Learn Hardcore Greek: Θέλω να είμαι υγιής και δυνατός, γι’ αυτό προσέχω τη διατροφή μου. - I want to be healthy and strong, so I take care of my diet.

θέλω = I want
να is a particle that introduces a verb in the subjunctive (it usually expresses wishes, intentions, possibilities, etc.)
είμαι = I am (1st person singular of είμαι)

In Greek, after verbs of wanting, wishing, planning, etc., you usually use να + verb:

Θέλω να πάω. = I want to go.
Θέλω να φάω. = I want to eat.
Θέλω να είμαι υγιής. = I want to be healthy.

So να είμαι is literally “to be” (in a subjunctive-like form), and θέλω να είμαι = “I want to be”.

Why is it είμαι and not είναι?

Είμαι and είναι are different forms of the verb είμαι (to be):

είμαι = I am (1st person singular)
είναι = he/she/it is or they are (3rd person singular or plural)

The subject here is I (the speaker), so we must use είμαι:

Θέλω να είμαι υγιής. = I want to be healthy.
Not: Θέλω να είναι υγιής. (That would mean “I want him/her/it to be healthy.”)

Why don’t we say εγώ (I)? Why is the subject missing?

Greek normally drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the subject.

θέλω clearly shows 1st person singular → “I want”
είμαι clearly shows 1st person singular → “I am”

So Θέλω να είμαι… already means “I want to be…”. Adding εγώ is only for emphasis:

Εγώ θέλω να είμαι υγιής.
= I want to be healthy (as opposed to someone else).

Why is it υγιής and δυνατός? Do these forms agree with something?

Yes, both adjectives agree with the subject (which is I, masculine in this sentence).

υγιής = healthy
δυνατός = strong

Adjectives in Greek agree in gender, number, and case with the noun (or pronoun) they describe.

Assuming the speaker is male:

εγώ (masculine) → υγιής (masculine form)
εγώ (masculine) → δυνατός (masculine form)

If a woman were speaking, she would normally say:

Θέλω να είμαι υγιής και δυνατή…
(δυνατή = feminine form of δυνατός)

What’s the difference between υγιής and υγιεινός?

They are related but not the same:

υγιής = healthy (describes a person, animal, or sometimes a situation)
- Είμαι υγιής. = I am healthy.
- Ένα υγιές παιδί. = A healthy child.
υγιεινός = healthy / healthful (describes things that are good for health, e.g. food, lifestyle)
- υγιεινή διατροφή = healthy diet
- υγιεινό φαγητό = healthy food

So in this sentence, υγιής is correct because it describes the person (the speaker), not the food.

What does γι’ αυτό mean exactly, and why is there an apostrophe?

γι’ αυτό means “therefore / that’s why / so” in this context.

Literally, it comes from:

για αυτό = for this → γι’ αυτό (spoken contraction)

The apostrophe (’) shows that a vowel has been dropped:

για αυτό → γι’ αυτό
(the α in για disappears because the next word starts with a vowel)

So:

Θέλω να είμαι υγιής και δυνατός, γι’ αυτό προσέχω τη διατροφή μου.
= I want to be healthy and strong, so / that’s why I watch my diet.

Spelling note: In modern usage, γι’ αυτό is usually written as two words with the apostrophe, exactly as in the sentence.

Is γι’ αυτό the same as έτσι or επομένως?

They are similar, but not always interchangeable.

γι’ αυτό = that’s why / so / for that reason
Strongly links cause and result:
- Δεν έχω λεφτά, γι’ αυτό δεν βγαίνω.
  I have no money, so I don’t go out.
έτσι = like this/that, in this way, so
Can be used as a conclusion, but is more general:
- Έτσι, δεν βγαίνω. = So / thus, I don’t go out. (more formal or narrative)
επομένως = therefore
More formal, often written or logical:
- Δεν έχω λεφτά, επομένως δεν βγαίνω.

In everyday spoken Greek, γι’ αυτό is the most natural here.

What does προσέχω mean here, and what are its other meanings?

In this sentence, προσέχω means “I watch / take care of / pay attention to” with the sense:

προσέχω τη διατροφή μου = I watch my diet / I pay attention to my diet.

Προσέχω is quite flexible. Common meanings:

To pay attention / be careful
- Πρόσεχε! = Be careful!
- Προσέχω στο μάθημα. = I pay attention in class.
To take care of / look after
- Προσέχω τα παιδιά. = I look after the children.
To watch / mind (something about oneself)
- Προσέχω την υγεία μου. = I take care of my health.
- Προσέχω τη διατροφή μου. = I watch my diet.

Why do we say τη διατροφή μου and not just διατροφή μου?

In Greek, when you use a possessive pronoun like μου (my), you almost always also use the definite article:

η διατροφή = the diet
η διατροφή μου → in the accusative (object): τη διατροφή μου = my diet

So:

Προσέχω τη διατροφή μου.
Literally: “I watch the diet of mine” → “I watch my diet.”

Leaving out the article (προσέχω διατροφή μου) is not standard Greek.

What is the difference between διατροφή, φαγητό, and δίαιτα?

These all relate to food, but they’re used differently:

διατροφή = diet in the sense of overall eating habits / nutrition
- Έχω καλή διατροφή. = I have a good diet (good eating habits).
φαγητό = food / meal (general word)
- Το φαγητό είναι έτοιμο. = The food is ready.
δίαιτα = diet mostly in the sense of weight-loss diet
- Κάνω δίαιτα. = I am on a diet (to lose weight).

In the sentence, διατροφή is used because the meaning is “I watch my overall diet / nutrition,” not just a single meal and not specifically a weight-loss plan.

Why is it τη διατροφή and not την διατροφή?

The full form is την διατροφή (feminine accusative singular article).

However, in speech and normal writing, when την comes before a word starting with δ, τ, θ, ζ, λ, ν, ρ, σ, the -ν is often dropped:

την διατροφή → τη διατροφή

This is a very common and accepted simplification. Both spellings are technically correct, but τη διατροφή is more usual in modern texts.

Why are the adjectives placed after the verb: είμαι υγιής και δυνατός? Can I change the order?

Yes, you can change the order, but the neutral, most common order is:

[subject] + [verb] + [adjectives]

So:

Θέλω να είμαι υγιής και δυνατός.
= I want to be healthy and strong.

You could say:

Υγιής και δυνατός θέλω να είμαι.

That puts emphasis on υγιής και δυνατός (healthy and strong), sounding a bit more poetic or emphatic: “Healthy and strong is what I want to be.”

Grammatically both are correct; the original order is the most natural in everyday speech.

How do you pronounce γι’ αυτό and where is the stress?

Pronunciation:

γι’ αυτό → /ʝafˈto/

Details:

γι’ sounds like /ʝa/ (similar to “ya” with a soft “y” sound), but merged with the next word.
αυτό has the stress on the second syllable: -υτό → /afˈto/.

So you say it almost as one word: γιαφτό → γι’ αυτό → /ʝafˈto/.