There is and there isn't: υπάρχει, έχει, δεν υπάρχει
English "there is" is said in Greek two ways, and both are needed. For example: “Υπάρχει ένα ποτάμι πίσω από το δάσος” — There is a river behind the forest. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
English "there is" is said in Greek two ways, and both are needed.
The neutral one — υπάρχει (one thing) and υπάρχουν (several): Υπάρχει ένα ποτάμι πίσω από το δάσος (ipárkhi éna potámi píso apó to dásos). This is the form of notices, and of speech that wants to sound level.
The conversational one — the impersonal έχει (ékhi), the same word as "has". Έχει κόσμο στην παραλία (ékhi kózmo stin paralía) — the beach is crowded, literally "it has people". Two catches here. First: the verb stays singular even about many things — Έχει πολλά κύματα σήμερα (ékhi polá kímata símera). Second: it has no subject at all, so asking "who has?" is pointless.
Negation is built the usual way, through δεν (den), and double negation in Greek is obligatory: Δεν υπάρχει τίποτα (den ipárkhi típota) — literally "there isn't nothing". Dropping one of the two negatives, as English does, is impossible.
Each has its own past: υπήρχε (ipírkhe) and είχε (íkhe). Πέρυσι δεν υπήρχε ξενοδοχείο εδώ (périsi den ipírkhe ksenodokhío edó) — last year there was no hotel here.
Table
| there is | there isn't | |
|---|---|---|
| one | υπάρχει ένα δέντρο | δεν υπάρχει δέντρο |
| several | υπάρχουν δέντρα | δεν υπάρχουν δέντρα |
| conversational | έχει δέντρα | δεν έχει δέντρα |
| in the past | υπήρχε δέντρο | δεν υπήρχε δέντρο |
By example
- Υπάρχει ένα ποτάμι πίσω από το δάσοςipárkhi éna potámi píso apó to dásosThere is a river behind the forest
- Έχει πολύ κόσμο στην παραλίαékhi polí kózmo stin paralíaThe beach is crowded
- Δεν υπάρχει σκιά πουθενάden ipárkhi skiá puthenáThere's no shade anywhere
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
How to say there is and there is not in Greek?
English "there is" is said in Greek two ways, and both are needed.
Υπάρχει vs έχει?
The neutral one — υπάρχει (one thing) and υπάρχουν (several): Υπάρχει ένα ποτάμι πίσω από το δάσος. This is the form of notices, and of speech that wants to sound level.
Why έχει πολλά κύματα is singular?
The conversational one — the impersonal έχει, the same word as "has". Έχει κόσμο στην παραλία — the beach is crowded, literally "it has people". Two catches here. First: the verb stays singular even about many things — Έχει πολλά κύματα σήμερα. Second: it has no subject at all, so asking "who has?"…
How to say there is nothing in Greek?
Negation is built the usual way, through δεν, and double negation in Greek is obligatory: Δεν υπάρχει τίποτα — literally "there isn't nothing". Dropping one of the two negatives, as English does, is impossible.
What does it look like in an example sentence Greek?
“Υπάρχει ένα ποτάμι πίσω από το δάσος” (ipárkhi éna potámi píso apó to dásos) — There is a river behind the forest. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.