# είναι - υπάρχει



## larshgf

Είναι and υπάρχει both Means "there is". 
When do we use είναι and when do we use υπάρχει?


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## Perseas

The "existential" _είμαι_ ("υπαρκτικό") is one of the functions that this verb can have. E.g. _Είναι κανείς εδώ; _In this case you can use either "είμαι" or "υπάρχω".
But its basic usage is that of a _linking verb (copula); _it links a subject to a predicative complement.


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## dmtrs

The "existential" _είμαι_ Perseas refers to, I believe, can safely be replaced by _υπάρχω _in modern Greek. There are cases where _είμαι _can be used (like Perseas' example) but there's no need to do so; _υπάρχω_ is absolutely correct.


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## bearded

Perseas said:


> υπαρκτικό


I suppose there is also an yparktikò έχω :  I remember, when I was in a Greek village, ''Yparxei taksi edho? Oxi, edho dhen exei''.


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## Perseas

bearded said:


> I suppose there is also an yparktikò έχω :  I remember, when I was in a Greek village, ''Yparxei taksi edho? Oxi, edho dhen exei''.



This usage of "έχω" is very common.


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## larshgf

Thank you for the answers all of you - I will go and give the copula verbs a read!


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## larshgf

For me this conception of existential verbs (υπαρκτικά ρήματα) is new. 
Could you give som examples of these kind of verbs and maybe describe the conception with a few words?


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## Perseas

larshgf said:


> For me this conception of existential verbs (υπαρκτικά ρήματα) is new.
> Could you give som examples of these kind of verbs and maybe describe the conception with a few words?


The verb "είμαι" is υπαρκτικό when it means "υπάρχω". Just that!  
An example from ancient Greek:  Ἔστι ἐλπίς = Υπάρχει ελπίδα.


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