Learn Hardcore Greek: Αύριο θα πάμε σινεμά αν δεν δουλεύεις. - Tomorrow we will go to the cinema if you are not working.

πάμε = we go / we will go
- The ending -με tells you the subject is “we”.
δουλεύεις = you work / you are working
- The ending -εις tells you the subject is “you” (singular, informal).

You can add pronouns for emphasis:

Εμείς θα πάμε σινεμά. = We will go to the cinema (as opposed to someone else).
…αν εσύ δεν δουλεύεις. = …if you are not working (you specifically).

But in neutral, everyday speech they are omitted.

Why is the future expressed as θα πάμε and not with a special future tense like English “we will go”?

Modern Greek forms the future using the particle θα plus a verb form, rather than a separate “future tense” ending:

θα πάμε = we will go
θα δουλεύεις = you will be working / you will work

A few points:

θα plays the role of English “will / shall”.
The form πάμε here is the subjunctive of πάω (to go).
θα + (subjunctive) is what traditional grammars call the simple future.

So θα πάμε is the natural way to say “we’ll go” in modern Greek.

Is πάμε present tense or future tense?

On its own:

πάμε can be present: Πάμε τώρα; = Are we going now?

With θα:

θα πάμε is future: we will go.

Formally, πάμε is the present subjunctive form of πάω, but in practice you can think:

πάμε = we go / let’s go (present)
θα πάμε = we will go (future)

Context and the presence of θα tell you the time reference.

Why is there no article before σινεμά? Why not στο σινεμά?

Both are possible, but they feel slightly different in style:

Θα πάμε σινεμά.
Sounds a bit more casual and general: We’ll go (to the) cinema / We’ll catch a movie.
Θα πάμε στο σινεμά.
Literally “We’ll go to the cinema” (with στο = σε + το, to the).

In many everyday expressions of going to common places or activities, Greek often omits the article:

πάω σχολείο = I go to school
πάμε σινεμά = we go to the movies
πάω εκκλησία = I go to church

Using στο σινεμά is also correct; it just sounds slightly more specific or neutral, whereas bare σινεμά is very colloquial and common.

Is σινεμά masculine, feminine, or neuter? Does it change form?

σινεμά is treated as neuter and is indeclinable (it keeps the same form in all cases):

το σινεμά = the cinema (subject or object)
από το σινεμά = from the cinema

It is a loanword from French cinéma, and many such loanwords in Greek are neuter and don’t change.

A more “Greek” word is:

ο κινηματογράφος = the cinema
- στον κινηματογράφο = to the cinema

But in everyday speech, σινεμά is far more common.

Why is αν δεν δουλεύεις using present tense, when the meaning is about tomorrow?

In Greek, after αν (if), the present tense is often used to talk about a future condition:

Θα πάμε σινεμά, αν δεν δουλεύεις.
= We’ll go to the cinema if you’re not working (then).

The time reference comes from context:

The main clause has Αύριο θα πάμε (Tomorrow we’ll go), so the “if” clause is also understood as referring to tomorrow.

This is similar to English:

If you’re free tomorrow, we’ll go out.
(Present “you’re free” but about tomorrow.)

So δουλεύεις here doesn’t mean “if you don’t work in general”; it means “if you are (not) working at that time.”

Could we say Αύριο πηγαίνουμε σινεμά instead? What is the difference from Αύριο θα πάμε σινεμά?

Yes, both are correct but there is a nuance:

Αύριο θα πάμε σινεμά.
- Neutral future: Tomorrow we will go to the cinema.
- Simply states a future event; can be a decision made now or just a prediction.
Αύριο πηγαίνουμε σινεμά.
- Present tense used with future meaning: We are going to the cinema tomorrow.
- Often implies a plan, arrangement, or schedule already in place (similar to English “We’re going to the cinema tomorrow”).

In everyday conversation they can overlap, but πηγαίνουμε tends to sound more like a fixed plan, while θα πάμε is the default future.

What is the difference between αν and εάν?

εάν is the older, slightly more formal form; αν is the common, everyday contracted form.

Αν δεν δουλεύεις, θα πάμε σινεμά.
Εάν δεν δουλεύεις, θα πάμε σινεμά.

In modern spoken Greek, αν is much more frequent. In writing, εάν might appear in more formal or official texts, but in most cases they are interchangeable.

Where does δεν go in relation to the verb? Could it come after δουλεύεις?

δεν always goes directly before the verb (or before θα/να plus the verb):

δεν δουλεύεις = you are not working
δεν θα πάμε = we will not go
δεν να πάμε is wrong; we say να μην πάμε instead for negative with να.

You cannot put δεν after the verb:

❌ δουλεύεις δεν – incorrect
✅ δεν δουλεύεις – correct

In your sentence, the negation belongs to the “if” clause:

αν δεν δουλεύεις = if you are not working

If you wanted to say “Tomorrow we will not go to the cinema if you are working,” you would say:

Αύριο δεν θα πάμε σινεμά, αν δουλεύεις.

Can we change the order of the clauses, like Αν δεν δουλεύεις, αύριο θα πάμε σινεμά? Do we need a comma?

Yes, Greek word order is fairly flexible, and that sentence is completely natural:

Αν δεν δουλεύεις, αύριο θα πάμε σινεμά.

About commas:

If the if-clause comes first, you usually add a comma:
- Αν δεν δουλεύεις, θα πάμε σινεμά.
If the if-clause comes after the main clause, you usually don’t:
- Θα πάμε σινεμά αν δεν δουλεύεις.

So your original sentence without a comma is perfectly correct.

How do you pronounce Αύριο θα πάμε σινεμά αν δεν δουλεύεις?

Approximate pronunciation (stressed syllables in ALL CAPS):

Αύριο → ÁV-rio (the αυ here sounds like av)
θα → tha (like English th in think
- a)
πάμε → PA-me
σινεμά → si-ne-MÁ
αν → an (as in fun but with a)
δεν → then (like English then, but with a softer th)
δουλεύεις → thu-LÉ-vis (roughly; more precisely ðu-LÉ-vis, with a voiced th as in this)

Spoken smoothly, it sounds like:

ÁV-rio tha PA-me si-ne-MÁ an THEN thu-LÉ-vis.