Δεν βρίσκω το τηλέφωνό του.

I can’t find his phone.

Breakdown of Δεν βρίσκω το τηλέφωνό του.

• δεν: not
• το τηλέφωνο: the phone
• βρίσκω: to find
• του: his

Questions & Answers about Δεν βρίσκω το τηλέφωνό του.

Why is there no word for I in Δεν βρίσκω το τηλέφωνό του?

Greek usually omits subject pronouns because the verb ending shows who the subject is.
βρίσκω is first person singular, so it already means I find / I am finding. With δεν, it becomes I don’t find / I can’t find.

If you really want to emphasize I, you can add it:

• Εγώ δεν βρίσκω το τηλέφωνό του. = I can’t find his phone (but maybe someone else can).

So the basic sentence without εγώ is the normal, neutral version.

What exactly does δεν βρίσκω mean here: I don’t find or I can’t find?

Literally, δεν βρίσκω means I do not find.
In practice, when you are talking about looking for something right now, Greek uses the simple present and English usually translates it as I can’t find:

• Δεν βρίσκω το τηλέφωνό του.
  → Natural English: I can’t find his phone.

If you wanted to stress ability with can, Greek often uses μπορώ:

• Δεν μπορώ να βρω το τηλέφωνό του. = I can’t (am not able to) find his phone.

But in everyday speech Δεν βρίσκω… commonly corresponds to I can’t find….

What is the function of δεν? How is it different from μην and from δε?

δεν is the normal negation particle for verbs in the indicative mood (statements):

• Βρίσκω το τηλέφωνό του. = I find / I’m finding his phone.
• Δεν βρίσκω το τηλέφωνό του. = I don’t / can’t find his phone.

μην is used mainly with:

• the subjunctive: να μην πάω = not to go
• negative commands: Μην πας! = Don’t go!

About δεν vs δε:

• In speech, the final -ν can drop before many consonants, so people often say δε βρίσκω.
• In writing, δεν is more standard, and that’s what you see in your sentence.

Why does τηλέφωνό have the accent on the last syllable instead of on λέ like in τηλέφωνο?

The base word is τηλέφωνο (accent on λέ: τη-λέ-φω-νο), stressed on the third syllable from the end (the antepenultimate).

Greek has a stress rule with enclitics (little unstressed words like μου, σου, του, etc.):

• When a word stressed on the antepenultimate is followed by a monosyllabic enclitic, the stress moves one syllable to the right, onto the last syllable.

So:

• τηλέφωνο → το τηλέφωνό του
• δωμάτιο → το δωμάτιό μου

That’s why you see τηλέφωνό with the accent on the last syllable in the sentence.

What does του mean here, and why is it at the end of το τηλέφωνό του?

του here is an enclitic possessive pronoun meaning his (or its, depending on context). Grammatically it is genitive singular (του = of him / of it), but in English we translate it as a possessive adjective (his).

Greek usually puts this possessive pronoun after the noun phrase:

• το τηλέφωνό του = his phone (literally: the phone of him)
• το βιβλίο της = her book
• το σπίτι μας = our house

So του goes at the end of the noun phrase instead of before the noun as in English.

How would the sentence change if I wanted to say her phone, their phone, my phone, etc.?

You just change the possessive pronoun at the end:

• Δεν βρίσκω το τηλέφωνό του. = I can’t find his phone.
• Δεν βρίσκω το τηλέφωνό της. = I can’t find her phone.
• Δεν βρίσκω το τηλέφωνό τους. = I can’t find their phone.
• Δεν βρίσκω το τηλέφωνό μου. = I can’t find my phone.
• Δεν βρίσκω το τηλέφωνό σου. = I can’t find your phone (singular, informal).
• Δεν βρίσκω το τηλέφωνό σας. = I can’t find your phone (plural or polite).

Notice that the stress still moves to the last syllable in all these: τηλέφωνό του / της / τους / μου / σου / σας.

Why is the article το used? In English we say his phone without the.

In Greek, specific countable nouns almost always take a definite article, even where English often omits the.

το τηλέφωνό του literally is the phone his, but the natural English is just his phone. A few points:

• You normally must include το here; Δεν βρίσκω τηλέφωνό του sounds incomplete or marked.
• The article agrees with τηλέφωνο: neuter singular accusative το.

So: Greek: το τηλέφωνό του → English: his phone (no the).

Why is το τηλέφωνό του in this form? Which case is it, and how do I recognize it?

το τηλέφωνό του is the direct object of the verb βρίσκω (find), so it is in the accusative case.

• το is accusative singular neuter (the object form of the neuter article).
• τηλέφωνο is a neuter noun; its nominative and accusative singular are both τηλέφωνο, so the form doesn’t change, but the article shows it’s the object.
• του is genitive singular (of him) showing possession, but the whole phrase functions as an accusative object: (I) don’t find [his phone].

You can tell it’s the object mainly from its position and the article το.

Could I change the word order, for example Το τηλέφωνό του δεν βρίσκω?

Yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English.

• Δεν βρίσκω το τηλέφωνό του. is the neutral order (verb–object).
• Το τηλέφωνό του δεν βρίσκω. is also correct but more emphatic, highlighting his phone (as opposed to something else):
  → It’s his phone that I can’t find.

Grammar doesn’t change; only the emphasis and tone do.

What is the difference between Δεν βρίσκω το τηλέφωνό του and Δεν μπορώ να βρω το τηλέφωνό του?

Both can translate as I can’t find his phone, but there’s a nuance:

• Δεν βρίσκω το τηλέφωνό του.
  Focuses on the current result: right now, I’m not finding it.
• Δεν μπορώ να βρω το τηλέφωνό του.
  Emphasizes ability: I am not able to find it (for some reason).

In everyday conversation, they are often interchangeable, but Δεν μπορώ να βρω… can sound a bit stronger or more explicit about inability.

How would I say I didn’t find his phone (past) instead of I can’t find his phone (now)?

You change βρίσκω (present) to the past form βρήκα:

• Δεν βρίσκω το τηλέφωνό του. = I don’t / can’t find his phone (now).
• Δεν βρήκα το τηλέφωνό του. = I didn’t find his phone (at some time in the past).

So:

• βρίσκω = I find / I am finding
• βρήκα = I found / I did find

How would I say I can’t find his phone anywhere? Do I need a double negative in Greek?

Yes, Greek uses negative concord (what looks like a double negative in English). You add πουθενά (anywhere / nowhere) and keep δεν:

• Δεν βρίσκω πουθενά το τηλέφωνό του.
  Literally: I don’t find his phone nowhere, but natural English: I can’t find his phone anywhere.

Using πουθενά without δεν in this kind of sentence would be wrong in standard Greek.