LingoflyThe one word for "which": που
English has who, whom, which and that. Greek has one word, που (pu), and it never changes: ο φίλος (fílos) που (pu) τηλεφωνεί, η αδελφή (i adelfí) που (pu) τηλεφωνεί, τα παιδιά (ta pediá) που (pu) τηλεφωνούν. Only the verb after it moves. For example: “Αυτό (aftó) είναι (íne) το μήνυμα (to mínima) που (pu) σου (su) έστειλα” (éstila) — This is the message I sent you. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
English has who, whom, which and that. Greek has one word, που (pu), and it never changes: ο φίλος (fílos) που (pu) τηλεφωνεί, η αδελφή (i adelfí) που (pu) τηλεφωνεί, τα παιδιά (ta pediá) που (pu) τηλεφωνούν. Only the verb after it moves.
Since που (pu) does not bend, the job of the noun is shown separately — by a short pronoun inside the clause. Ο φίλος (fílos) που (pu) του (tu) έστειλα (éstila) μήνυμα (mínima) (o fílos pu tu éstila mínima) — the friend I sent a message to. Word for word: "the friend that to-him I sent".
One trap. The question word for "where" is also που (pu), but with the dash: πού (pu). Πού (pu) είναι (íne) ο φορτιστής (o fortistís) (pu íne o fortistís); — where is the charger? Ο φορτιστής (o fortistís) που (pu) αγόρασα (agórasa) (o fortistís pu agórasa) — the charger I bought.
The same pair sits behind πώς (pos) (how) and πως (pos) (that). A missing dash turns a question into a link, and the other way round.
Table
| in English | in Greek | what can be seen |
|---|---|---|
| the friend who is calling | ο φίλος (fílos) που (pu) τηλεφωνεί | που (pu) does not change |
| the sister who is calling | η αδελφή (i adelfí) που (pu) τηλεφωνεί | the form is the same |
| the children who are calling | τα παιδιά (ta pediá) που (pu) τηλεφωνούν | only the verb changes |
| the message I received | το μήνυμα (to mínima) που (pu) έλαβα (élava) | no extra word needed |
| the friend I wrote to | ο φίλος (fílos) που (pu) του (tu) έγραψα (égrapsa) | the job is shown by του (tu) |
| Where is the phone? | Πού (pu) είναι (íne) το τηλέφωνο (to tiléfono); | a question — with the accent |
By example
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
Που (pu) or πού (pu): where the accent goes?
One trap. The question word for "where" is also που (pu), but with the dash: πού (pu). Πού (pu) είναι (íne) ο φορτιστής (o fortistís); — where is the charger? Ο φορτιστής (o fortistís) που (pu) αγόρασα (agórasa) — the charger I bought.
Που (pu) vs πού (pu)?
One trap. The question word for "where" is also που (pu), but with the dash: πού (pu). Πού (pu) είναι (íne) ο φορτιστής (o fortistís); — where is the charger? Ο φορτιστής (o fortistís) που (pu) αγόρασα (agórasa) — the charger I bought.
How to say which in Greek?
English has who, whom, which and that. Greek has one word, που (pu), and it never changes: ο φίλος (fílos) που (pu) τηλεφωνεί, η αδελφή (i adelfí) που (pu) τηλεφωνεί, τα παιδιά (ta pediá) που (pu) τηλεφωνούν. Only the verb after it moves.
How to say the friend I wrote to in Greek?
Since που (pu) does not bend, the job of the noun is shown separately — by a short pronoun inside the clause. Ο φίλος (fílos) που (pu) του (tu) έστειλα (éstila) μήνυμα (mínima) — the friend I sent a message to. Word for word: "the friend that to-him I sent".
What πώς (pos) and πως (pos) mean in Greek?
The same pair sits behind πώς (pos) (how) and πως (pos) (that). A missing dash turns a question into a link, and the other way round.
What does it look like in a Greek example sentence?
“Αυτό (aftó) είναι (íne) το μήνυμα (to mínima) που (pu) σου (su) έστειλα” (éstila) (aftó íne to mínima pu su éstila) — This is the message I sent you. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.