αυτοί
aftoí/aˈfti/masculine
In Greek, the English phrase "they" is expressed by the pronoun αυτοί (aftoí). Wiktionary also lists αυτές (aftés) and αυτά (aftá).
Meaning: third-person plural pronoun (pron)
Ways to say it
| Greek | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| αυτοί | aftoí | /aˈfti/ | masculine |
| αυτές | aftés | /aˈftes/ | feminine |
| αυτά | aftá | /aˈfta/ | neuter |
The Greek word for "they" is a third-person plural pronoun. Unlike English, the form you choose depends entirely on the gender of the subjects you are discussing.
Which one should you use?
Greek requires you to select a specific form based on gender/number: αυτοί is for a group of men or a mixed-gender group, αυτές is for a group of women and αυτά is for a group of neuter nouns or inanimate objects.
How does it change in a sentence?
The choice of form is determined by the gender of the group: use αυτοί for masculine or mixed-gender groups, αυτές for feminine groups and αυτά for groups of neuter nouns or inanimate objects.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is aftoí and the IPA is /aˈfti/.
Did you know?
- If a group consists of a thousand women and one man, the entire group must be referred to using the masculine αυτοί.
- While αυτοί is the formal word for 'they', Greek speakers often omit the pronoun entirely in casual speech because the verb ending already tells you the subject is plural.
- The word αυτοί functions as a demonstrative pronoun, meaning it can also be understood as 'these ones' in certain contexts.
Examples in context
- Ξέρω που μένουν αυτοί.I know where they live.This sentence shows how to use αυτοί to indicate where a group lives.Tatoeba #2000174 by glavkos, translation #9254896 by Nylez
- Αυτοί έκαψαν το χαρτί.They burned the paper.This sentence demonstrates using αυτοί to identify who performed an action.Tatoeba #2633004 by Zeus, translation #2633001 by CK
- Αυτοί δεν τρώνε τίποτα.They don't eat anything.This sentence uses αυτοί to describe what a group does not eat.Tatoeba #5393882 by Zeus, translation #5393880 by shekitten
- Αυτοί είναι οι φίλοι μου.They are my friends.
- Αυτοί είναι οι γονείς του.They are his parents.
- Εκείνοι είναι οι καλύτεροί μου φίλοι.They are my best friends.
- Εκείνοι είναι οι γονείς μου.They are my parents.
- 73 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nikos and Eleni are talking about some male colleagues.
- Νίκος NikosΠού είναι οι συνάδελφοι;Pou einai oi synadelfoi?Where are the colleagues?
- Ελένη EleniΑυτοί είναι στο γραφείο.Autoi einai sto grafeio.They are in the office.
- Νίκος NikosΤι κάνουν τώρα;Ti kanoun tora?What are they doing now?
- Ελένη EleniΑυτοί διαβάζουν τα email.Autoi diavazoun ta email.They are reading the emails.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “they” translations and entries αυτοί, αυτές, αυτά, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
