Learn Hardcore Greek: Στις διακοπές θέλω να κοιμάμαι πολύ και να μην δουλεύω. - On vacation I want to sleep a lot and not work.

η διακοπή (singular) = an interruption, a pause, a break in something (e.g. διακοπή ρεύματος “power cut”).
οι διακοπές (plural) = your time off, your vacation/holidays.

So στις διακοπές is the normal, idiomatic way to say “on/over the holidays” or “on vacation.” Using the singular στη διακοπή would sound wrong in this context.

What exactly is στις? Why not just σε τις διακοπές?

Στις is a contraction of:

σε (preposition: “in, at, on”)
τις (feminine plural accusative definite article: “the”)

So:

σε + τις διακοπές → στις διακοπές

Greek very often fuses σε with the definite article:

σε + την → στη(ν)
σε + το → στο
σε + τους → στους
σε + τις → στις

Meaning-wise, στις διακοπές corresponds to “on/at/during the holidays.” The preposition σε is flexible; English uses different prepositions (“on,” “at,” “in,” “during”) where Greek usually just uses σε.

Where is the word “I” in this sentence? I don’t see a pronoun.

Greek usually omits subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person.

θέλω = “I want” (1st person singular)
κοιμάμαι = “I sleep / I am sleeping” (1st person singular, middle/passive)
δουλεύω = “I work / I am working” (1st person singular)

So θέλω already tells you the subject is “I”, even without εγώ.

You could say:

Στις διακοπές εγώ θέλω να κοιμάμαι πολύ και να μην δουλεύω.

but adding εγώ usually adds emphasis (“I want to…” as opposed to someone else).

What is the role of να in θέλω να κοιμάμαι and να μην δουλεύω? Is it like the infinitive “to”?

Yes, functionally να + verb often corresponds to the English infinitive “to + verb”, especially after verbs like θέλω (“I want”).

Greek does not have an infinitive like English; instead it uses να + subjunctive:

θέλω να κοιμάμαι ≈ “I want to sleep”
θέλω να δουλεύω ≈ “I want to work”

So:

θέλω = “I want” (indicative)
να κοιμάμαι / να δουλεύω = subjunctive clauses introduced by να, often translated with English “to …” or “that I …” depending on context.

Key idea: να introduces a subordinate verb (wish, plan, possibility, purpose, etc.), instead of an infinitive form.

Why is it να μην δουλεύω and not να δεν δουλεύω? What’s the difference between δεν and μην?

Greek has two main negatives:

δεν (δε): used with indicative verbs (normal statements of fact in present/past/future).
- Δεν δουλεύω. = “I don’t work / I am not working.”
μη(ν): used with subjunctive, infinitival-like clauses, commands, wishes, etc.
- Θέλω να μην δουλεύω. = “I want not to work.”
- Μη(ν) δουλεύεις! = “Don’t work!”

In our sentence, να δουλεύω is a subjunctive form after θέλω, so the correct negative is μην, not δεν:

να μην δουλεύω, not να δεν δουλεύω

Also, μην is the normal form before vowels and many consonants; here it comes before δ, so μην δουλεύω sounds natural.

Why is the negative only before δουλεύω? Shouldn’t it be να μην κοιμάμαι πολύ και να μην δουλεύω?

It depends what you want to say.

The given sentence:

… θέλω να κοιμάμαι πολύ και να μην δουλεύω.

means:

“I want to sleep a lot and not work.”

Only δουλεύω is negated; κοιμάμαι πολύ is positive.

If you said:

… θέλω να μην κοιμάμαι πολύ και να μην δουλεύω.

that would mean:

“I want not to sleep a lot and not to work.” (both verbs are negated)

So in the original, the placement of μην only before δουλεύω is intentional: it says yes to sleeping and no to working.

Why is it πολύ and not πολλή? What’s the difference?

Πολύ can be both:

An adverb meaning “a lot / much / very.”
Part of the adjective system πολύς, πολλή, πολύ (“many / much”), which changes form.

Here, πολύ is an adverb modifying the verb κοιμάμαι:

κοιμάμαι πολύ = “I sleep a lot / I sleep very much.”

As an adverb, πολύ is invariable (it does not change for gender, number, or case).

