Verbs of Motion in Greek

In Brief

Use πάω or πηγαίνω for “go,” έρχομαι for “come,” φεύγω for “leave,” and φτάνω for “arrive.” A destination normally follows σε (“to”), while a point of departure follows από (“from”): Πάω στο γραφείο (“I’m going to the office”) but Φεύγω από το γραφείο (“I’m leaving the office”). Greek uses the same present tense for “I go” and “I am going”; context tells you whether the movement is habitual or happening now.

Overview

Motion verbs belong to the most useful A1 vocabulary. You need them to say where you are going, tell someone that you are on your way, announce that you are leaving, and ask when a bus or a person will arrive. The essential group is πάω / πηγαίνω (“go”), έρχομαι (“come”), φεύγω (“leave”), and φτάνω (“arrive” or “reach”).

These verbs share a meaning area, but they do not share one neat conjugation pattern. Φεύγω, φτάνω, and πηγαίνω use endings that will be familiar from Group A present-tense verbs. Πάω is short and irregular. Έρχομαι has mediopassive endings (a set of endings often used for passive or middle meanings), although its everyday meaning is active: the person is doing the coming.

English speakers should pay particular attention to two points. First, Greek does not form a separate continuous present with an equivalent of “be + -ing”: Έρχομαι can mean either “I come” or “I’m coming.” Second, English “home” behaves unusually, and Greek does too: Πάω σπίτι (“I’m going home”) normally has no word equivalent to “to.”

How It Works

The four directions of movement

Verb	Basic meaning	What it highlights
πάω / πηγαίνω	go	movement toward a destination
έρχομαι	come	movement toward the speaker, listener, or relevant meeting place
φεύγω	leave, go away	movement away from a starting place
φτάνω	arrive, reach	completion of the journey

The choice between πάω and έρχομαι depends on viewpoint, much as “go” and “come” do in English. If a friend is waiting at the café, you can tell that friend Έρχομαι τώρα (“I’m coming now”). When you tell someone elsewhere about your destination, Πάω στο καφέ (“I’m going to the café”) is the usual choice.

Present-tense forms

The subject is the person or thing performing the action. Greek normally leaves out subject pronouns because the verb ending already identifies the subject. For example, Φεύγουμε by itself means “We are leaving.”

Person	πάω	πηγαίνω	έρχομαι	φεύγω	φτάνω
εγώ — I	πάω	πηγαίνω	έρχομαι	φεύγω	φτάνω
εσύ — you (singular)	πας	πηγαίνεις	έρχεσαι	φεύγεις	φτάνεις
αυτός / αυτή / αυτό — he / she / it	πάει	πηγαίνει	έρχεται	φεύγει	φτάνει
εμείς — we	πάμε	πηγαίνουμε	ερχόμαστε	φεύγουμε	φτάνουμε
εσείς — you (plural or polite)	πάτε	πηγαίνετε	έρχεστε	φεύγετε	φτάνετε
αυτοί / αυτές / αυτά — they	πάνε	πηγαίνουν	έρχονται	φεύγουν	φτάνουν

The third-person plural forms πηγαίνουν, φεύγουν, and φτάνουν may also be heard with -ε: πηγαίνουνε, φεύγουνε, φτάνουνε. The shorter forms are a good default for learners.

Stress marks are part of Greek spelling, not optional decoration. Notice how the stress moves in έρχομαι but ερχόμαστε, and learn each form with its accent.

πάω and πηγαίνω: two ways to say “go”

Both verbs are standard Modern Greek. Πάω is exceptionally frequent and natural in everyday speech:

• Πάω στην τράπεζα. — I’m going to the bank.
• Πάμε για φαγητό; — Shall we go for something to eat?

Πηγαίνω is also common, particularly for regular journeys and when the route, means, or manner of travel matters:

• Πηγαίνω στη δουλειά με το μετρό. — I go to work by metro.
• Πηγαίνουμε εκεί κάθε Σάββατο. — We go there every Saturday.

This is a tendency, not a rigid division. In many present-tense sentences either verb is possible. For a beginner, it is useful to learn πάω as the compact everyday verb while recognizing the full πηγαίνω paradigm. Do not invent forms such as πάεις: the correct forms are πας and πάει.

