# The word πρόκειται and how to use it



## alfie1888

_*Πρόκειται *_is a word that's always baffled me in its use and meaning. I thought it was about time I asked for a detailed explanation on how to use this properly as I recently came across the following translation:

(From a leaflet on The Library of Hadrian in Athens [Η Βιβλιοθήκη του Αδριανού])

"Πρόκειται για ορθογώνιο περίστυλο οικοδόμημα με εσωτερική αυλή. Είχε μία μόνον είσοδο με μνημειώδες πρόπυλο στη δυτική πλευρά, με τέσσερις κίονες κορινθιακού ρυθμού από φρύγιο μάρμαρο."

"The library was [my question here: WHERE'S THE TRANSLATION OF _*ΠΡΟΚΕΙΤΑΙ*_?!] a rectangular peristyle structure with an interior courtyard. It had only one entrance through a monumental propylon on its western side, with four Corinthian columns of Phrygian marble."

My dictionaries provide the following definitions and examples but I'm neither satisfied nor confident in my understanding of the term yet to dare use it in the future:

*πρόκειται *_απρόσ._ _ρ._ *α.* υπάρχει ζήτημα. *β.* σκοπεύει να γίνει κάτι. (My completely Greek dictionary, εκδόσεις ΚΑΛΟΚΑΘΗ)

*πρόκειται *_Ρ ΑΠΡΟΣ_ 
*>* *πρόκειται για *(_= υπάρχει ζήτημα_) it's about, it concerns
*>* *πρόκειται να* to be going to
*>* *περί τίνος πρόκειται;* what is it about?

(My trusty Collins Greek-English dictionary )

Any information, examples or translations you could provide would be greatly appreciated, as always. I love this forum !


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## Perseas

_Πρόκειται για ορθογώνιο περίστυλο οικοδόμημα με εσωτερική αυλή._

You can say:
_It is about a rectangular peristyle structure with an interior courtyard._

It's: *πρόκειται *_Ρ ΑΠΡΟΣ_
*>* *πρόκειται για *(_= υπάρχει ζήτημα_) it's about, it concerns



An example for this meaning "*πρόκειται να* to be going to" :
_Αύριο *πρόκειται* να επισκεφτώ την Ακρόπολη.
Tomorrow *I ' m going* to visit Acropolis._


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## alfie1888

Thank you for those examples so far. 



Perseas said:


> _Πρόκειται για ορθογώνιο περίστυλο οικοδόμημα με εσωτερική αυλή._
> 
> You can say:
> _It is about a rectangular peristyle structure with an interior courtyard._
> 
> It's: *πρόκειται *_Ρ ΑΠΡΟΣ_
> *>* *πρόκειται για *(_= υπάρχει ζήτημα_) it's about, it concerns



I'm afraid that doesn't make sense in English to put it like that. What you've written above actually would be the answer to the question "What is that leaflet about?" albeit a weird answer haha.


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## Perseas

Ok, the translation I can think then of "πρόκειται για" in the first sense is "it is".

Πρόκειται για ορθογώνιο περίστυλο οικοδόμημα με εσωτερική αυλή.
It was a rectangular peristyle structure with an interior courtyard.
(It = the library)


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## alfie1888

Right... but my query concerns why είναι is not used instead? When and how will I know that I could used πρόκειται instead?


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## Tassos

alfie1888 said:


> Right... but my query concerns why είναι is not used instead?



It _can_ be used. There is nothing grammatically wrong with
Είναι ένα ορθογώνιο περίστυλο οικοδόμημα με εσωτερική αυλή. 
or even better
Εκεί είναι και ένα ορθογώνιο περίστυλο οικοδόμημα με εσωτερική αυλή.

You can also try
Υπάρχει επισης και ένα ορθογώνιο περίστυλο οικοδόμημα με εσωτερική αυλή.
or
Εκεί υπάρχει (και) ένα ορθογώνιο περίστυλο οικοδόμημα με εσωτερική αυλή.

What fits better, depends more or less on the preceding sentence.



alfie1888 said:


> When and how will I know that I could used πρόκειται instead?



I don't think you can. In the sense that there is no grammatical rule that I know of.
With the exception, of course, of someone asking you "Περί τίνος πρόκειται;" 
In general Πρόκειται για... is a more stylish and elegant way of introducing sentences of this kind, used frequently in literary works, narratives of various kinds and the such (note it can also be used in everyday speech). I would say that it puts more emphasis and focus on the sentence that follows it than Είναι which is more neutral or "bland" if I may say so.


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## velisarius

I don't know if it's allowed to use French in this forum, but I would say "πρόκειται για" in your o.p. example is exactly the same as the French _il s'agit de. _It could be translated as "This is..." or "This structure is..."

If you provide some more examples from your reading alfie, I'd be happy to give English equivalents. Perseus' literal translation as 'to be about', 'to concern' is quite right. From that starting point, an appropriate translation can be found, according to context.


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## sanny123

Πρόκειται να πάω στο γιατρό 
Πρόκειται να βρέξει
Πρόκειται να αγοράσω αυτό το βιβλίο

I hope these examples helped you


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## Perseas

*alfie1888*,

I found a kind of concern in the text under this link about the use of *πρόκειται για. *I hope it might give you some insight into your query. I 'll copy only the beginning of the text with the first example, the rest you can read using the link.  I agree with *velisarius* that the context plays an important role.



> *πρόκειται για*
> According to Stavropoulos, _it is about, it concerns_.  The problem with this is that the _it_ has to refer to something (think what you know about anaphora in English), but there is nothing in the context for _it_  to refer to..  You will have to rewrite the Greek here to make sense in  English.  What phrase will best fit into the English context?
> 
> 
> Το να ισχυρίζεται κανείς διαρκώς ότι πρόκειται για μια τεχνολογία του μέλλοντος που δίνει δουλειά, είναι πολύ λίγο.
> Just to keep asserting that this is a new technology that creates jobs is not enough.
> 
> ....................................


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## alfie1888

Ah! "Il s'agit de" helps a lot! And all the examples, including those from the link, are very helpful. I understand now.  Thank you all so, so much! No one gives half measures on this forum - it's fantastic: you're all fantastic!


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## IZAKIS

Here is another example from one lesson that im learning



άγνωστη: α,χίλια συγνώμη! δεν είστε ο κ. γεωργίου, ο καρδιολόγος;


γιώργος: όχι, κυρία μου. λέγομαι γεωργίου αλλά δεν είμαι γιατρός. *πρόκειται* για συνωνυμία.


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## velisarius

IZAKIS said:


> πρόκειται[/B] για συνωνυμία.



A lovely example of Greek economy (of expression).
I think in English you would have to say:

I'm not a doctor, I just have the same name / we just happen to have the same name / we share the same surname.


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## alfie1888

Thank you! That's a very good example IZAKIS .


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## alfie1888

velisarius said:


> A lovely example of Greek economy (of expression).
> I think in English you would have to say:
> 
> I'm not a doctor, I just have the same name / we just happen to have the same name / we share the same surname.



All those are correct. A lovely example of English economy of expression, too! Hehe!


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