Breakdown of Χωρίς να σταματήσω, διάβαζα τρεις ώρες και τώρα έχω πόνο στο κεφάλι.
Questions & Answers about Χωρίς να σταματήσω, διάβαζα τρεις ώρες και τώρα έχω πόνο στο κεφάλι.
Χωρίς να means without doing X.
- χωρίς = without
- να introduces a verb in the subjunctive.
Structure: χωρίς + να + subjunctive verb
In this sentence:
Χωρίς να σταματήσω = Without stopping / without stopping even once (I).
The subject of the να‑clause is usually the same as the main verb’s subject. If it’s different, you must say it:
- Χωρίς αυτόν να σταματήσει, συνεχίσαμε. = Without him stopping, we continued.
Σταματήσω is:
- 1st person singular
- aorist subjunctive
- of the verb σταματάω / σταματώ (to stop).
Indicative aorist: σταμάτησα = I stopped
Subjunctive aorist: να σταματήσω = (that) I stop / (for me) to stop
In χωρίς να σταματήσω, the να tells you it’s subjunctive; the aorist form focuses on the act of stopping as a single, complete event.
With χωρίς να, Greek almost always uses the aorist subjunctive to talk about a single, complete action that does not happen:
- Χωρίς να σταματήσω = without stopping (even once).
An imperfect form like χωρίς να σταματούσα would suggest an ongoing state of being in the process of stopping, which doesn’t fit here. You want “I didn’t stop at all,” so the aorist is the natural choice.
Διάβαζα is the imperfect, which presents the action as ongoing / continuous in the past:
- διάβαζα τρεις ώρες = I was reading for three hours.
Διάβασα (aorist) presents the action as a whole, completed event:
- διάβασα τρεις ώρες = I read / I studied for three hours (seen as one complete block).
In your sentence, διάβαζα works well because you are describing a continuous activity over a period, leading to the result τώρα έχω πόνο στο κεφάλι. The focus is on the process of reading non‑stop.
Yes, διάβαζα τρεις ώρες is correct.
- διάβαζα τρεις ώρες and
- διάβαζα για τρεις ώρες
both mean I was reading for three hours.
The preposition για makes the duration marking a bit more explicit, but in everyday speech it’s very common to omit it with time expressions. The difference in meaning is minimal; both are natural.
Not with τώρα έχω πόνο στο κεφάλι in the same way.
Εδώ και + length of time is typically used with a present verb to mean have been doing something for… (up to now):
- Διαβάζω εδώ και τρεις ώρες και τώρα πονάει το κεφάλι μου.
= I have been reading for three hours and now my head hurts.
Your original sentence is clearly past‑then‑present:
past continuous (διάβαζα) → present result (τώρα έχω πόνο στο κεφάλι).
If you switch to εδώ και, it’s more natural to change διάβαζα to διαβάζω.
All three can describe a headache, but they differ in style and structure:
Έχω πόνο στο κεφάλι.
Literally: I have pain in the head.- A bit more literal / medical-sounding.
Έχω πονοκέφαλο.
Literally: I have a headache.- Very common, neutral and natural in everyday speech.
Πονάει το κεφάλι μου.
Literally: My head hurts.- Also very common and natural; slightly more colloquial-feeling.
So your sentence could very naturally also be:
- …και τώρα έχω πονοκέφαλο.
- …και τώρα πονάει το κεφάλι μου.
Στο is the contracted form of σε + το:
- σε = in, at, on
- το = the (neuter singular article)
Because κεφάλι is neuter (το κεφάλι), σε το κεφάλι contracts to στο κεφάλι.
Examples:
- στο κεφάλι = in/on the head
- στο σπίτι = in/at the house
- στην πόλη = in the city (σε + την → στην, because πόλη is feminine)
The comma separates the introductory clause from the main clause:
- Χωρίς να σταματήσω, διάβαζα τρεις ώρες…
This is similar to English:
Without stopping, I was reading for three hours…
The comma is stylistically normal here and helps readability, but in very short sentences you sometimes see it omitted in informal writing. In standard written Greek, it’s better to keep it.
Yes, you can say:
- Διάβαζα τρεις ώρες χωρίς να σταματήσω και τώρα έχω πόνο στο κεφάλι.
The basic meaning is the same.
Placing Χωρίς να σταματήσω at the beginning:
- Χωρίς να σταματήσω, διάβαζα τρεις ώρες…
slightly emphasizes the “without stopping” part. It’s like starting in English with “Without stopping, I was reading…”. Both orders are correct and natural.
Greek διαβάζω covers both:
- to read (a book, a newspaper, etc.)
- to study (for school, an exam, etc.)
Context decides which is meant. With τρεις ώρες and especially in everyday talk, many Greeks will automatically interpret it as studying, but it can also just mean reading a book.
So διάβαζα τρεις ώρες can be understood as:
- I was reading for three hours
or - I was studying for three hours.
You would normally use the aorist:
- Διάβασα τρεις ώρες χωρίς να σταματήσω.
This presents the three hours of reading as one completed event in the past, with no explicit mention of a present result.