Greek Question Words: Who, What, Where, When, Why, How

Before choosing a question word, decide what information is missing. A person, a place, a time and a reason need different questions. This worksheet uses one short fictional text so you can find each answer without guessing. Read the Greek first and then check the translation.

Read about Anna’s morning

Η Άννα δουλεύει στο μουσείο. Αρχίζει τη δουλειά στις εννέα. Πηγαίνει με το λεωφορείο γιατί δεν έχει αυτοκίνητο.

Anna works at the museum. She starts work at nine. She goes by bus because she does not have a car.

Ask for a person

Ποια δουλεύει στο μουσείο; asks “Who works at the museum?” and the answer here is η Άννα. The question word changes form: ποιος is masculine, ποια feminine and ποιο neuter. This question uses ποια for a female person. Do not treat all three forms as interchangeable labels.

Separate place from time

Πού δουλεύει η Άννα; asks where Anna works; the answer is στο μουσείο. Πότε αρχίζει τη δουλειά; asks when she starts work; the answer is στις εννέα. If you want an exact clock time, Τι ώρα αρχίζει τη δουλειά; is also a useful question. Πού cannot replace πότε simply because both questions refer to the same workday.

Ask for a reason

Γιατί πηγαίνει με το λεωφορείο; asks why she goes by bus. The text supplies the reason: γιατί δεν έχει αυτοκίνητο. Γιατί can introduce a question meaning why and, in the answer here, a reason meaning because. The text does not say the bus is cheaper or faster, so those would be invented explanations.

Complete the questions

1. Ask who: ___ δουλεύει στο μουσείο;
2. Ask where: ___ δουλεύει η Άννα;
3. Ask when: ___ αρχίζει τη δουλειά;
4. Ask why: ___ πηγαίνει με το λεωφορείο;

Build a question from an answer

Cover the questions and look only at στο μουσείο, στις εννέα and η Άννα. Name the type of information before rebuilding each question. Then replace the time with στις δέκα and answer the same time question again. Changing the answer does not necessarily change the question word.

More Greek question words

The text answers four questions, but you can ask more about Anna. Each line gives the question word, then a full question:

• Τι; Τι κάνει η Άννα στο μουσείο; — What? — What does Anna do at the museum?
• Πώς; Πώς πηγαίνει στη δουλειά; — How? — How does she get to work?
• Ποιο; Ποιο λεωφορείο παίρνει; — Which? — Which bus does she take?
• Πόσες; Πόσες ώρες δουλεύει; — How many? — How many hours does she work?
• Από πού; Από πού είναι η Άννα; — Where from? — Where is Anna from?
• Πόσο; Πόσο κάνει το εισιτήριο; — How much? — How much is the ticket?

Common mistakes

• Που δουλεύει; → Πού δουλεύει;: without the accent, που means “that” or “who” inside a sentence. The question word is πού.
• Ποιος λεωφορείο; → Ποιο λεωφορείο;: ποιος agrees with the noun that follows. Λεωφορείο is neuter, so the form is ποιο.
• Πόσο ώρες; → Πόσες ώρες;: πόσος also agrees with its noun. With the feminine plural ώρες, use πόσες.

Questions about Greek question words

How do you say “why” in Greek? Γιατί. To answer, you can use γιατί again or επειδή: Επειδή δεν έχει αυτοκίνητο. — “Because she does not have a car.”

What is the difference between πού and που? With an accent, πού asks “where?”. Without it, που links two parts of a sentence, like “that” or “who”.

How do you say “what” in Greek? Τι, as in Τι κάνεις; — “How are you?”, literally “What are you doing?”. It is written without an accent.

For the reference rules, see negation and questions. Use time questions in asking about opening hours.