | είσαι | Είσαι καλά |
| αυτός (he) | είναι | Είναι καλά |
| εμείς (we) | είμαστε | Είμαστε καλά |
| εσείς (you, pl.) | είστε | Είστε καλά |
| αυτοί (they) | είναι | Είναι καλά |
By example
- Είμαι από τη Μόσχαíme apó ti MóskhaI am from Moscow
- Είσαι καλά;íse kalá?Are you all right?
- Είναι κοντάíne kondáIt is close
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
The verb "to be": how does it work in Greek?
Greek needs the linking verb where English can drop it. There is no "I tired" here — you say είμαι κουρασμένος, with the "am" put back in.
What does it look like in an example sentence Greek?
“Είμαι από τη Μόσχα” (íme apó ti Móskha) — I am from Moscow. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.