Breakdown of Μόλις άνοιξα το φως γιατί ήταν σκοτάδι στο δωμάτιο.
είμαι
to be
γιατί
because
το δωμάτιο
the room
σε
in
Questions & Answers about Μόλις άνοιξα το φως γιατί ήταν σκοτάδι στο δωμάτιο.
What does μόλις mean here—“just now” or “as soon as”?
In this sentence, μόλις means “just (now), a moment ago.”
- “I just turned on the light because it was dark in the room.”
It can also mean “as soon as,” but then we usually expect a second event to follow: - Μόλις άνοιξα το φως, είδα τι είχε γίνει. = “As soon as I turned on the light, I saw what had happened.”
To make the “just now” meaning explicit, you can say μόλις τώρα: Μόλις τώρα άνοιξα το φως.
Why is άνοιξα (aorist) used instead of άνοιγα (imperfect) or έχω ανοίξει (perfect)?
- άνοιξα = completed, one-off action in the past (perfective aspect).
- άνοιγα = was opening/used to open (ongoing or habitual past) — not appropriate here.
- έχω ανοίξει = “I have opened” (result now relevant). With μόλις, Greek prefers the aorist: Μόλις άνοιξα…, not “Μόλις έχω ανοίξει…”.
Is άνοιξα το φως correct, or should it be άναψα το φως?
Both are common and correct.
- άναψα το φως (from ανάβω) is the specific verb for turning on a light.
- άνοιξα το φως (from ανοίγω) is very common in everyday speech and means “switched on.”
For devices in general, ανοίγω/κλείνω; for lights specifically, ανάβω/σβήνω.
Does Greek really say “open the light”?