Μερικές φορές παίζουμε παιχνίδια που δεν είναι ακριβά.

Sometimes we play games that are not expensive.

Breakdown of Μερικές φορές παίζουμε παιχνίδια που δεν είναι ακριβά.

• είμαι: to be
• δεν: not
• που: that
• ακριβός: expensive
• μερικές φορές: sometimes
• παίζω: to play
• το παιχνίδι: the game

Questions & Answers about Μερικές φορές παίζουμε παιχνίδια που δεν είναι ακριβά.

What does the phrase Μερικές φορές literally mean, and are there other common ways to say “sometimes”?

Literally it’s “some times” (feminine plural). Common synonyms:

• κάποιες φορές (neutral)
• πότε-πότε (now and then, a bit colloquial)
• καμιά φορά (sometimes; also “ever” in negatives)
• κάθε τόσο, αραιά και πού (every so often, rather infrequent)

Where can Μερικές φορές go in the sentence? Is the word order flexible?

Yes, it’s flexible:

• Μερικές φορές παίζουμε παιχνίδια… (neutral)
• Παίζουμε μερικές φορές παιχνίδια… (slight emphasis on the activity)
• Παίζουμε παιχνίδια μερικές φορές… (emphasis most on the object, then frequency)

Should there be a comma after Μερικές φορές?

Not necessary. Greek usually avoids a comma after short fronted adverbials. You may see it with longer introductory phrases, but here it’s typically omitted.

Why is παίζουμε used without the pronoun εμείς?

Greek is a pro‑drop language. The ending -ουμε already shows “we.” You add Εμείς only for emphasis or contrast, e.g. Εμείς παίζουμε… (“We, as opposed to others, play…”).

Does παίζουμε mean “we play” or “we are playing”?

Both. The Greek present covers simple and progressive aspects. Context decides whether it’s a habitual action or something happening now.

Why is there no article before παιχνίδια?

Plural indefinites in Greek normally take no article. If you want “some games” as a specific subset, you can say μερικά παιχνίδια or κάποια παιχνίδια.

What are the gender and case of παιχνίδια here?

Neuter plural, accusative (direct object). Note that in Greek the neuter plural nominative and accusative look the same. Singular is το παιχνίδι; plural τα παιχνίδια.

How do you pronounce the tricky words like παίζουμε and παιχνίδια?

• παίζουμε ≈ [PEH-zu-me] (αι → “e”, ου → “u”)
• παιχνίδια ≈ [peh-HNEE-thya] (χ before front vowels is a soft “h,” δ = “th” in “this,” -ια ≈ “ya”) A full rough reading: Merikés forés pézoume pechnídia pu den íne akrivá.

What does που do here? Could I use ο οποίος instead?

που introduces a relative clause (“that/which”). It’s the everyday choice. More formal is ο οποίος/η οποία/το οποίο (here: τα οποία): παιχνίδια τα οποία δεν είναι ακριβά.

Do we need a comma before που?

No. In restrictive relative clauses (the usual case with που), there is no comma. A comma may appear in parenthetical/non‑restrictive comments, which this is not.

Why is it δεν είναι and not something with first person like είμαστε?

The subject of the relative clause is παιχνίδια (“games”), so it’s third person: είναι. Note that είναι is used for both 3rd singular and plural; agreement also shows in ακριβά (neuter plural).

Why is ακριβά plural neuter? Could it be ακριβό?

It agrees with παιχνίδια (neuter plural). ακριβά is the predicate adjective in neuter plural. ακριβό would be neuter singular and would not match.

Isn’t ακριβά also an adverb (“expensively”)? How do we know it’s an adjective here?

Yes, many adjectives form adverbs in -ά. Here, after είναι, it’s a predicate adjective that must agree with the subject (παιχνίδια). Adverbs normally modify verbs, not link verbs like “to be.”

Could I say που είναι φθηνά/φτηνά instead of που δεν είναι ακριβά?

Yes. φθηνά and φτηνά are both correct spellings (“cheap”). Nuance: “not expensive” can feel more neutral/polite than “cheap,” depending on context.

Why δεν and not μην?

δεν negates the indicative (here είναι). μην is used with the subjunctive/imperatives, e.g. να μην είναι (“so that it may not be”).

Can δεν become δε?

In informal writing/speech, you may see δε and the final -ν drop before many consonants. Standard and safest in writing is δεν, especially before vowels: δεν είναι.

Is παίζουμε παιχνίδια που δεν κοστίζουν πολύ also natural?

Yes, very natural. It literally says “games that don’t cost much,” avoiding the negative of “expensive.”

What’s the difference between Μερικές φορές παίζουμε παιχνίδια… and Παίζουμε μερικά παιχνίδια…?

• Μερικές φορές… = frequency (“Sometimes we play…”).
• μερικά παιχνίδια = quantity (“We play some games…”). Different meaning and grammar: μερικές agrees with φορές (fem. plural), while μερικά agrees with παιχνίδια (neuter plural).

Is the spelling παιγνίδια acceptable?

It exists (older/formal), but modern standard prefers παιχνίδια. You may still encounter παιγνίδι/παιγνίδια in formal or older texts.