When πολύς / πολλή / πολύ is an adjective before a noun, it agrees with that noun:

πολλή δουλειά = “a lot of work” (feminine singular)
πολλοί άνθρωποι = “many people” (masculine plural)
πολλά λεφτά = “a lot of money” (neuter plural)

So:

With a verb → use πολύ (adverb): κοιμάμαι πολύ.
With a noun → use the appropriate πολύς / πολλή / πολύ form: πολλή ξεκούραση (“a lot of rest”).

Why is κοιμάμαι in this middle/passive form? Is there an active form like κοιμάω?

Κοιμάμαι is one of many “deponent” verbs in Modern Greek: verbs that only appear in the middle/passive endings but have an active meaning.

κοιμάμαι = “I sleep / I am sleeping” (not “I am being slept”)

There is a related active verb κοιμίζω, but it means:

κοιμίζω = “I put someone to sleep” (e.g. a child)

So:

Εγώ κοιμάμαι. = “I sleep.”
Εγώ κοιμίζω το παιδί. = “I put the child to sleep.”

There is no standard active form κοιμάω in normal usage meaning “I sleep”; κοιμάμαι is the correct form to learn and use.

What’s the difference between θέλω να κοιμάμαι and θέλω να κοιμηθώ?

This is a question of aspect (ongoing vs single/complete action):

θέλω να κοιμάμαι (imperfective aspect)
- Emphasizes a state or repeated/ongoing action.
- “I want to be sleeping / sleep a lot / sleep regularly (during that period).”
θέλω να κοιμηθώ (aorist aspect)
- Emphasizes a single, complete event.
- “I want to get some sleep / fall asleep (once).”

In the sentence:

Στις διακοπές θέλω να κοιμάμαι πολύ…

the speaker is talking about their general habit or state during the holidays: they want to sleep a lot over that whole period, not just once.

If you said:

Σήμερα θέλω να κοιμηθώ νωρίς.

you’d mean: “Tonight I want to get to sleep early (this one time).”

Similarly, what’s the difference between να μην δουλεύω and να μην δουλέψω?

Again, it’s about aspect:

να μην δουλεύω (imperfective)
- “not to be working / not to work (regularly, over a period).”
- Suits descriptions of a state or ongoing situation, like the whole holiday.
να μην δουλέψω (aorist)
- “not to work (even once) / not to do any work (on that occasion).”
- Focuses on a complete event (or set of events) you don’t want to happen.

In our sentence about vacations:

… θέλω … να μην δουλεύω.

means: “I want not to work at all during that whole time.”

If you said:

Αύριο θέλω να μην δουλέψω.

it would mean: “Tomorrow I don’t want to do any work (that day, as a single unit).”

Could I change the word order to Θέλω στις διακοπές να κοιμάμαι πολύ και να μην δουλεύω? Does it sound natural?

Yes, that word order is also natural:

Στις διακοπές θέλω…
Θέλω στις διακοπές…

Both are fine. Slight nuances:

Στις διακοπές θέλω…
- Puts a bit more emphasis on the time frame first: “During the holidays, I want…”
Θέλω στις διακοπές…
- Starts with the desire: “I want, during the holidays, to…”

In everyday speech, both versions are common and acceptable; there is no big difference in meaning.

How would I say “on my vacation” instead of just “on vacation”?

You can add the possessive pronoun:

Στις διακοπές μου θέλω να κοιμάμαι πολύ και να μην δουλεύω.
= “On my vacation I want to sleep a lot and not work.”

Structure:

στις διακοπές = on vacation / during the holidays
μου = my

The pronoun μου follows the noun:

οι διακοπές μου = “my holidays / my vacation.”

Why is θέλω in the present tense if we’re talking about future vacations?

In Greek, the present tense is often used for:

current desires or plans about the future, especially with θέλω
- να.

So:

Στις διακοπές θέλω να κοιμάμαι πολύ…
≈ “(Right now) I want to sleep a lot on vacation…”

You could make the future even more explicit with θα:

Στις διακοπές θα θέλω να κοιμάμαι πολύ…

but that usually sounds like “I will (at that time) want to sleep a lot,” which is a bit unnatural in this context.

In normal Greek, we simply use θέλω (present) to talk about our present wish about a future situation.