Learn Greek › A1 › ποτέ
ποτέ
never /poˈte/
adverbA1#41 most common
Also: ever (in questions/conditionals), ever again
Example sentences
Δεν τρώω ποτέ κρέας.
I never eat meat.
Δεν έχω πάει ποτέ στην Αθήνα.
I have never been to Athens.
Κάλλιο αργά παρά ποτέ.
Better late than never.
Ποτέ δεν ξέρεις τι μπορεί να συμβεί αύριο.
You never know what might happen tomorrow.
Αν έρθεις ποτέ στην πόλη μου, θα σε ξεναγήσω παντού.
If you ever come to my city, I'll show you around everywhere.
Ποτέ ξανά δεν θα επιτρέψουμε να επαναληφθούν τέτοιες αδικίες.
Never again will we allow such injustices to be repeated.
Word family
Etymology
Modern Greek ποτέ continues Ancient Greek ποτέ, an enclitic indefinite adverb meaning 'at some time, ever'. It is built on the Proto-Indo-European interrogative-indefinite pronominal stem *kʷo-, which in Greek gives the πο-/πό- series (πότε, ποῦ, πῶς). In negative clauses with δεν or μην it acquired the sense 'never', while in questions and conditionals it keeps the older meaning 'ever'.
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