και εσύ;
kai esý?/ce eˈsi/word by word
To say and you in Greek, use και εσύ with one person you know well. With someone you address formally or with a group, say και εσείς.
και εσύ returns a question to the person who just asked you, typically right after you answer how you are.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is made of the conjunction και, meaning and and the singular pronoun εσύ, meaning you.
Which one should you use?
Use και εσείς instead of και εσύ when addressing someone formally or when speaking to a group of people.
How does it change in a sentence?
When the verb before it takes an object in the accusative case, the pronoun changes and you say και εσένα.
How do you pronounce it?
και εσύ is pronounced /ce eˈsi/, romanized kai esý?, with the stress on the last syllable.
Did you know?
- While you might use και εσύ to be friendly, if you accidentally use it with a stranger or a boss, you might appear blunt or even rude because you skipped the formal και εσείς.
- In the Tsakonian dialect, which descends from ancient Doric, the 'and' in your phrase would be spoken as τσαι instead of the standard και.
- The word και has changed so little from its Ancient Greek ancestor καί that it has functioned essentially the same way for thousands of years.
Examples in context
- Κάνω πολύ καλά, ευχαριστώ, και εσύ;I'm doing very well, thank you, and you?και εσύ comes after the speaker says they are doing very well and thanks the other person.Tatoeba #8995544 by lucasmg123, translation #9206461 by Nylez
- « Τι κάνεις, » « Καλά, ευχαριστώ. Και εσύ, »"How are you?" – "Well, thanks. And you?"Here Και εσύ follows the reply to Τι κάνεις, the usual how are you.Tatoeba #4269857 by Adelpa, translation #4269858 by Adelpa
- Καλά είμαι, ευχαριστώ! Και εσείς;I'm fine, thank you! And you?
Example conversation
Eleni and Kostas are greeting each other in the street.
- Ελένη EleniΓεια σου Κώστα, πώς είσαι;Geia sou Kósta, pós eísai;Hello Kostas, how are you?
- Κώστας KostasΕίμαι πολύ καλά, και εσύ;Eímai polý kalá, kai esý;I am very well, and you?
- Ελένη EleniΚι εγώ είμαι καλά, ευχαριστώ.Ki egó eímai kalá, efcharistó.I am well too, thank you.
- Κώστας KostasΧαίρομαι πολύ!Chaíromai polý!I am very glad!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (και, εσύ) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries και, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
