Breakdown of Μάλλον δεν έχω χρόνο αυτή την εβδομάδα.
Questions & Answers about Μάλλον δεν έχω χρόνο αυτή την εβδομάδα.
Μάλλον means “probably/most likely.” It suggests you think something is more likely than not.
- Stronger than ίσως (“maybe/perhaps”), which is more neutral/uncertain.
- Similar to μπορεί να (“it may/might”), which is also weaker than μάλλον in many contexts.
Examples:
- Μάλλον θα αργήσω. = I’ll probably be late. (fairly strong)
- Ίσως να αργήσω. = I might be late. (weaker)
- Μπορεί να αργήσω. = I may be late. (weaker)
Most natural: put it at the beginning or right before the verb phrase.
- Most common: Μάλλον δεν έχω χρόνο.
- Also okay: Μάλλον αυτή την εβδομάδα δεν έχω χρόνο.
- Acceptable but different emphasis: Δεν έχω μάλλον χρόνο (focus swings toward “time”).
- Avoid: Δεν μάλλον έχω χρόνο (ungrammatical).
Greek has two main negative particles:
- δεν for the indicative (normal statements/questions): Δεν έχω χρόνο.
- μην with the subjunctive/imperatives/after να, ας: Ίσως να μην έχω χρόνο, Να μην αργήσεις.
In your sentence we’re making a straightforward statement, so we use δεν.
Both are fine:
- Μάλλον δεν έχω χρόνο αυτή την εβδομάδα. = A present-state statement that effectively refers to this week’s schedule; very idiomatic.
- Μάλλον δεν θα έχω χρόνο αυτή την εβδομάδα. = Slightly more “future-looking” or predictive. The difference is subtle; both are natural.
When you mean “time” in a general, non-specific, uncountable sense, Greek often uses a bare noun: (δεν) έχω χρόνο = (don’t) have time.
- Έχω χρόνο; = Do I have time (in general)?
- Έχω τον χρόνο; = Do I have the (specific/allocated) time? If you want to make it emphatically zero: Δεν έχω καθόλου χρόνο. (“I have no time at all.”)
- εβδομάδα is feminine; here it’s in the accusative because time expressions commonly use the accusative.
- The article agrees: την.
- The demonstrative agrees: αυτή (ν) (feminine accusative singular). So: αυτή την εβδομάδα = “this week.”
No preposition is needed. Time expressions like this commonly use the bare accusative:
- αυτή την εβδομάδα = this week. Using σε here sounds odd unless you mean something like “within” in a more formal phrase (e.g., μέσα σε αυτήν την εβδομάδα, “within this week”), which is a different nuance.
Yes. Word order is flexible for emphasis:
- Αυτή την εβδομάδα μάλλον δεν έχω χρόνο. (focus on “this week”)
- Μάλλον αυτή την εβδομάδα δεν έχω χρόνο. (focus slightly shifts)
- Δεν έχω χρόνο αυτή την εβδομάδα. (neutral placement at the end)
IPA: [ˈmalon ðen ˈeho ˈxɾono afˈti tin evðoˈmaða]
Tips:
- μ
- ά
- λλ
- ο
- ν: μάλλον = [ˈmalon] (double λ is just a single [l] sound).
- ο
- λλ
- ά
- δεν = [ðen] (like “th” in “this”).
- έχω = [ˈeho] (χ like German “Bach,” not English “ch”).
- χρόνο = [ˈxɾono] (tapped ρ).
- αυτή before a voiceless consonant (τ) sounds [afˈti].
- εβδομάδα = [evðoˈmaða] (ευ = ev before voiced β; δ = [ð]).
Greek is pro‑drop: the verb ending shows the subject, so (εγώ) έχω → “I have.” You add Εγώ only for emphasis or contrast:
- Εγώ μάλλον δεν έχω χρόνο αυτή την εβδομάδα, (but someone else might).
Yes, βδομάδα is a very common colloquial variant of εβδομάδα. Same meaning (“week”); εβδομάδα looks a bit more formal. Both are widely understood:
- αυτή τη βδομάδα (colloquial)
- αυτή την εβδομάδα (neutral/formal)
- χρόνος = “time” in general (also “year” in some contexts with numbers, e.g., για έναν χρόνο = “for one year”).
- ώρα = “hour” or “clock time.” So Δεν έχω χρόνο = I don’t have time (generally), not “I don’t have an hour.”
Use intensifiers:
- Δεν έχω καθόλου χρόνο αυτή την εβδομάδα. = I have no time at all this week.
- Δεν έχω ούτε λεπτό. = I don’t have even a minute. (very emphatic)
Yes:
- Μάλλον όχι (αυτή την εβδομάδα).
- For “probably yes”: Μάλλον ναι.
Yes, very natural:
- Μάλλον δεν προλαβαίνω αυτή την εβδομάδα. = I probably won’t manage / won’t make it (timewise) this week. It focuses on not being able to fit something in, rather than the general absence of time.