Η μαζική ωρίμανση συνεχίζεται ώσπου να αρχίσει το φούσκωμα.

It has two parts:

• Η μαζική ωρίμανση συνεχίζεται = the main clause
• ώσπου να αρχίσει το φούσκωμα = a subordinate clause meaning until the swelling begins

So the sentence is built as:

[something continues] + [until something else begins]

Η is the feminine singular definite article, meaning the.

Greek uses the definite article more often than English does. With nouns like ωρίμανση (ripening, maturation), Greek often includes the article where English may or may not.

Here η μαζική ωρίμανση is the full noun phrase and acts as the subject of the sentence.

Because μαζική has to agree with ωρίμανση.

ωρίμανση is:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative

So the adjective must also be:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative

That gives μαζική.

This is normal Greek adjective agreement.

Ωρίμανση is a feminine noun meaning ripening or maturation.

It belongs to a very common noun pattern in -ση, and nouns of this type are often abstract nouns or process nouns.

So η ωρίμανση means the ripening / the maturation.

Συνεχίζεται is:

• 3rd person singular
• present tense
• mediopassive form

Here it means continues or is continuing.

The subject is η μαζική ωρίμανση, which is singular, so the verb is also singular.

This is a very common learner question.

In Greek, the active and mediopassive forms can differ in meaning:

• συνεχίζω κάτι = I continue something
• κάτι συνεχίζεται = something continues / goes on

So in this sentence, η μαζική ωρίμανση is not continuing something else. It is itself the process that continues. That is why συνεχίζεται is natural here.

Ώσπου να means until.

It introduces a clause about a later event that marks the endpoint of the main action.

So:

• συνεχίζεται = continues
• ώσπου να αρχίσει... = until ... begins

You can think of ώσπου να as a trigger for the subjunctive clause that follows.

Because in Modern Greek, after expressions like ώσπου, μέχρι, and similar words meaning until, Greek often uses να before the verb.

This creates a subjunctive-type construction:

• ώσπου να αρχίσει
• μέχρι να τελειώσει
• ώσπου να έρθει

So να is not translated directly word-for-word into English here, but it is an important part of Greek grammar.

Αρχίσει is the 3rd person singular aorist subjunctive form of αρχίζω (to begin), used here after να.

So:

• dictionary form: αρχίζω
• here: να αρχίσει = to begin / begins in a subjunctive environment

Because the subject is το φούσκωμα (the swelling), the verb is 3rd person singular.

Because Greek is focusing on the single starting point of the event.

• να αρχίσει uses the aorist stem and presents the beginning as one whole event: until it begins
• να αρχίζει would use the present stem and would sound more like an ongoing or repeated process

After until, Greek very often uses the aorist subjunctive when the meaning is up to the point when X happens.

So ώσπου να αρχίσει το φούσκωμα is the natural choice for until the swelling begins.

Φούσκωμα is a neuter noun meaning swelling.

It is formed from the verb φουσκώνω (to swell, to puff up) and has the common noun ending -μα, which often creates result nouns or process nouns.

So:

• φουσκώνω = I swell / puff up
• το φούσκωμα = the swelling

Because φούσκωμα is a neuter singular noun.

So it takes the neuter singular article το.

Also, in this clause, το φούσκωμα is the subject of αρχίσει, so it appears in the nominative.

Greek often uses the definite article with process nouns, abstract nouns, and known stages or phenomena more readily than English does.

Here το φούσκωμα refers to a specific, understood stage in a process, so the article sounds natural.

English is often freer to say just swelling, but Greek commonly says το φούσκωμα.

Yes, in many contexts they are very close.

So you could also say:

Η μαζική ωρίμανση συνεχίζεται μέχρι να αρχίσει το φούσκωμα.

That would mean essentially the same thing.

In practice:

• μέχρι να is very common in everyday speech
• ώσπου να is also common, and can sound slightly more literary or stylistically different depending on context

No, Greek word order is fairly flexible, although the given order is neutral and natural.

This sentence sounds straightforward:

Η μαζική ωρίμανση συνεχίζεται ώσπου να αρχίσει το φούσκωμα.

A different order is possible, but it may sound more marked or stylistically different. Greek often keeps this kind of order when simply presenting information clearly.

The stress is:

• μαζική → ma-zi-KI
• ωρίμανση → o-RI-man-si
• συνεχίζεται → si-ne-chi-ZE-te
• ώσπου → OS-pou
• αρχίσει → ar-HI-si
• φούσκωμα → FOUS-ko-ma

Pay special attention to αρχίσει and φούσκωμα, because learners often misplace the stress in those.