Ο μπαμπάς μου δεν τρώει ποτέ πρωινό.

My dad never eats breakfast.

Breakdown of Ο μπαμπάς μου δεν τρώει ποτέ πρωινό.

• τρώω: to eat
• δεν: not
• μου: my
• ο μπαμπάς: the dad
• ποτέ: never
• το πρωινό: the breakfast

Questions & Answers about Ο μπαμπάς μου δεν τρώει ποτέ πρωινό.

Why is there a definite article Ο before μπαμπάς even though English doesn’t use “the” in “my dad”?

Greek normally uses the definite article with possessive pronouns: ο/η/το + noun + μου/σου/του…. So ο μπαμπάς μου literally “the dad my” = “my dad.” Omitting the article with a possessive is usually incorrect, except in vocative or a few fixed expressions.

Why does μου come after the noun instead of before like English “my”?

Possessive pronouns such as μου are weak enclitics that follow the noun. The usual pattern is article + noun + possessive: ο μπαμπάς μου, η μητέρα μου, το σπίτι μου. For emphasis you can use the “own” construction: ο δικός μου μπαμπάς (“my own dad”).

What’s the difference between μπαμπάς and πατέρας?

μπαμπάς = dad (informal, affectionate).
πατέρας = father (neutral/formal).
When you address your dad, you use the vocative Μπαμπά!; for father, Πατέρα!.

Why is there no article before πρωινό?

Meals used in a general sense typically appear without an article: τρώω πρωινό, τρώμε μεσημεριανό. Add the article when you mean a specific meal: Δεν τρώει το πρωινό του = he isn’t eating his breakfast.

Is πρωινό the same as πρωί?

No. πρωινό (neuter noun) = breakfast. πρωί (adverb/noun) = morning. You could say both if relevant: Δεν τρώει πρωινό το πρωί, but it’s usually redundant.

Is δεν … ποτέ a double negative?

It’s normal “negative concord” in Greek: δεν + ποτέ together mean “never.” Without δεν, ποτέ means “ever” in questions/conditions: Τρώει ποτέ πρωινό; = Does he ever eat breakfast?

Where can ποτέ go in the sentence?

Default is after the verb: δεν τρώει ποτέ. For emphasis you can front it: Ποτέ δεν τρώει πρωινό or place it before the verb: Ο μπαμπάς μου ποτέ δεν τρώει πρωινό. All are grammatical; fronting adds emphasis to “never.”

Why is it δεν and not μην?

Use δεν for ordinary (indicative) negation: δεν τρώει. Use μη(ν) with the subjunctive/imperative or after να/ας: να μην τρώει, μην τρως!

What tense/aspect is τρώει here?

Present, imperfective aspect. It can mean both “he eats” and “he is eating.” With ποτέ, it clearly expresses a habitual fact: he never eats breakfast.

How do I pronounce τρώει?

Like “TRO-ee,” two syllables. IPA: [ˈtro.i]. The ει is pronounced [i]. The stress is on τρώ- (the omega with the accent).

Is τρώει irregular? How do you conjugate τρώω in the present?

Present of τρώω:

• εγώ τρώω
• εσύ τρως
• αυτός/αυτή/αυτό τρώει
• εμείς τρώμε
• εσείς τρώτε
• αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά τρώνε (or τρών/τρώνε)

What are the cases and parts of speech in the sentence?

• Ο: definite article, nominative masculine singular
• μπαμπάς: noun, nominative masculine singular (subject)
• μου: weak possessive pronoun, genitive singular (enclitic)
• δεν: negative particle
• τρώει: verb, 3rd person singular present of τρώω
• ποτέ: adverb (never)
• πρωινό: noun, accusative neuter singular (object)

Do I need to add an extra accent because μου follows μπαμπάς?

No. Extra accenting happens when a proparoxytone (stress on the antepenultimate) is followed by an enclitic: ο άνθρωπός μου. Since μπαμπάς is oxytone (stress on the last), it stays μπαμπάς μου with no extra accent.

Can I use καθόλου instead of ποτέ?

Δεν τρώει καθόλου πρωινό means “He doesn’t eat any breakfast (at all)”—it negates quantity/degree. Δεν τρώει ποτέ πρωινό negates frequency (“never”). They can overlap in meaning, but ποτέ is the precise way to say “never.”

Any pronunciation tips for μπ and δ here?

• μπ at the start of a word is ≈ ba-BAHS.
• δ is [ð], like the th in “this”: δεν ≈ THEN (with a short e).
  Also, οι in πρωινό is ≈ pro-ee-NO (IPA [pro.iˈno]).

Is the word order fixed, or can I say Ποτέ ο μπαμπάς μου δεν τρώει πρωινό?

Greek word order is flexible. Variants like Ποτέ δεν τρώει ο μπαμπάς μου πρωινό or Ο μπαμπάς μου ποτέ δεν τρώει πρωινό are fine and adjust emphasis, not basic meaning.

How would I ask “Does your dad ever eat breakfast?” using ποτέ?

Use ποτέ without δεν in questions: Τρώει ποτέ πρωινό ο μπαμπάς σου; or Ο μπαμπάς σου τρώει ποτέ πρωινό;

How do I say “My dad never ate breakfast” in the past?

• Habitual/ongoing in the past (imperfect): Ο μπαμπάς μου δεν έτρωγε ποτέ πρωινό.
• Not even once within a time frame (aorist): Ο μπαμπάς μου δεν έφαγε ποτέ πρωινό. (context-dependent)