Learn Hardcore Greek: Μήπως ξέρεις αν το πανεπιστήμιο είναι δεξιά ή αριστερά; - Do you by any chance know if the university is to the right or to the left?

It softens the question and makes it more polite/tentative, like English “by any chance” or “do you happen to…”. Without it, the question is more direct. So:

Μήπως ξέρεις… ≈ “Do you happen to know…?”
Ξέρεις… = “Do you know…?”

Can I omit μήπως or move it?

Yes. Ξέρεις αν… is perfectly fine (more direct). You can also say Μήπως ξέρεις… or Ξέρεις μήπως…. Placing μήπως at the start is the most common/neutral way to soften the question.

How do I make this polite/formal when talking to a stranger?

Use the 2nd person plural for politeness: Μήπως ξέρετε αν…. You can also add a softener like Συγγνώμη, or Με συγχωρείτε, at the beginning:

Συγγνώμη, μήπως ξέρετε αν το πανεπιστήμιο είναι δεξιά ή αριστερά;

Why ξέρεις and not γνωρίζεις?

Both mean “to know,” but ξέρω is the everyday default. Γνωρίζω is more formal/elevated. Asking for directions, ξέρεις/ξέρετε sounds most natural; γνωρίζετε can sound a bit bookish but is not wrong.

What does αν mean here? Could I use εάν?

Αν means “if/whether” and introduces an indirect yes/no question (know whether it’s right or left). Εάν is a more formal variant; in speech, αν is far more common. Both work here.

Could I use πού instead of αν?

Only if you restructure the sentence to a “where” question:

Ξέρεις πού είναι το πανεπιστήμιο; Δεξιά ή αριστερά; You can’t keep the same structure with πού plus the “or” alternatives in the same clause.

Why is ή (or) accented?

The conjunction ή (or) takes an accent to distinguish it from η, the feminine article (“the”). This is one of the few one‑syllable words that keeps an accent. A related pair you’ll see often is πού (where?) vs που (that/which).

Why is there no preposition before δεξιά/αριστερά?

Δεξιά and αριστερά function as adverbs here, meaning “to the right/left,” so no preposition is required. If you want to be more explicitly locative or directional, you can say:

στα δεξιά / στα αριστερά = on the right/left (location)
προς τα δεξιά / προς τα αριστερά = toward the right/left (direction)

Are δεξιά and αριστερά adjectives or adverbs?

In this sentence they’re adverbs. As adjectives, they agree with a noun: δεξιός/δεξιά/δεξί (e.g., η δεξιά πλευρά “the right side”). As standalone answers to “where?”, they act as adverbs: δεξιά, αριστερά.

Why do we say το πανεπιστήμιο with the article?

Greek typically uses the definite article with specific, known entities. Here you mean a particular university (the one you’re trying to find), so το πανεπιστήμιο is natural. Omitting the article would sound generic/indefinite.

Is το πανεπιστήμιο nominative or accusative here?

Nominative. It’s the subject of είναι. Note that the neuter article το looks the same in nominative and accusative singular, which can be confusing at first.

Can I change the word order?

Yes. Greek allows some flexibility. You can say:

Μήπως ξέρεις αν το πανεπιστήμιο είναι δεξιά ή αριστερά; (original)
Μήπως ξέρεις αν είναι δεξιά ή αριστερά το πανεπιστήμιο; Both are acceptable; differences are minor and relate to emphasis/information flow.

Could I just ask directly without ξέρεις?

Absolutely: Είναι το πανεπιστήμιο δεξιά ή αριστερά; That’s a straightforward direct question. The original wraps it as an indirect question for extra politeness.

Can I replace είναι with something else like βρίσκεται or πέφτει?

Yes:

βρίσκεται = “is located” (a bit more formal/literary)
πέφτει = colloquial “lies/is (located)” Examples: Μήπως ξέρετε αν το πανεπιστήμιο βρίσκεται στα δεξιά ή στα αριστερά; / …αν το πανεπιστήμιο πέφτει δεξιά ή αριστερά;

Should there be a comma before αν?

No. In Greek you normally do not put a comma before complement clauses with αν in this kind of sentence: Μήπως ξέρεις αν… (no comma).

Why does the sentence end with a ? and not the Greek question mark ;?

Standard Greek uses a semicolon‑shaped mark (;) as the question mark. In digital/online writing, you’ll often see the Latin ? used instead. Typographically, ; is the correct Greek question mark; ? is common but non‑standard.

How do I pronounce the tricky bits?

Μήπως: MEE‑pos (stress on the first syllable)
ξέρεις: KSEH‑rees (ξ = “ks”)
το πανεπιστήμιο: pa‑ne‑pee‑STEE‑mee‑o (stress on the “‑στή‑” syllable)
δεξιά: thek‑see‑A (δ = voiced “th” as in “this”)
αριστερά: a‑ree‑ste‑RA (stress on the last syllable)

Is εάν only conditional (“if”) or also “whether”?

Like αν, εάν can mean both “if” (conditional) and “whether” (in indirect questions). In everyday speech, αν is preferred; εάν feels formal.