Destinations, starting points, and routes

Greek usually expresses a destination with σε plus a noun in the accusative case (the noun form used here after the preposition). Σε combines with the definite article:

Combination	Example	Meaning
σε + τον = στον	στον γιατρό	to the doctor
σε + τη(ν) = στη(ν)	στη δουλειά	to work
σε + το = στο	στο σπίτι	to the house / home
σε + τους = στους	στους φίλους μου	to my friends’ place / to my friends
σε + τις = στις	στις έξι	at six (time use)
σε + τα = στα	στα μαγαζιά	to the shops

Use από for the place someone leaves or comes from: Φεύγω από την Αθήνα (“I’m leaving Athens”) and Έρχομαι από τη δουλειά (“I’m coming from work”). Use μέχρι for an endpoint meaning “as far as” or “until”: Πάμε μέχρι την πλατεία (“We’re going as far as the square”).

With σπίτι meaning “home,” everyday Greek often omits the article and σε after a motion verb: Πάω σπίτι, Έρχομαι σπίτι, Φτάνω σπίτι στις οκτώ. By contrast, στο σπίτι can identify a particular house or simply make “home” more explicit, depending on context.

One Greek present, two common English translations

Modern Greek present forms can describe both a routine and an action in progress. Time expressions usually make the intended meaning clear:

• Πηγαίνω στη δουλειά κάθε μέρα. — I go to work every day.
• Πηγαίνω στη δουλειά τώρα. — I’m going to work now.
• Το τρένο φτάνει στις εννέα. — The train arrives at nine.
• Το τρένο φτάνει τώρα. — The train is arriving now.

Do not add a form of είμαι (“be”) before the motion verb to imitate English. Greek simply uses the conjugated verb.

Questions and negatives

For a yes/no question, spoken Greek normally keeps ordinary word order and uses question intonation. In writing, Greek uses the semicolon-shaped question mark ;.

• Έρχεσαι μαζί μας; — Are you coming with us?
• Φτάνετε στις δέκα; — Do you arrive at ten?

For information questions, put the question word where it sounds natural, often at the beginning: Πού πας; (“Where are you going?”), Πότε φεύγετε; (“When are you leaving?”), Από πού έρχεσαι; (“Where are you coming from?”).

Negate an ordinary present statement with δεν directly before the verb: Δεν πάω σήμερα (“I’m not going today”), Δεν έρχονται μαζί μας (“They aren’t coming with us”).

Examples in Context

Greek	English	Note
Πάω στη δουλειά.	I go to work. / I’m going to work.	Context decides between habitual and current movement.
Έρχομαι αμέσως.	I’m coming right away.	Movement toward the person waiting.
Φεύγουμε τώρα.	We’re leaving now.	The ending -ουμε marks “we.”
Πότε φτάνεις;	When do you arrive? / When are you arriving?	Greek question mark ;
Πού πας τόσο νωρίς;	Where are you going so early?	Irregular second-person πας.
Πηγαίνω στο πανεπιστήμιο με τα πόδια.	I go to the university on foot.	A regular journey and means of travel.
Το λεωφορείο φτάνει σε δέκα λεπτά.	The bus arrives in ten minutes.	σε expresses time remaining here.
Η Άννα φεύγει από το γραφείο στις έξι.	Anna leaves the office at six.	από marks the starting place.
Έρχεστε από την Αγγλία;	Do you come from England?	εσείς form; plural or polite singular.
Δεν πάμε σπίτι ακόμα.	We aren’t going home yet.	No σε before destination σπίτι.
Τα παιδιά πηγαίνουν στο σχολείο κάθε πρωί.	The children go to school every morning.	Habit shown by κάθε πρωί.
Πάμε για καφέ μετά τη δουλειά;	Shall we go for coffee after work?	Πάμε; is a common suggestion.
Ο Νίκος έρχεται μαζί μας.	Nikos is coming with us.	μαζί με means “together with.”
Φτάνω στο ξενοδοχείο και σου τηλεφωνώ.	I arrive at the hotel and call you.	Present forms can describe a planned sequence in informal speech.

Common Mistakes

Building regular forms from πάω

• Wrong: Εσύ πάεις στη δουλειά;
• Right: Εσύ πας στη δουλειά;
• Why: Πάω is irregular. Learn πάω, πας, πάει, πάμε, πάτε, πάνε as a set.

Copying English “be + -ing”

• Wrong: Είμαι πηγαίνω σπίτι.
• Right: Πηγαίνω σπίτι.
• Why: The Greek present verb can already mean “I am going.” It does not need είμαι.

Using σε for the place of departure

• Wrong: Φεύγω στο γραφείο. when you mean “I’m leaving the office.”
• Right: Φεύγω από το γραφείο.
• Why: Σε points toward a destination; από points away from a starting place. Φεύγω για το γραφείο means “I’m leaving for the office,” which is a different idea.

