There and here: πάω, έρχομαι, προς τα πάνω
The pair πάω and έρχομαι differs not by direction in general but by where the speaker stands. Πάω — away from me, έρχομαι — toward me. English draws the same line between "go" and "come", and from that follows the most frequent mistake. For example: “Έρχομαι αμέσως, περίμενε” — I'm coming, wait. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The pair πάω (páo) and έρχομαι (érkhome) differs not by direction in general but by where the speaker stands. Πάω — away from me, έρχομαι — toward me. English draws the same line between "go" and "come", and from that follows the most frequent mistake.
The test is simple: if your host calls you over, in English you answer "I'm coming", and in Greek — Έρχομαι, because the movement is toward the one speaking. Saying Πάω means "I'm leaving this place" — a different answer.
Direction is added by the preposition προς (pros) or by an adverb with προς τα (pros ta): προς τα πάνω (upward), προς τα κάτω (downward), προς τα μέσα (inward), προς τα πίσω (backward).
In many verbs of motion the direction is already sewn in by a prefix, and the prefixes come in pairs: μπαίνω (enter) — βγαίνω (exit), ανεβαίνω (go up) — κατεβαίνω (go down), πλησιάζω (approach) — απομακρύνομαι (move away).
Place and direction in Greek are told apart not by the case but by the verb itself: σε (se) serves both alike. Είμαι στο δωμάτιο (íme sto domátio) and Πάω στο δωμάτιο (páo sto domátio) — the preposition and the case are the same; only the verb differs. For an ear trained on "in the room" against "into the room" this at first feels like lost precision.
Table
| the pair | away from the speaker | toward the speaker |
|---|---|---|
| to go | πάω | έρχομαι |
| exit and enter | βγαίνω | μπαίνω |
| up and down | ανεβαίνω | κατεβαίνω |
| closer and further | απομακρύνομαι | πλησιάζω |
By example
- Έρχομαι αμέσως, περίμενεérkhome amésos, perímeneI'm coming, wait
- Ανεβαίνει η σκόνη προς τα πάνωanevéni i skóni pros ta pánoThe dust rises upward
- Πλησίασε λίγο, δεν σε ακούωplisíase lígo, den se akúoCome closer, I can't hear you
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
There and here: how does it work in Greek?
The pair πάω and έρχομαι differs not by direction in general but by where the speaker stands. Πάω — away from me, έρχομαι — toward me. English draws the same line between "go" and "come", and from that follows the most frequent mistake.
What does it look like in an example sentence Greek?
“Έρχομαι αμέσως, περίμενε” (érkhome amésos, perímene) — I'm coming, wait. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.