LingoflyOneself and each other: πλένομαι, ο εαυτός μου
Greek shows "myself" with the verb shape in -ομαι, not with a separate word. πλένομαι (plénome) (I wash), ντύνομαι (dínome) (I dress), ετοιμάζομαι (I get ready). For example: “Πλένω τα χέρια (pléno ta khéria) μου (mu) πριν (prin) το (to) φαγητό” (fayitó) — I wash my hands before eating. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Greek shows "myself" with the verb shape in -ομαι, not with a separate word. πλένομαι (plénome) (I wash), ντύνομαι (dínome) (I dress), ετοιμάζομαι (I get ready).
The same shape in the plural means "each other": αγκαλιάζονται — they hug, συναντιούνται — they meet. Only the number tells the two apart, and the sentence around them settles the rest.
For "my own self", with weight on it, take ο εαυτός μου (o eaftós mu) — "my I". Κοιτάζω τον εαυτό μου στον καθρέφτη (kitázo ton eaftó mu ston kathréfti). Πρόσεχε (prósekhe) τον (ton) εαυτό (eaftó) σου (su) (prósekhe ton eaftó su) — take care of yourself. The little pronoun on it follows the person: τον (ton) εαυτό (eaftó) της (tis) (ton eaftó tis).
And "on my own, with no help" is μόνος μου (mónos mu): Το (to) έκανα (ékana) μόνος μου (mónos mu) (to ékana mónos mu). It changes by gender and number — μόνη (móni) μου (mu) (móni mu), μόνοι μας (mas).
Table
| what we express | how | example |
|---|---|---|
| oneself, the routine action | a verb in -ομαι | πλένομαι (plénome) — I wash |
| each other | the same form in the plural | αγκαλιάζονται — they embrace |
| oneself, with a push | ο εαυτός μου (o eaftós mu) | κοιτάζω (kitázo) τον (ton) εαυτό (eaftó) μου (mu) |
| on one's own, without help | μόνος μου (mónos mu) | το (to) έκανα (ékana) μόνος μου (mónos mu) |
By example
- Πρόσεχε τον εαυτό σου, μην αρρωστήσειςprósekhe ton eaftó su, min arostísisTake care of yourself, don't fall ill
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
Oneself and each other: how does it work in Greek?
Greek shows "myself" with the verb shape in -ομαι, not with a separate word. πλένομαι (plénome) (I wash), ντύνομαι (dínome) (I dress), ετοιμάζομαι (I get ready).
What does it look like in a Greek example sentence?
“Πλένω τα χέρια (pléno ta khéria) μου (mu) πριν (prin) το (to) φαγητό” (fayitó) (pléno ta khéria mu prin to fayitó) — I wash my hands before eating. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.