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A question word in skill "questions" which I didn't find in the tips

Cifi

A question word in skill "questions" which I didn't find in the tips

Post by Cifi »

It is τίνος, translated to "whose", and the example sentences don't show any obvious difference between this one and ποιανού/ποιανής, both mean whose in Τίνος είναι ο λύκος; and Ποιανού είναι οι γάτες;

I found an explanation that ποιανού/ποιανής would be used in spoken language (https://blogs.transparent.com/greek/que ... ern-greek/), so is this more colloquial and τίνος more formal?

Native: :de: Intermediate: :uk: Lower intermediate: :es: Beginner: :fr: Absolute beginner: 🇬🇷
(If there are errors in what I'm writing in either language, please do correct me - I'll never take it as offense or something like that.)

Phil682961

Re: A question word in skill "questions" which I didn't find in the tips

Post by Phil682961 »

I realised the Duolingo forum is back, at least in read-only mode!

So this might be useful: https://forum.duolingo.com/comment/4493 ... είναι-αυτό

Apart from the comments here, my impression is there is some regional variation too - for example τίνος might be more common in Crete than elsewhere.

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sotos_greece
Greece

Re: A question word in skill "questions" which I didn't find in the tips

Post by sotos_greece »

Hello again :)

"Τίνος" does NOT have a gender but apply for all 3 of them ! (masculine-feminine-neutral).
We ask with "Τίνος" when we have absolutely NO clue what gender we might recieve as an answer.

On the other hand "Ποιανού" or "Ποιανής" is when our question is suspected to recieve a masculine or feminine person AS an answer
and there is NO neutral word like "Ποιανό" <--- does NOT exist such word.

BUT with "Τίνος" we imply ALL 3 genders... for example "Τίνος είναι αυτή η γάτα" (whose is this cat?)
and we might recieve as answer "Αυτή η γάτα ανήκει στο μικρό αδερφό της Μαρίας τον Πέτρο" (...This cat belongs to Mary's little brother, Peter") (kids are supposed to be neutral in general)

And yes in Northern Greece (mainly in suberb areas), we use too the phrase "Τίνος είσαι εσύ;" (meaning "whose child are you"... in general)

hope i helped :)


(btw. i am NO teacher)

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