Adding a preposition before σπίτι automatically

• Less natural for simple “home”: Πάω στο σπίτι.
• Natural: Πάω σπίτι.
• Why: When σπίτι means the adverb-like idea “home,” Greek commonly uses it without σε or an article. Στο σπίτι is not inherently wrong; it may mean “to the house” or emphasize a specific home.

Choosing πάω when the viewpoint calls for έρχομαι

• Awkward to someone waiting for you: Πάω τώρα! (“I’m going now!”)
• Natural: Έρχομαι τώρα! (“I’m coming now!”)
• Why: Movement toward the listener or meeting point is normally framed with έρχομαι.

Forgetting that έρχομαι has its own endings

• Wrong: Εγώ έρχω, αυτοί έρχουν.
• Right: Εγώ έρχομαι, αυτοί έρχονται.
• Why: Its forms use mediopassive endings. The meaning is still the active idea “come.”

Usage Notes

Πάμε! is much more than the literal “we go.” Depending on tone, it can mean “Let’s go!”, “Come on!”, or “Go!” at an event. As a question, Πάμε; is a friendly way to suggest leaving or doing something together.

To name a purpose or intended destination, Greek often uses για: Φεύγω για τη Θεσσαλονίκη (“I’m leaving for Thessaloniki”), Πάμε για καφέ (“We’re going for coffee”), and Πηγαίνω για ψώνια (“I’m going shopping”). This is not the same as από, which marks where movement begins.

Transport is commonly introduced with με: με το λεωφορείο (“by bus”), με το αυτοκίνητο (“by car”), and με το τρένο (“by train”). The fixed expression με τα πόδια means “on foot.”

In schedules, the present is natural for planned arrival and departure: Η πτήση φεύγει στις επτά και φτάνει στις εννέα (“The flight leaves at seven and arrives at nine”). This closely resembles English schedule language.

Beyond the Basics: Different Stems for Completed Movement

You do not need to master this at A1, but you will soon encounter a major feature of Greek verbs: many use one stem for ongoing or repeated movement and another for a single, bounded event. The second pattern appears after particles such as θα (“will”) and να, and in the simple past.

Present / ongoing form	Single-event form after θα or να	Simple past	Meaning
πηγαίνω / πάω	θα πάω / να πάω	πήγα	go
έρχομαι	θα έρθω / να έρθω	ήρθα	come
φεύγω	θα φύγω / να φύγω	έφυγα	leave
φτάνω	θα φτάσω / να φτάσω	έφτασα	arrive

The form introduced by να belongs to the subjunctive (a verb form used after να for wishes, aims, possibilities, and many dependent expressions). Thus Θέλω να φύγω means “I want to leave,” not θέλω να φεύγω in the ordinary single-event sense. For repeated or ongoing future movement, Greek can retain the present stem: Θα πηγαίνω στη δουλειά με το μετρό (“I will be going to work by metro”).

Φτάνω also extends beyond physical arrival. It can mean “reach,” as in Φτάνω μέχρι την πόρτα (“I reach the door”), or “be enough”: Αυτά τα χρήματα δεν φτάνουν (“This money isn’t enough”). A related impersonal expression is Φτάνει!, meaning “Enough!” These meanings are common, but the core A1 use remains arrival at an endpoint.

Finally, motion verbs often combine with small adverbs that add direction: μπαίνω μέσα (“go/come in”), βγαίνω έξω (“go out”), ανεβαίνω πάνω (“go up”), and κατεβαίνω κάτω (“go down”). These are separate verbs rather than English-style combinations built from “go” plus a particle, so learn them as vocabulary when you meet them.

Practice Tips

1. Rehearse one miniature journey. Say where you go, where you leave from, and when you arrive: Πάω στο πανεπιστήμιο. Φεύγω από το σπίτι στις οκτώ. Φτάνω στις εννέα. Change the places and times each day.
2. Learn the forms in short contrasts. Pair πάω—πας—πάει, έρχομαι—έρχεσαι—έρχεται, and then the plural forms. Complete sentences such as Πού πας; are easier to recall than isolated endings.
3. Listen for viewpoint and time clues. When you hear πάω or έρχομαι, ask where the speaker and listener are. When you hear a present form, notice words such as τώρα, κάθε μέρα, and στις οκτώ that reveal whether it means “is going,” “goes regularly,” or follows a schedule.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Present Tense (Group A: -ω) — provides the basic person endings seen in φεύγω, φτάνω, and πηγαίνω.
• Useful next step: Greek prepositions and contracted articles — helps you build destinations such as στο σχολείο and starting points such as από το σπίτι.
• Later study: Perfective and imperfective verb stems — explains contrasts such as θα φύγω versus θα φεύγω and να πάω versus να πηγαίνω.