κάτι
káti/ˈkati/neuter
The Greek word for 'something' is κάτι (káti).
κάτι is used to refer to an unspecified object. When you use κάτι with an adjective to mean 'some kind of [adjective] thing', the adjective must be in the neuter singular form.
Meaning: unspecified object (pron)
How does it change in a sentence?
κάτι is a neuter pronoun. It does not change its form based on the gender of the noun it refers to in an implied sense.
How do you pronounce it?
The IPA is /ˈkati/.
Did you know?
- The word κάτι actually evolved from a combination of three separate Ancient Greek words: καί meaning 'and', ἄν used for conditional sense and τι meaning 'something'.
- When a Greek speaker says κάτι έχει, they are not saying 'something has', but rather 'something is wrong' or 'there is a problem'.
- In certain emotional contexts, saying κάτι με λέει translates to 'something is telling me', used to express a strong gut feeling or premonition.
Examples in context
- Έχω κάτι να πω.I have something to say.This sentence shows how to express having something to say using κάτι.Tatoeba #2428132 by mululatv, translation #806851 by Source_VOA
- Κάτι ξέρει ο Τομ.Tom knows something.This sentence demonstrates using κάτι to indicate someone knows something.Tatoeba #5585571 by Zeus, translation #2237135 by CK
- Γιατί δε λες κάτι;Why don't you say something?This sentence is an example of asking someone to say something using κάτι.Tatoeba #5509501 by Zeus, translation #5493773 by CK
- 168 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kyriaki is asking Giorgos if he wants a snack.
- Κυριακή KyriakiΘέλεις κάτι να φας;Theleis kati na fas?Do you want something to eat?
- Γιώργος GiorgosΝαι, πεινάω πολύ.Nai, pinao poly.Yes, I am very hungry.
- Κυριακή KyriakiΈχω κάτι γλυκό στην κουζίνα.Echo kati glyko stin kouzina.I have something sweet in the kitchen.
- Γιώργος GiorgosΤέλεια, φέρτο μου!Telia, ferto mou!Great, bring it to me!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “something” translations and entries κάτι, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries κάτι, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
