LingoflyThey say that: λένε ότι, λέγεται ότι, θεωρείται
When the source is not named, Greek reaches for a turn with nobody in it. The most everyday one is λένε ότι (léne óti) — "they say that". Asking who says it makes no sense. For example: “Λένε ότι (léne óti) το (to) νέο (néo) μουσείο (musío) θα (tha) ανοίξει (aníksi) τον (ton) Μάιο” (Máio) — They say the new museum will open in May. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
When the source is not named, Greek reaches for a turn with nobody in it. The most everyday one is λένε ότι (léne óti) — "they say that". Asking who says it makes no sense.
Its bookish twin is λέγεται (léyete) ότι (óti) (léyete óti), "it is said that". Newspapers and certificates use it; at a table it sounds official.
Φαίνεται ότι (fénete óti) is not hearsay but a conclusion drawn from signs — "it looks as if". Θεωρείται (theoríte) is "is considered", a settled verdict. Υποστηρίζεται ότι (óti) (ipostirízete óti) is "it is claimed that": somebody else's argument, which the speaker need not share.
All of them are ways of leaving the source out. When there is a source, Greek names it plainly: σύμφωνα (símfona) με (me) την (tin) αστυνομία (astinomía) (símfona me tin astinomía), όπως (ópos) ανακοίνωσε (anakínose) το (to) υπουργείο (ipuryío) (ópos anakínose to ipuryío).
Table
| the turn | word for word | when it fits |
|---|---|---|
| λένε ότι (léne óti) | they say that | a rumor, common opinion |
| λέγεται (léyete) ότι (óti) | it is said that | bookish, the source unnamed |
| φαίνεται ότι (fénete óti) | it appears that | a conclusion from signs |
| θεωρείται | it is considered | a settled verdict |
| υποστηρίζεται ότι (óti) | it is claimed that | another's disputable claim |
| σύμφωνα (símfona) με (me) | according to | the source named straight out |
By example
- Λένε ότι το νέο μουσείο θα ανοίξει τον Μάιοléne óti to néo musío tha aníksi ton MáioThey say the new museum will open in May
- Θεωρείται ο καλύτερος σκηνοθέτης της γενιάς τουtheoríte o kalíteros skinothétis tis yeniás tuHe is considered the best director of his generation
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
They say that: how does it work in Greek?
When the source is not named, Greek reaches for a turn with nobody in it. The most everyday one is λένε ότι (léne óti) — "they say that". Asking who says it makes no sense.
What does it look like in a Greek example sentence?
“Λένε ότι (léne óti) το (to) νέο (néo) μουσείο (musío) θα (tha) ανοίξει (aníksi) τον (ton) Μάιο” (Máio) (léne óti to néo musío tha aníksi ton Máio) — They say the new museum will open in May. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.