Demonstrative Pronouns in Greek

In Brief

Greek uses αυτός / αυτή / αυτό for “this” or “this one” and εκείνος / εκείνη / εκείνο for “that” or “that one.” Each demonstrative agrees with what it points to in gender, number, and case. Before a noun, keep the definite article: αυτό το βιβλίο (“this book”), literally “this the book.”

Overview

Demonstratives are pointing words: they identify the person, thing, place, time, or idea you mean. English uses this, that, these, and those. The main everyday Greek sets are αυτός, αυτή, αυτό and εκείνος, εκείνη, εκείνο. You meet them at A1 in practical expressions such as αυτό το εισιτήριο (“this ticket”), εκείνη η γυναίκα (“that woman”), and Τι είναι αυτό; (“What is this?”).

Greek asks you to notice more detail than English does. A demonstrative agrees with its noun in gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter), number (singular or plural), and case (a word form showing its role in the sentence). Compare αυτός ο άντρας, αυτή η γυναίκα, and αυτό το παιδί. English uses this in all three; Greek changes the ending.

There is also an important difference in word order. English replaces the article in the book with this: this book. Greek normally keeps the definite article and places the demonstrative before it: αυτό το βιβλίο. This topic therefore builds directly on Greek definite articles.

How It Works

The basic contrast

Αυτός / αυτή / αυτό usually points to something relatively near, immediate, or already central to the conversation. Εκείνος / εκείνη / εκείνο usually points to something farther away or more clearly separated from the speaker’s present focus.

Greek	English	Typical use
αυτός / αυτή / αυτό	this; this one	Near or currently in focus
εκείνος / εκείνη / εκείνο	that; that one	Farther away, absent, or contrasted

Distance is not always physical. εκείνη η μέρα can mean “that day,” even when speaking about time, and εκείνη η ιδέα can single out “that idea” among several possibilities.

Agreement: choose gender, number, and case

The citation forms αυτός, αυτή, αυτό and εκείνος, εκείνη, εκείνο are nominative singular forms. The nominative is used mainly for the subject (the person or thing the sentence is about). The demonstrative changes when it is plural or when it has another role.

Forms of αυτός, αυτή, αυτό

Case	Masculine singular	Feminine singular	Neuter singular	Masculine plural	Feminine plural	Neuter plural
Nominative	αυτός	αυτή	αυτό	αυτοί	αυτές	αυτά
Genitive	αυτού	αυτής	αυτού	αυτών	αυτών	αυτών
Accusative	αυτόν	αυτή(ν)	αυτό	αυτούς	αυτές	αυτά

Forms of εκείνος, εκείνη, εκείνο

Case	Masculine singular	Feminine singular	Neuter singular	Masculine plural	Feminine plural	Neuter plural
Nominative	εκείνος	εκείνη	εκείνο	εκείνοι	εκείνες	εκείνα
Genitive	εκείνου	εκείνης	εκείνου	εκείνων	εκείνων	εκείνων
Accusative	εκείνον	εκείνη(ν)	εκείνο	εκείνους	εκείνες	εκείνα

The accusative is used especially for the direct object (the person or thing directly affected by an action) and after many prepositions. The genitive often expresses possession or a relationship similar to English of or possessive ’s.

Do not choose the demonstrative’s gender from the real-world object alone. Choose it from the grammatical gender of the Greek noun. βιβλίο is neuter, so “this book” is αυτό το βιβλίο. καρέκλα is feminine, so “this chair” is αυτή η καρέκλα.

With a noun: keep the definite article

The reliable beginner pattern is:

demonstrative + definite article + noun

Greek	English	Agreement
αυτός ο δρόμος	this road	masculine singular
αυτή η τσάντα	this bag	feminine singular
αυτό το σπίτι	this house	neuter singular
αυτοί οι δρόμοι	these roads	masculine plural
αυτές οι τσάντες	these bags	feminine plural
αυτά τα σπίτια	these houses	neuter plural

All three elements must fit together. For example, εκείνη η γυναίκα has a feminine demonstrative, feminine article, and feminine noun. Case agreement works in the same way: Βλέπω εκείνη τη γυναίκα (“I see that woman”) uses the accusative εκείνη and τη(ν).

If an adjective is present, it also agrees: αυτό το μικρό σπίτι (“this small house”), αυτές οι όμορφες φωτογραφίες (“these beautiful photographs”). The demonstrative remains outside the article-plus-noun group.

Used alone: no noun or article is needed

A demonstrative can replace a noun when the meaning is clear. It is then a pronoun in the strict sense: a word standing in for a noun.

• Θέλω αυτό. — “I want this.”
• Ποια είναι εκείνη; — “Who is that woman?”
• Αυτά είναι δικά μου. — “These are mine.”

Choose the form according to what the pronoun refers to and its role. Ποια είναι εκείνη; uses feminine εκείνη because it refers to a woman. Βλέπεις εκείνον; uses masculine accusative εκείνον because the man is the direct object of “see.”

A practical beginner shortcut

First decide whether you mean “this/these” or “that/those.” Then find the noun’s gender and whether it is singular or plural. At first, practise the nominative forms in simple identifying sentences and the accusative forms after verbs such as θέλω (“I want”) and βλέπω (“I see”). Add the genitive once those patterns feel automatic.

