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Ίσως δεν έχω δουλειά το μεσημέρι.

Ίσως δεν έχω δουλειά το μεσημέρι.
Maybe I don't have work at noon.

Breakdown of Ίσως δεν έχω δουλειά το μεσημέρι.

η δουλειά
the work
έχω
to have
δεν
not
το μεσημέρι
at noon
ίσως
maybe
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Questions & Answers about Ίσως δεν έχω δουλειά το μεσημέρι.

What role does the word Ίσως play here, and how does it compare to μπορεί or μάλλον?
  • Ίσως means "maybe/perhaps" and expresses possibility without commitment.
  • Μπορεί (να) literally "it may (be that)" is very common and about the same strength as ίσως: Μπορεί να μην έχω δουλειά το μεσημέρι.
  • Μάλλον means "probably," so it’s stronger: Μάλλον δεν έχω δουλειά το μεσημέρι = "I probably don’t have work at noon."
Why is the negation δεν used and not μην?
  • Use δεν with the indicative (a plain verb without να/θα): δεν έχω.
  • Use μην with the subjunctive (after να, and with negatives in imperatives/wishes): να μην έχω.
  • In the given sentence there’s no να, so δεν is correct.
Is Ίσως να μην έχω δουλειά το μεσημέρι also correct? Any nuance difference?
  • Yes, it’s very natural: Ίσως να μην έχω δουλειά το μεσημέρι.
  • With να, the verb is subjunctive and you switch the negation to μην.
  • Nuance: many speakers find ίσως + να slightly more colloquial/flowing in speech; ίσως + indicative (as in the original) can feel a bit more formal or neutral. Both are fine.
Can I say Ίσως δεν θα έχω δουλειά το μεσημέρι?
  • It’s generally avoided in standard Greek. Combining ίσως with θα sounds awkward/redundant.
  • Prefer: Ίσως να μην έχω… or Μπορεί να μην έχω…
Why is the article το used in το μεσημέρι?
  • Times of day usually take the definite article: το πρωί, το μεσημέρι, το απόγευμα, το βράδυ, τη νύχτα.
  • Leaving it out (e.g., …μεσημέρι) is unidiomatic in this adverbial use.
Can I move words around? For example, put the time first?
  • Yes. Greek allows flexible word order for emphasis:
    • Ίσως δεν έχω δουλειά το μεσημέρι. (neutral)
    • Το μεσημέρι ίσως δεν έχω δουλειά. (emphasis on the time frame)
    • Ίσως το μεσημέρι να μην έχω δουλειά. (focus on “at noon” with the να-form)
  • Keep δεν/μην immediately before the verb or the verb phrase.
Does έχω δουλειά mean “I have a job” or “I have work to do”?
  • Έχω δουλειά most often means “I have (some) work to do / I’m busy.”
  • It can also mean “I have a job (am employed)” in the right context, but that meaning is less likely when you add a time like το μεσημέρι.
  • If you want to be unambiguous about employment at a time, prefer the verb δουλεύω: see next question.
If I mean “I might not be working (on shift) at noon,” is it better to use δουλεύω?
  • Yes:
    • Single event/decision (aorist subjunctive): Ίσως να μη δουλέψω το μεσημέρι.
    • Ongoing/progressive or habitual: Ίσως να μην δουλεύω το μεσημέρι.
  • Use aorist for one-off plans; present for ongoing state at that time or regular schedule.
How do I say “I might not have to work at noon”?
  • One-off: Ίσως δεν χρειαστεί να δουλέψω το μεσημέρι.
  • General/habitual: Μπορεί να μην χρειάζεται να δουλεύω το μεσημέρι.
Do I need a comma after Ίσως?
  • No. Ίσως is a sentence adverb and normally takes no comma: Ίσως δεν έχω…
How do I pronounce the sentence?
  • IPA: [ˈisos ðen ˈe.xo ðuliˈa to mesiˈmeri]
  • Tips:
    • δ = th in “this” ([ð]).
    • χ in έχω is like German “Bach” (), not English “h.”
    • ου = “oo” in “food.”
    • λιά in δουλειά sounds like “lya” ([ʎa]/[lja] regionally).
    • Main stresses: Ί-σως, έ-χω, δου-λει-ά, με-σι-μέ-ρι.
I often see δουλειά vs δουλεία. Which is which?
  • δουλειά = work (stress on the last syllable): [ðuliˈa].
  • δουλεία = slavery/servitude (stress earlier): [ðuˈlia].
  • Different stress, different meaning—don’t mix them up.
Could I say στο μεσημέρι instead of το μεσημέρι?
  • No. Use bare article for times of day: το μεσημέρι.
  • Use στις with clock times: στις δώδεκα (“at twelve”).
  • You can add σήμερα for clarity: σήμερα το μεσημέρι (“today at noon”).
Does το μεσημέρι mean exactly 12:00?
  • Not strictly. It covers “midday/lunchtime,” roughly 12:00–15:00 in everyday Greek usage.
Can I drop the final -ν and write δε έχω here?
  • Before a vowel (like έ in έχω), standard writing keeps the -ν: δεν έχω.
  • You may hear δε in fast speech before many consonants, but for this sentence the written form is δεν.
Can I say Δεν ίσως έχω δουλειά?
  • No. Ίσως normally comes before the verb phrase or at the start of the clause: Ίσως δεν έχω…, not Δεν ίσως….