είναι

See also: εἶναι

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek εἶναι (eînai), present infinitive of εἰμί (“I am”).

• (For the noun): Semantic loan from German Sein.
• (For the 3rd person of verb) According to Babiniotis, not from the infinitive εἶναι, but from the Medieval Byzantine Greek ἔναι < Ancient Greek ἔνι, a short form of ἔνεστι (“to be in”), and in unison with the forms είμαι, είσαι.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈinɛ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: εί‧ναι

Verb

είναι • (eínai)

1. 3rd person singular present form of είμαι (eímai).: "he is, she is, it is"

   το όνομά μου είναι … ― to ónomá mou eínai … ― my name is …

2. 3rd person plural present form of είμαι (eímai).: "they are"

Noun

είναι • (eínai) n (indeclinable)

2. (philosophy) being, that which exists

   «To Είναι και το Μηδέν» ― «To Eínai kai to Midén» ― "Being and Nothingness (Zero)"
   Title of the French book «L'Être et le Néant» by Jean-Paul Sartre.

3. one's inner world

   Όταν έμαθα την είδηση του θανάτου του, κατέρρευσε όλο μου το είναι.

   Ótan ématha tin eídisi tou thanátou tou, katérrefse ólo mou to eínai.

   When I learnt the news of his death, my whole being collapsed.

4. (figurative) everything dear in life

   Είσαι το είναι μου, ο έρωτας της ζωής μου.

   Eísai to eínai mou, o érotas tis zoḯs mou.

   You are my everything, my life's love.