"Το απαγορεύω."

Translation: I forbid it.

[spdl79]

Is anyone able to explain why we would use το here instead of αυτό?

[fotiosgaridis]

Hello,
"I forbid it" translates as "Το απαγορεύω". "Το απαγορεύω αυτό" or "Αυτό το απαγορεύω" would be "I forbid this".
The main difference is that when you use "this" = "αυτό" you use a demonstrative pronoun useful in a context where you are discussing something materially visible or you're referring to a concrete concept. Without the demonstrative pronoun, you use a personal pronoun (in this case only with the article "το") that it is more vague, general or abstract and it can sound more formal or severe:

Examples (maybe not the best ones):

• Μπορώ να βγω με την Μαρία; / May I go out with Mary?

• Το απαγορεύω / I forbid it.
  Here we can imagine a severe father forbidding to his child going out with Mary.

• Ωραίο κρασί, μπορώ να ανάψω και ένα τσιγάρο; / Nice wine, may I light up a cigarette too?

• Όχι, αυτό το απαγορεύω. OR Όχι, αυτό απαγορεύεται. / No, I forbid this. OR No, this is forbidden. Imagine a situation with two friends in a house or a place where it's not possible to smoke.

Hope this clarifies a little bit.

[spdl79]

Awesome, thank you, that's really helpful too!

Have to say, as much as I love Memrise, and as much as there are a couple of really helpful people on their Greek boards (Neal/nphx in particular), the community here is particularly awesome.

[troll1995]

Personal pronouns are conjugated too and have a genitive and accusative form. They are as follows:
Singular
Nominative: εγώ, εσύ, αυτός, αυτή, αυτό
Genitive: εμένα (μου), εσένα (σου), αυτού (του), αυτής (της), αυτού (του)
Accusative: εμένα (με),εσένα (σε), αυτόν (τον), αυτήν (την), αυτό (το)
Plural:
Nominative: εμείς, εσείς, αυτοί, αυτές, αυτά
Genitive: εμάς (μας), εσάς (σας), αυτών (τους), αυτών (τους), αυτών (τους)
Accusative: εμάς (μας), εσάς (σας), αυτούς (τους), αυτές (τις), αυτα (τα)

The forms outside parenthesis are the strong or independent forms, those in the parenthesis the weak or dependent. (!) Don't confuse those with the articles, they are different things. The nominative is used when it is the subject of the sentence. The genitive when it is the indirect object and the accusative when it is the direct object. For indirect objects you can use the weak genitive form before the verb or σε+Strong accusative form after the verb. But this is the difference: Μου δίνει ένα μήλο=He gives me an apple, Δίνει ένα μήλο σε εμένα= He gives an apple to me.
Now, when using the accusative for a direct object, you use the weak form before the verb. Το δίνει= He gives it. Δίνει αυτό is a really weird thing to say unless you say το δίνει αυτό = he gives THIS (not it). A sentence compiling all the above is Μας το δίνει= he give it to us.

[spdl79]

Thank you so much for the detailed answer! I did actually know the nom/gen/acc pronouns before starting the course, but not really how to use them properly. When I came across this question, I did wonder why an article was being used, but I get it now, ie, it's accusative neuter 'it'. Thanks again!

[jaye16]

Personal pronouns are declined too and have a genitive and accusative form.

They are as follows:

Singular Nominative: εγώ, εσύ, αυτός, αυτή, αυτό

Genitive: εμένα (μου), εσένα (σου), αυτού (του), αυτής (της), αυτού (του)

Accusative: εμένα (με),εσένα (σε), αυτόν (τον), αυτήν (την), αυτό (το)

Plural:
Nominative: εμείς, εσείς, αυτοί, αυτές, αυτά

Genitive: εμάς (μας), εσάς (σας), αυτών (τους), αυτών (τους), αυτών (τους)

Accusative: εμάς (μας), εσάς (σας), αυτούς (τους), αυτές (τις), αυτα (τα)

The forms outside parenthesis are the strong or independent forms, those in the parenthesis the weak or dependent. (!) Don't confuse those with the articles, they are different things.

The nominative is used when it is the SUBJECT of the sentence.

The genitive is used when it is the INDIRECT OBJECT:

For indirect objects, you can use the weak genitive form before the verb or σε+Strong accusative form after the verb.

But this is the difference: Μου δίνει ένα μήλο=He gives me an apple, Δίνει ένα μήλο σε εμένα= He gives an apple to me.

The ACCUSATIVE when it is the DIRECT OBJECT
When using the accusative for a direct object, you use the weak form before the verb.

Το δίνει= He gives it. Δίνει αυτό is a really weird way of saying it unless you say το δίνει αυτό = he gives THIS (not it).
A sentence containing all the above is Μας το δίνει= he gives it to us.

[Daimon-Dave]

¡¡¡Thankyou so much for the text-formatting, Jaye, to Troll for the original answer, and to spdl for the pertinent question!!!

(This kind of commet is worth its own tips and notes with its own set of illustrations as the english-french course)

[Vero_France]

Thanks

[Rob183829]

In Greek is there a subtle difference in meaning/emphasis between using the σε+strong or weak forms in a phrase. E.g. Is one more informal or used more in written Greek, would it be considered pedantic to use one or the other, etc.?

[troll1995]

Σε+strong forms are more emphatic, there is no other difference.

[UpDownStrange]

Ευχαριστώ! This is really helpful. I'm commenting so I don't lose it.

[Rodrigo188394]

Thanks for the guidance !