Όπου κι αν γίνει η άσκηση σεισμού, καλυπτόμαστε.

It means wherever or no matter where.

This is a very common Greek pattern:

• όπου = where
• κι αν = adds the idea of no matter / whichever happens to be

So Όπου κι αν γίνει... means wherever it takes place... or no matter where it happens....

Because όπου by itself just means where or wherever depending on context, but όπου κι αν clearly creates an indefinite / concessive meaning: wherever, no matter where.

This pattern is very common in Greek:

• όπου κι αν = wherever
• όποιος κι αν = whoever
• ό,τι κι αν = whatever
• όταν κι αν = whenever

The κι is a reduced form of και, so you may also see όπου και αν. In everyday language, κι αν is very natural.

Because after όπου κι αν, Greek normally uses the subjunctive, not the indicative.

So:

• γίνεται = it happens / it is happening
• γίνει = it happen / it should happen / it may happen, depending on context

Here γίνει is the aorist subjunctive of γίνομαι.

In this sentence, the idea is not where the drill is happening right now, but wherever the drill happens / may take place. That is exactly the kind of meaning Greek expresses with όπου κι αν + subjunctive.

Greek aspect is important here.

• γίνεται is present aspect: ongoing, repeated, or general
• γίνει is aorist aspect: a single event seen as a whole

So Όπου κι αν γίνει η άσκηση σεισμού... treats the drill as a single event: wherever the earthquake drill takes place.

If you used γίνεται, it would sound more like an ongoing or habitual situation, and it would not fit the standard όπου κι αν + subjunctive pattern.

Literally, it is the exercise/drill of earthquake.

More naturally in English, that becomes the earthquake drill.

Breakdown:

• η άσκηση = the exercise / drill
• σεισμού = of earthquake

The noun σεισμού is in the genitive, and it tells you what kind of drill it is.

This kind of structure is very common in Greek:

• άσκηση πυρκαγιάς = fire drill
• άσκηση εκκένωσης = evacuation drill
• άσκηση σεισμού = earthquake drill

Because Greek often uses the genitive to specify the type or category of something.

So άσκηση σεισμού is literally drill of earthquake, just as English says earthquake drill.

The genitive here works a bit like a classifier:

• φως ημέρας = daylight
• ζώνη ασφαλείας = seat belt / safety belt
• άσκηση σεισμού = earthquake drill

English often uses noun + noun, but Greek frequently uses noun + genitive instead.

Literally, καλυπτόμαστε means we are covered or we cover ourselves.

But in the context of an earthquake drill, it means we take cover.

That is the natural emergency-procedure meaning here.

Grammatically, it is the 1st person plural present middle/passive form of καλύπτω / καλύπτομαι.

So in context:

• καλυπτόμαστε = we take cover

This is one of those cases where the literal form and the practical meaning are slightly different.

Greek often uses the present to describe what people do in a general procedure or routine.

So the sentence is basically saying:

Wherever the earthquake drill takes place, we take cover.

The present tense here sounds like:

• a regular rule
• a standard response
• an instruction or habitual action

It is not necessarily only about what is happening right now.

It can feel like a general rule or a procedure, with a future-oriented condition built into the first part.

More precisely:

• Όπου κι αν γίνει η άσκηση σεισμού = whenever / wherever the drill happens
• καλυπτόμαστε = we take cover

So the full sense is something like:

• Whenever and wherever the earthquake drill is held, we take cover.
• No matter where the earthquake drill takes place, we take cover.

Greek often mixes a subjunctive clause like this with a present-tense main verb when describing standard behavior.

Because Greek is a pro-drop language, meaning the verb ending usually already shows the subject.

In καλυπτόμαστε, the ending -μαστε tells you it means we.

So Greek does not need εμείς unless you want emphasis or contrast.

For example:

• καλυπτόμαστε = we take cover
• εμείς καλυπτόμαστε = we take cover / we, for our part, take cover

The version without εμείς is the normal unmarked one.

Because Greek allows fairly flexible word order, and putting the Όπου κι αν... clause first is very natural.

It sets up the condition or circumstance before the main action:

• Όπου κι αν γίνει η άσκηση σεισμού, καλυπτόμαστε.

This is similar to English:

• Wherever the earthquake drill takes place, we take cover.

You could sometimes rearrange Greek clauses, but this order is the most natural here because it introduces the situation first and then gives the response.

The comma separates the subordinate clause from the main clause.

So:

• Όπου κι αν γίνει η άσκηση σεισμού = subordinate clause
• καλυπτόμαστε = main clause

Greek punctuation often uses a comma in this kind of sentence, especially when the dependent clause comes first.

Yes. Both are possible.

• κι = shortened form of και
• και = full form

So these are equivalent:

• Όπου κι αν γίνει...
• Όπου και αν γίνει...

The version with κι is extremely common and sounds very natural in everyday Greek.

It can mean both, depending on context.

Common meanings of άσκηση include:

• exercise
• practice
• training exercise
• drill

In the phrase άσκηση σεισμού, the best English translation is usually earthquake drill, not just earthquake exercise, because that is the natural term in English.

So context determines the most idiomatic translation.

Yes, in another context it could.

For example, outside emergency language, καλυπτόμαστε might mean:

• we are covered
• we are protected
• our needs are met
• we are legally/financially covered

But with άσκηση σεισμού, the emergency context makes we take cover the intended meaning.

So vocabulary in Greek, just like in English, often depends heavily on context.