Verbs without a subject: βρέχει, χιονίζει, νυχτώνει
Greek speaks of the weather with verbs that have no subject at all. Not "the rain is falling" but simply βρέχει — one word, and the sentence is complete. The same χιονίζει (it is snowing), φυσάει (the wind is blowing), βροντάει (it is thundering), αστράφτει (it is lightening). For example: “Χθες έβρεχε όλη μέρα, σήμερα έχει ήλιο” — Yesterday it rained all day; today it is sunny. A rule from the Greek course: worked…
How it works
Greek speaks of the weather with verbs that have no subject at all. Not "the rain is falling" but simply βρέχει (vrékhi) — one word, and the sentence is complete. The same χιονίζει (it is snowing), φυσάει (the wind is blowing), βροντάει (it is thundering), αστράφτει (it is lightening).
Asking "who?" of such a verb is pointless: it is always third person singular and has no other form. English knows the type from "it is raining" — only Greek does away with the "it".
The second track — κάνει (káni) plus a noun: κάνει ζέστη (káni zésti), κάνει κρύο (káni krío), κάνει δροσιά (káni drosiá). Literally "it makes heat". The easy mistake is είναι ζέστη (íne zésti): you will be understood, but it sounds like a translation.
The third — έχει (ékhi) about the state of the sky: έχει ήλιο (ékhi ílio), έχει ομίχλη (ékhi omíkhli), έχει συννεφιά. This is the same impersonal έχει as in "έχει κόσμο (ékhi kózmo)" — "it is crowded".
In the past all three behave normally: έβρεχε (it was raining), έκανε κρύο (ékane krío), είχε ομίχλη (íkhe omíkhli). And in the future θα (tha) steps in front: Αύριο θα βρέξει (ávrio tha vréksi).
To the same family belong the verbs of the day's hours — νυχτώνει (it is getting dark), ξημερώνει (it is getting light) — and the verdicts: φαίνεται (it seems), πρέπει (it is necessary), αξίζει (it is worth it).
Table
| how it is built | example | in English |
|---|---|---|
| one verb | βρέχει | it is raining |
| one verb | χιονίζει | it is snowing |
| κάνει + a word | κάνει κρύο | it is cold |
| έχει + a word | έχει ομίχλη | it is foggy |
| είναι + an adverb | είναι συννεφιασμένα | it is overcast |
By example
- Χθες έβρεχε όλη μέρα, σήμερα έχει ήλιοkhthes évrekhe óli méra, símera ékhi ílioYesterday it rained all day; today it is sunny
- Κάνει πνιγηρή ζέστη πριν την καταιγίδαkáni pniyirí zésti prin tin kateyídaIt is muggy before the storm
- Νυχτώνει νωρίς τον Δεκέμβριοnikhtóni norís ton DekémvrioIt gets dark early in December
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
Verbs without a subject: how does it work in Greek?
Greek speaks of the weather with verbs that have no subject at all. Not "the rain is falling" but simply βρέχει — one word, and the sentence is complete. The same χιονίζει (it is snowing), φυσάει (the wind is blowing), βροντάει (it is thundering), αστράφτει (it is lightening).
What does it look like in an example sentence Greek?
“Χθες έβρεχε όλη μέρα, σήμερα έχει ήλιο” (khthes évrekhe óli méra, símera ékhi ílio) — Yesterday it rained all day; today it is sunny. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.