LingoflySomeone, no one, nothing: κάποιος, κανένας, τίποτα
The indefinite words all start with κα-, which is a handy hook. κάποιος (kápios) — someone, κάτι (káti) — something, κάπου (kápu) — somewhere, κάποτε (kápote) — once. For example: “Δεν ξέρω (den kséro) τίποτα (típota) για (ya) αυτό (aftó) το γεγονός” (to yegonós) — I know nothing about this event. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The indefinite words all start with κα-, which is a handy hook. κάποιος (kápios) — someone, κάτι (káti) — something, κάπου (kápu) — somewhere, κάποτε (kápote) — once.
The negative ones are κανένας (kanénas) (nobody) and τίποτα (típota) (nothing). The catch is that they need δεν (den) on the verb. Δεν ξέρω (den kséro) τίποτα (típota) (den kséro típota). Δεν (den) ήρθε (írthe) κανένας (kanénas) (den írthe kanénas). Greek keeps both halves of the negation, and neither may be dropped.
The trick is that the very same words, with no δεν (den) nearby, mean the opposite — anybody, anything. Ήρθε (írthe) κανένας (kanénas) (írthe kanénas); — did anyone come? Θέλεις (thélis) τίποτα (típota) (thélis típota); — do you want anything?
Only the δεν (den) beside them decides, and by ear that is the first thing to throw you. κανένας (kanénas) changes by gender — κανένας (kanénas), καμία (kamía), κανένα (kanéna) — while τίποτα (típota) never changes at all.
Table
| indefinite | negative | |
|---|---|---|
| a person | κάποιος (kápios) — someone | κανένας (kanénas) — no one |
| a thing | κάτι (káti) — something | τίποτα (típota) — nothing |
| a place | κάπου (kápu) — somewhere | πουθενά (puthená) — nowhere |
| time | κάποτε (kápote) — once | ποτέ (poté) — never |
By example
- den kséro típota ya aftó to yegonósI know nothing about this event
- Κάποιος άφησε σχόλιο στην ανάρτησηkápios áfise skhólio stin anártisiSomeone left a comment under the post
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
Someone, no one, nothing: how does it work in Greek?
The indefinite words all start with κα-, which is a handy hook. κάποιος (kápios) — someone, κάτι (káti) — something, κάπου (kápu) — somewhere, κάποτε (kápote) — once.
What does it look like in a Greek example sentence?
“Δεν ξέρω (den kséro) τίποτα (típota) για (ya) αυτό (aftó) το γεγονός” (to yegonós) (den kséro típota ya aftó to yegonós) — I know nothing about this event. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.