The little pronouns: μου, σου, του
Greek keeps two sets of short pronouns, and neither sits where an English eye expects it. For example: “Το σπίτι μου είναι κοντά” — My house is close. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Greek keeps two sets of short pronouns, and neither sits where an English eye expects it.
The possessives follow the word and are pronounced with it as one lump, like a tail: το σπίτι μου (to spíti mu) — my house, ο φίλος σου (o fílos su) — your friend. The stress stays in its place, and on a long word a second one appears: το όνομά μου (to ónomá mu).
The object goes before the verb: με λένε (me léne) — "they call me", σου λέω (su léo) — "I tell you". The order is the reverse of English, and it cannot be shuffled: Greek is rigid here.
The two sets have the same shapes — μου (mu), σου (su), του (tu), της (tis), μας (mas), σας (sas), τους (tus). What separates them is the seat in the sentence, and only that.
By example
- Το σπίτι μου είναι κοντάto spíti mu íne kondáMy house is close
- Πώς σε λένε;pos se léne?What is your name?
- Ο φίλος μου μιλάει ρωσικάo fílos mu milái rosikáMy friend speaks Greek
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 little pronouns: how does it work in Greek?
Greek keeps two sets of short pronouns, and neither sits where an English eye expects it.
What does it look like in an example sentence Greek?
“Το σπίτι μου είναι κοντά” (to spíti mu íne kondá) — My house is close. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.