# έρχομαι (φτάνω) σε κάποιον/κάποιου?



## Apollodorus

έρχομαι (φτάνω) σε κάποιον/κάποιου?

Έρχομαι seems to be normally used with accusative. But is it ever used with genitive?

For example, in sentences of the type, “Wait, I’m coming over to you”, what would be the correct Greek sentence/ or case of εσύ?


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## Konstantinos

Εσύ has no difference in accusative and genitive. Εσένα in both cases:

Έρχομαι σε εσένα. (accusative)
Έρχομαι προς τα εσένα. (accusative)
Φτάνω σε εσένα. (accusative)

Αυτός is αυτού in genitive and αυτόν in accusative.

Έρχομαι σε αυτόν. 
Φτάνω σε αυτόν. 
Πηγαίνω σε αυτόν.

About genitive αυτού, only this comes in my mind:

αυτού -> αυτουνού -> Έρχομαι σε αυτουνού το σπίτι.

But some others know much better grammar than me, let them say their opinion.


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## Antonis.

You can say έρχομαι for both accusative and genitive noun forms. It doesn't make a difference because the verb itself is in the passive tense, speaking about yourself, the subject, in which case you are doing the action; what comes after is the object hence it doesn't matter what form it is in because the verb has already indicated who's doing what and how. 
Now all that matters is the place you're coming to, which can be anything, so you might need to describe it accusatively or genitively. 

Like for example

Έρχομαι στο σπίτι. 
Έρχομαι στου σπιτιού ___.

Both work, the genitive just needs a noun after of what it's possessing.


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## διαφορετικός

Antonis. said:


> Έρχομαι στου σπιτιού ___.
> 
> [...] the genitive just needs a noun after of what it's possessing.


"Έρχομαι στου σπιτιού κάτοικο."? (κάτοικο in accusative)


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## Apollodorus

Antonis. said:


> You can say έρχομαι for both accusative and genitive noun forms. It doesn't make a difference because the verb itself is in the passive tense, speaking about yourself, the subject, in which case you are doing the action; what comes after is the object hence it doesn't matter what form it is in because the verb has already indicated who's doing what and how.
> Now all that matters is the place you're coming to, which can be anything, so you might need to describe it accusatively or genitively.
> 
> Like for example
> 
> Έρχομαι στο σπίτι.
> Έρχομαι στου σπιτιού ___.
> 
> Both work, the genitive just needs a noun after of what it's possessing.



OK.

I think the confusion comes from hearing something that to my mind sounds like "σουρχομαι" which I assumed it was a kind of combined "σου" + "έρχομαι", in the sense of "I'm coming (over) to you", "I'm catching up with you" or even "joining you" or "catching you".

In any case it was in situations where the speaker is not far away and is coming over to the other person.

But if it is not something that is normally said, then maybe I just imagined or misunderstood it ....


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## Antonis.

διαφορετικός said:


> "Έρχομαι στου σπιτιού κάτοικο."? (κάτοικο in accusative)


"Έρχομαι στου σπιτιού *την* είσοδο" for example, you must still use the article before the accusative object in question. 

For your example it would be said, "Έρχομαι στου σπιτιού *τον* κάτοικο" meaning "I am coming to the house's resident", 

*Though let me note it is more common to put the accusative first in Greek sentence word order instead of the genitive, you usually end with the object which is being possesed. So both grammatically work and make sense, but this would be the more usual way to say it:

"Έρχομαι *στον* κάτοικο *του* σπιτιού" 

or with my previous example, 

"Έρχομαι *στην* είσοδο *του* σπιτιού"


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## Antonis.

Apollodorus said:


> OK.
> 
> I think the confusion comes from hearing something that to my mind sounds like "σουρχομαι" which I assumed it was a kind of combined "σου" + "έρχομαι", in the sense of "I'm coming (over) to you", "I'm catching up with you" or even "joining you" or "catching you".
> 
> In any case it was in situations where the speaker is not far away and is coming over to the other person.
> 
> But if it is not something that is normally said, then maybe I just imagined or misunderstood it ....


Ahaha yes great observation my friend, actually what you heard is exactly right and we do say that in Greek, but only in informal and usually spoken conversation, it is a contraction and joining of two words into one:

"Σου + έρχομαι -> Σούρχομαι"

The second vowel is dropped and the first vowel takes over, in this case "ου" and the second word is cut down. It still means the same as it would seperated, literally: "I'm coming to you", but it is a very colloquialized term and usually wouldn't be used when speaking to a stranger or elder. It's used mostly to tell a friend that you're on the way to them


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## Apollodorus

Antonis. said:


> Ahaha yes great observation my friend, actually what you heard is exactly right and we do say that in Greek, but only in informal and usually spoken conversation, it is a contraction and joining of two words into one:
> 
> "Σου + έρχομαι -> Σούρχομαι"



Correct. I have heard it in informal situations, e.g., somebody saying it to a friend (or relative) sitting at a table, or a mother to a child, etc.

I used to think that συγχαρητήρια was σε χαρητήριω (“I congratulate you”) or something like that. Obviously, it didn’t sound quite right, but I just couldn’t think what else is could be. 

But I'm glad I got it right this time round.

Eυχαριστώ πολύ!


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## Αγγελος

Note that although the preposition σε normally takes the accusative, it _can _be constructed with the genitive if the word 'home' or 'place' is understood.
Example: Πήγα στου αδερφού μου = I went to my brother's place; Μένει στης θείας του = He is staying at his aunt's.
The same construction can be used with other prepositions as well: πέρασα από της Μαρίας = I went by Mary's place; τον είδα να πηγαίνει κατά του Παπαδόπουλου = Ι saw him going towards Papadopoulos' land.
Such a construction was also used in ancient Greek, particularly in connection with the Nether World: ἐν ᾍδου = in Hades (the word δώμασι being understood.)

The constructions μου 'ρχεται, σου 'ρχεται etc. are quite common, meaning either "it occurs to me/the thought crosses my mind" or "I feel like": μου ήρθε ξαφνικά μια ιδέα = I suddenly had an idea; μου ήρθε να τον μπατσίσω = I felt the impulse to slap him; τι σου ήρθε; = what made you do it? what sudden impulse seized you? 
The colloquial expression σου 'ρχομαι, already mentioned, does mean "I am coming over to you", but is not used with other objects; you can't say *"έρχομαι του Γιάννη".


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## Apollodorus

Αγγελος said:


> you can't say *"έρχομαι του Γιάννη"



Εντάξει, τώρα καταλαβαίνω! 



> τι σου ήρθε; = what made you do it? what sudden impulse seized you?



And I suppose, more colloquially, "What got into you?"

Many thanks!


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## bearded

Just a very short off-topic question:


Apollodorus said:


> τώρα καταλαβαίνω!


Would here ''τώρα κατάλαβα!'' be more idiomatic?


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## Αγγελος

B


bearded said:


> Just a very short off-topic question:
> 
> Would here ''τώρα κατάλαβα!'' be more idiomatic?


Both sound equally natural.


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## Antonis.

bearded said:


> Just a very short off-topic question:
> 
> Would here ''τώρα κατάλαβα!'' be more idiomatic?


they're almost the same and both are used idiomatically just as often, only difference is 

"τώρα καταλαβαίνω" is "now I understand/am underastanding" (present tense)

and

"τώρα κατάλαβα" is "now I understood" (past tense)


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## bearded

Thank you, Antonis.  I knew/know the tense difference.  I just wished to know which expression is more common, and now I know that both are idiomatic. I was in Greece some years ago, and remember someone said 'tora katalava', so I was wondering...
Eycharisto kai pali.


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