Word order
Greek defaults to SVO but moves freely: what changes is the emphasis. The only hard rules concern the little pronouns.
SVO by default, free thanks to cases
Ο Νίκος αγαπάει τη Μαρία is the neutral order. Because the cases mark who does what, Τη Μαρία αγαπάει ο Νίκος stays unambiguous — order no longer says who acts, it says what matters.
- Ο Νίκος αγαπάει τη Μαρία.Nikos loves Maria.
- Τη Μαρία αγαπάει ο Νίκος.It’s Maria that Nikos loves.
- Τον Νίκο αγαπάει η Μαρία.It’s Nikos that Maria loves.
The hard rule: weak pronouns
μου, σου, τον, την, το… go immediately BEFORE the conjugated verb: Μου το έδωσε. Two exceptions where they follow: the imperative (Δώσε μου το!) and the gerund (βλέποντάς την).
- Σου το είπα χθες.I told you (it) yesterday.
- Πες μου την αλήθεια!Tell me the truth!
New information comes last
Greek pushes new information towards the end and fronts what is already under discussion. Ήρθε ο Νίκος answers “who came?”; Ο Νίκος ήρθε answers “what about Nikos?”. Same words, two different questions.
- Ήρθε ο Νίκος.It was Nikos who came.
- Ο Νίκος ήρθε.Nikos has come.
- Ο Νίκος ήρθε χθες.Nikos came yesterday.
Adjective and genitive: where they go
The adjective precedes: το κόκκινο φόρεμα. Repeating the article (το φόρεμα το κόκκινο) adds contrastive emphasis — “the RED dress, not the blue one”. The genitive normally follows (το σπίτι του φίλου μου), while the weak possessives cling to the noun: ο πατέρας μου.
- το κόκκινο φόρεμαthe red dress
- το φόρεμα το κόκκινοthe RED dress, not the blue one
- το σπίτι του φίλου μουmy friend’s house
- ο πατέρας μουmy father
Your turn
Pick the most natural order.
Pyetjet e bëra shpesh
Is word order free in Greek?
Largely, thanks to the cases. The neutral order is subject-verb-object: «Ο Νίκος αγαπάει τη Μαρία». Because the cases mark who does what, «Τη Μαρία αγαπάει ο Νίκος» stays unambiguous: order no longer says who acts, it says what matters.
Where must the weak pronouns go in Greek?
This is the only hard rule of Greek word order: «μου», «σου», «τον», «την», «το»… go immediately BEFORE the conjugated verb — «Σου το είπα χθες» (I told you yesterday). Two exceptions where they follow: the imperative («Πες μου την αλήθεια!») and the gerund («βλέποντάς την»).
What is the difference between «Ήρθε ο Νίκος» and «Ο Νίκος ήρθε»?
Greek pushes new information towards the end. «Ήρθε ο Νίκος» answers who came?; «Ο Νίκος ήρθε» answers what about Nikos?. Same words, two different questions — and it is the position, not intonation alone, that says so.