Examples in Context

Greek	English	Note
Αυτό το βιβλίο είναι πολύ καλό.	This book is very good.	Neuter singular subject phrase
Εκείνη η γυναίκα είναι η γιατρός μου.	That woman is my doctor.	Feminine singular
Αυτά τα παιδιά παίζουν έξω.	These children are playing outside.	Neuter plural
Τι είναι αυτό;	What is this?	Stand-alone neuter pronoun
Θέλω αυτή την τσάντα.	I want this bag.	Feminine accusative
Βλέπεις εκείνον τον άντρα;	Do you see that man?	Masculine accusative
Αυτοί οι φίλοι μένουν στην Αθήνα.	These friends live in Athens.	Masculine plural
Δεν μου αρέσουν εκείνες οι καρέκλες.	I don’t like those chairs.	Feminine plural
Ποιο παλτό θέλεις; — Αυτό.	Which coat do you want? — This one.	The noun is understood
Αυτή είναι η αδελφή μου.	This is my sister.	Feminine reference to a person
Το όνομα αυτού του δρόμου είναι δύσκολο.	The name of this street is difficult.	Masculine genitive
Η πόρτα εκείνου του σπιτιού είναι μπλε.	The door of that house is blue.	Neuter genitive
Θυμάμαι εκείνη τη μέρα πολύ καλά.	I remember that day very well.	Distance in time, not space
Αυτό το μικρό καφέ είναι ήσυχο.	This little café is quiet.	Adjective inside the noun phrase

Common Mistakes

Dropping the article before a noun

• Wrong: αυτό βιβλίο
• Right: αυτό το βιβλίο
• Why: Unlike English this book, standard Greek normally keeps the definite article between the demonstrative and noun.

Matching only the noun, not the whole phrase

• Wrong: αυτός το βιβλίο
• Right: αυτό το βιβλίο
• Why: βιβλίο is neuter. The demonstrative and article must both be neuter too.

Using a singular form with a plural noun

• Wrong: αυτό τα παιδιά
• Right: αυτά τα παιδιά
• Why: παιδιά is plural, so use plural αυτά, not singular αυτό.

Ignoring case after a verb

• Wrong: Βλέπω αυτός ο άντρας.
• Right: Βλέπω αυτόν τον άντρα.
• Why: The man is the direct object of βλέπω, so the demonstrative, article, and noun take accusative forms.

Treating αυτός as only “this”

• Misleading assumption: αυτός always points to something nearby.
• Better reading: In Αυτός είναι ο Νίκος, it can mean “This is Nikos” or “He is Nikos,” depending on context.
• Why: The forms of αυτός also function as third-person pronouns (“he, she, it”). Context and sentence structure supply the intended meaning.

Usage Notes

The near/far contrast is useful, but everyday usage is not a precise measurement of distance. αυτός is extremely common and can refer to something already mentioned, visible, or simply active in the conversation. εκείνος makes separation or contrast clearer: “that one over there,” “that person we mentioned,” or “that occasion back then.” Tone, gesture, and context often do part of the work that English assigns to this and that.

For people, αυτός and especially εκείνος can sound like “this/that man” or “that person” when used with a gesture. That may be perfectly neutral in context, but repeatedly pointing at someone can sound abrupt in either Greek or English. Use the person’s name or role when that is more natural.

You may see final ν in feminine accusative forms: αυτήν, εκείνην, and in articles such as την. In ordinary modern spelling and speech, the final ν follows standard sound-based spelling conventions and is not always written or pronounced. Both αυτή τη γυναίκα and αυτήν τη γυναίκα may therefore occur in appropriate contexts; focus first on recognising that the form is feminine accusative.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to master the following patterns at A1, but they explain forms you will meet in reading and more polished speech.

The demonstrative can follow the noun phrase

Greek can place the demonstrative after an article-marked noun:

• το βιβλίο αυτό — “this book”
• η εποχή εκείνη — “that period”
• οι άνθρωποι αυτοί — “these people”

The article is still required. This order is common in formal, written, emphatic, or contrastive language. The beginner order αυτό το βιβλίο is the safest productive pattern in everyday situations; the post-noun order is important to recognise.

αυτός also serves as a personal pronoun

The same set can mean “he, she, it” or, in the plural, “they”:

• Αυτός μένει εδώ. — “He lives here.”
• Την ξέρεις αυτή; — “Do you know her?” / “Do you know this woman?”

Greek often omits subject pronouns because the verb ending identifies the subject. An explicit αυτός may therefore add emphasis or contrast: Εγώ φεύγω, αλλά αυτός μένει (“I’m leaving, but he is staying”). This personal-pronoun use should not be analysed mechanically as physical pointing.

Stronger and more colloquial pointing words

Modern Greek also has forms such as τούτος / τούτη / τούτο, and colloquial combinations such as αυτός εδώ (“this one here”) and εκείνος εκεί (“that one there”). Τούτος may sound more marked, expressive, regional, or literary depending on context. The neutral sets αυτός and εκείνος remain the best foundation for learners.

Reference to whole ideas

Neuter αυτό and εκείνο often refer not to a named neuter object but to an entire fact, action, or situation:

• Αυτό δεν είναι σωστό. — “This is not right.”
• Δεν το περίμενα εκείνο. — “I wasn’t expecting that.”

Neuter singular is the normal default when the speaker points to an unidentified thing or a whole idea. That is why Τι είναι αυτό; uses αυτό.

Practice Tips

1. Learn noun phrases as three-part units. Say αυτός ο δρόμος, αυτή η πόρτα, αυτό το σπίτι aloud rather than memorising the demonstrative separately from the article.
2. Transform one phrase systematically. Start with αυτό το βιβλίο, make it plural (αυτά τα βιβλία), change distance (εκείνα τα βιβλία), and then place it after a verb (Θέλω εκείνα τα βιβλία).
3. Point and describe. In a room or a picture, make short contrasts: αυτή η καρέκλα — εκείνη η καρέκλα, αυτό το ποτήρι — εκείνο το ποτήρι. This links the forms to a real communicative choice.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Definite Articles — demonstratives used with nouns require the correct article for gender, number, and case.