Rules for comma usage in Greek

Rules for comma usage in Greek

Lesson 50

Today we will learn how to use commas in Modern Greek. The comma indicates small interruptions in continuity of speech and it is one of the most misused punctuation marks in Greek.

 First of all let’s see the word’s etymology. The word κόμμα (το) comes from the ancient greek verb κόπτω, κόβω in modern Greek/ I cut, I cut off.

Κόμμα in ancient Greek was a piece cut off. Later the word κόμμα, became a rhetorical term which was used to describe a part of a sentence.

Let’s see the rules:

The first and easiest rule: We use commas before or after the Vocative case. We’ve learnt that we use the Vocative case to show direct address, to show that we are talking to someone or something directly.

Μαρία, είσαι η καλύτερη φίλη μου./ Maria, you are my best friend.

When the vocative is in the middle of a sentence then we put commas before and after it.

Ελάτε, παιδιά, να φάτε./Come, children, to eat.

Second rule:

When we have a series of nouns, commas are the most common way to separate one noun from the next. The final two nouns are usually separated by the conjunction και/yes or the conjunction ή/or. So when we have a series of nouns in the same case and all of them are subjects or objects of the sentence’s verb, we use commas to separate them. For example:

Το καλοκαίρι τρώω συχνά φράουλες, κεράσια, ροδάκινα, σταφύλια και βερίκοκα/At summer I often eat strawberries, cherries, peaches, grapes and apricots.

 We have 5 nouns in Accusative case and all of them are the verb’s objects. We separate the first four of them with commas and between the fourth and the last noun we use the conjunction και/and.

O Γιώργος, η Μαρία και ο Δημήτρης ζουν στην Αμερική/ George, Maria and Dimitris live in America.

We have 3 proper names in Nominative case and all of them are the verb’s subjects. We separate the first two with a comma and between the second and the last we use the conjunction “και”.

We should use a comma between two or more adjectives when they are coordinate adjectives, so when they describe the same noun equally.

Η Μαρία είναι όμορφη, ευγενική και καλόκαρδη/ Maria is beautiful, polite and kind-hearted.

There are here 3 adjectives in Nominative case. We use all of them to describe positively Maria. So we separate the first two with comma and between the second and the last one we use the conjunction “και”.  

Also we use commas to separate a series of verbs.

 Το πρωί ξεσκόνισα, σκούπισα και σφουγγάρισα το σπίτι μου/ in the morning I dusted, I swept and I mopped my house.

Third rule:

We use a comma before or after the words ναι/yes or όχι/no, when the statement that follows confirms our answer. For example:

-Θέλεις παγωτό;/ do you want ice-cream?

-Nαι, θέλω./ Yes, I want.

Όχι, δε θέλω. / No, I don’t want.

Μπορείς να έρθεις στο σπίτι μου;/ Can you come to my house?

Ναι, μπορώ./ Yes, I can.

Fourth rule:

We write between commas a short explanation, a nonessential element of a sentence. For example:

Η καλύτερη μου φίλη, η Μαρία, ζει στην Ελλάδα./My best friend, Maria, lives in Greece.

Οι γείτονές μου, ο Δημήτρης και η Κατερίνα, ψάχνουν για νέο σπίτι./My neighbors, Dimitris and Katerina, are looking for a new house.

So we write between commas a nonessential element which can be removed and the sentence still is grammatically correct and it makes sense.

Fifth rule:

We separate with commas an independent sentence from a dependent clause when the dependent clause begins with the words μολονότι, αν και, παρόλο που, ενώ. All of them have a similar meaning, “although, even though”.

Παρόλο που έβρεχε, πήγαμε στο πάρκο./ Even though it was raining, we went to the park.

Μολονότι του εξήγησα τι συνέβη, δε με πίστεψε./ Αlthough I explained to him what happened, he didn’t believe me.\

Αν και έχω δει την ταινία, θα έρθω μαζί σου στον κινηματογράφο./ Although I’ve watched the movie, I will come to the cinema with you.

Ενώ δε διαβάζει, είναι ο καλύτερος μαθητής της τάξης./ Εven though he doesn’t study, he is the best student of the class.

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