They say that: λένε ότι, λέγεται ότι, θεωρείται
When the source goes unnamed, Greek reaches for an impersonal turn. The most conversational — λένε ότι, literally "they say that": third person plural with no subject whatsoever. Asking "who says" is as pointless as it is in English "they say". For example: “Λένε ότι το νέο μουσείο θα ανοίξει τον Μάιο” — They say the new museum will open in May. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as…
How it works
When the source goes unnamed, Greek reaches for an impersonal turn. The most conversational — λένε ότι (léne óti), literally "they say that": third person plural with no subject whatsoever. Asking "who says" is as pointless as it is in English "they say".
Its bookish twin — λέγεται ότι (léyete óti), the passive form of the same verb: "it is said that". Newspapers and official replies are written this way; at the dinner table it sounds stiff.
Φαίνεται ότι (fénete óti) — not a rumor but a conclusion from signs: "it appears that". Beside it lives the turn with να (na): φαίνεται να μην ξέρει (fénete na min kséri) — "he seems not to know".
Θεωρείται (theoríte) — "is considered", a settled verdict. After it comes not only ότι (óti) but a plain object as well: Θεωρείται ο καλύτερος σκηνοθέτης της γενιάς του (theoríte o kalíteros skinothétis tis yeniás tu). Υποστηρίζεται ότι (ipostirízete óti) — "it is claimed that": someone else's argument the speaker need not share.
The conjunction ότι in these turns freely swaps for πως (pos), the meaning is the same. Do not confuse it with ό (ó),τι (ti) with the accent — a different word entirely, "whatever".
And the caveat this note exists for. All these turns are a way of not naming the source. In the news λέγεται ότι and υποστηρίζεται ότι mean exactly that: there is information, and there is no one to answer for it. Where a source does exist, it is written differently: σύμφωνα με την αστυνομία (símfona me tin astinomía), όπως ανακοίνωσε το υπουργείο (ópos anakínose to ipuryío). The gap between the two ways is the gap between a rumor and a report.
Table
| the turn | word for word | when it fits |
|---|---|---|
| λένε ότι | they say that | a rumor, common opinion |
| λέγεται ότι | it is said that | bookish, the source unnamed |
| φαίνεται ότι | it appears that | a conclusion from signs |
| θεωρείται | it is considered | a settled verdict |
| υποστηρίζεται ότι | it is claimed that | another's disputable claim |
| σύμφωνα με | according to | the source named straight out |
By example
- Λένε ότι το νέο μουσείο θα ανοίξει τον Μάιοléne óti to néo musío tha aníksi ton MáioThey say the new museum will open in May
- Θεωρείται ο καλύτερος σκηνοθέτης της γενιάς τουtheoríte o kalíteros skinothétis tis yeniás tuHe is considered the best director of his generation
- Υποστηρίζεται ότι η ανεργία μειώθηκε, αλλά τα στοιχεία λείπουνipostirízete óti i aneryía mióthike, alá ta stikhía lípunIt is claimed that unemployment fell, but there is no data
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
They say that: how does it work in Greek?
When the source goes unnamed, Greek reaches for an impersonal turn. The most conversational — λένε ότι, literally "they say that": third person plural with no subject whatsoever. Asking "who says" is as pointless as it is in English "they say".
What does it look like in an example sentence Greek?
“Λένε ότι το νέο μουσείο θα ανοίξει τον Μάιο” (léne óti to néo musío tha aníksi ton Máio) — They say the new museum will open in May. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.