Είμαι and Έχω: To Be and To Have in Greek
The present-tense forms and everyday uses of είμαι and έχω, including age, origin, 'there is', and how Greek expresses hunger, thirst and cold with verbs.
The two verbs είμαι (to be) and έχω (to have) are irregular and appear in nearly every conversation.
Είμαι: to be
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| εγώ | είμαι |
| εσύ | είσαι |
| αυτός / αυτή / αυτό | είναι |
| εμείς | είμαστε |
| εσείς | είστε |
| αυτοί / αυτές / αυτά | είναι |
Uses:
- Identity: Είμαι ο Νίκος. — I'm Nikos.
- Profession (no article): Είμαι δάσκαλος. — I'm a teacher.
- Origin: Είμαι από την Αγγλία. — I'm from England.
- Description: Το σπίτι είναι μεγάλο. — The house is big.
- Age: Είμαι είκοσι πέντε χρονών. — I'm 25 years old.
- Location: Είμαστε στην Αθήνα. — We're in Athens.
- Time: Είναι τρεις. — It's three o'clock.
Έχω: to have
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| εγώ | έχω |
| εσύ | έχεις |
| αυτός / αυτή / αυτό | έχει |
| εμείς | έχουμε |
| εσείς | έχετε |
| αυτοί / αυτές / αυτά | έχουν |
Uses:
- Possession: Έχω ένα σκύλο. — I have a dog.
- Family: Έχω δύο αδέλφια. — I have two siblings.
- Birthday: Έχω γενέθλια τον Μάιο. — My birthday is in May.
- Time: Έχω χρόνο. — I have time.
- There is / there are: Έχει ένα πάρκο κοντά. — There's a park nearby.
For "there is", Greek also uses υπάρχει (there exists): Υπάρχει ένα πάρκο εδώ.
Feelings: verbs, not "to have"
English says "I'm hungry", and other languages say "I have hunger". Greek uses single verbs:
- Πεινάω. — I'm hungry.
- Διψάω. — I'm thirsty.
- Κρυώνω. — I'm cold.
- Ζεσταίνομαι. — I'm hot.
- Νυστάζω. — I'm sleepy.
- Φοβάμαι. — I'm afraid.
- Κουράστηκα. — I'm tired (I got tired).
Negatives
- Δεν είμαι κουρασμένος. — I'm not tired.
- Δεν έχω χρόνο. — I don't have time.
- Δεν έχει κανείς εδώ. — There's no one here.
Questions
Same word order, with a rising tone and a Greek question mark (;):
- Είσαι κουρασμένος;
- Έχεις αδέλφια;
- Από πού είσαι; — Where are you from?
- Πόσο χρονών είσαι; — How old are you?
Past forms
- ήμουν (I was), ήσουν, ήταν, ήμασταν, ήσασταν, ήταν(ε)
- είχα (I had), είχες, είχε, είχαμε, είχατε, είχαν
Future
- Θα είμαι (I will be), θα έχω (I will have)
Common expressions
- Είμαι καλά. — I'm well.
- Είμαι έτοιμος. — I'm ready.
- Είναι εντάξει. — It's OK.
- Έχω δίκιο. — I'm right.
- Έχεις δίκιο. — You're right.
- Έχω ανάγκη από ... — I need...
- Τι έχεις; — What's the matter?
Learning tips
- Drill both tables.
- Learn the feeling verbs as a set.
- Use είμαι for age and origin.
- Practise υπάρχει and έχει for "there is".
Common mistakes
- Saying "I have hunger" instead of πεινάω.
- Forgetting δεν in negatives.
- Using έχω for age.
English Greek Dictionary
Offline English–Greek dictionary with meanings in proper Greek script
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