Το σαλόνι καθαρίζεται κάθε βράδυ.

The living room is cleaned every night.

Breakdown of Το σαλόνι καθαρίζεται κάθε βράδυ.

• το σαλόνι: the living room
• καθαρίζομαι: to be cleaned
• κάθε βράδυ: every night

Questions & Answers about Το σαλόνι καθαρίζεται κάθε βράδυ.

What exactly does καθαρίζεται mean, and how is it different from καθαρίζει?

Καθαρίζεται is the third person singular, present tense, middle–passive form of the verb καθαρίζω (to clean).

• καθαρίζει = he/she/it cleans (active voice)
• καθαρίζεται = he/she/it is cleaned (passive voice)

So in Το σαλόνι καθαρίζεται κάθε βράδυ, the focus is on the living room as the thing being cleaned, not on the person who does the cleaning.

How is καθαρίζεται formed from the verb καθαρίζω?

Greek often has an active form and a middle–passive form of the same verb.

• Active infinitive idea: καθαρίζω = to clean
• Middle–passive stem: καθαρίζομαι = to be cleaned / to clean oneself (depending on context)

Present tense, 3rd person singular:

• Active: (αυτός/αυτή/αυτό) καθαρίζει = he/she/it cleans
• Middle–passive: (αυτός/αυτή/αυτό) καθαρίζεται = he/she/it is cleaned

The -εται ending is the typical present middle–passive ending in the 3rd person singular.

Why is the passive form used here instead of an active sentence like I clean the living room every night?