Breakdown of Όταν περιμένω πολλή ώρα στο νοσοκομείο, βαριέμαι.
Questions & Answers about Όταν περιμένω πολλή ώρα στο νοσοκομείο, βαριέμαι.
Όταν means when (whenever) and introduces a time clause, usually something that happens regularly or is linked in time to another action.
- Όταν περιμένω... = When(ever) I wait...
- It’s about time, not condition.
Αν means if and introduces a condition:
- Αν περιμένω πολλή ώρα, θα βαρεθώ. = If I wait a long time, I will get bored.
So:
- Όταν → time: whenever this happens.
- Αν → condition: if this happens (maybe yes, maybe no).
In Greek, the present tense is used both for:
- Things happening right now, and
- General truths / habits / repeated actions.
Here it’s the second usage:
- Όταν περιμένω πολλή ώρα στο νοσοκομείο, βαριέμαι.
= When I wait a long time at the hospital, I (usually) get bored.
So the Greek present covers what English shows with:
- When I wait, I get bored
or - When I’m waiting, I get bored.
You don’t need a special tense for “habitual” in Greek; the normal present works.
Because πολλή here is an adjective agreeing with ώρα (feminine noun).
- ώρα is feminine singular.
- The feminine singular form of πολύς (much / a lot of) is πολλή.
- So: πολλή ώρα = a lot of time / a long time.
Forms of this word:
- Masculine: πολύς (e.g. πολύς κόσμος – a lot of people)
- Feminine: πολλή (e.g. πολλή ώρα – a long time)
- Neuter: πολύ (e.g. πολύ νερό – a lot of water)
Πολύ without agreement like this is also used as an adverb (very / much), e.g.:
- Μιλάει πολύ. = He/She talks a lot.
- Είναι πολύ καλός. = He is very good.
In πολλή ώρα, we clearly have an adjective modifying a noun, so we need the feminine πολλή.
Both are possible, but they feel slightly different:
- πολλή ώρα = a long time (vague duration, more idiomatic)
- πολλές ώρες = many hours (more literal, stresses the number of hours)
In everyday speech, πολλή ώρα is very common to mean “for a long time”:
- Τον περίμενα πολλή ώρα. = I waited for him a long time.
- Περιμένω πολλή ώρα στο νοσοκομείο. = I wait a long time at the hospital.
If you say πολλές ώρες, you emphasize that it’s really hours and hours:
- Περίμενα πολλές ώρες στο νοσοκομείο. = I waited many hours at the hospital.
Στο is a contraction:
- σε (in/at/to) + το (the, neuter singular) → στο
So:
- σε + το νοσοκομείο → στο νοσοκομείο
Literally: in/at the hospital.
The noun:
- το νοσοκομείο = the hospital (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)
Το νοσοκομείο is neuter singular accusative here.
After the preposition σε, Greek normally uses the accusative case:
- σε + accusative = in/at/to + place
So:
- στο νοσοκομείο (σε + το νοσοκομείο, accusative) = at the hospital / to the hospital.
You don’t see a different form from the nominative because neuter singular nouns in -ο have the same form in nominative and accusative:
- Nominative: το νοσοκομείο (subject)
- Accusative: το νοσοκομείο (object / after prepositions)
Context and articles tell you the role.
With περιμένω you usually do not need για when you talk about duration.
The normal, natural phrase is:
- περιμένω πολλή ώρα = I wait a long time.
You can hear περιμένω για πολλή ώρα, but it often sounds less natural or more specific/emphatic. For everyday speech, just:
- περιμένω + (time expression)
e.g. περιμένω δύο ώρες, περιμένω πολλή ώρα.
Βαριέμαι is a middle / passive form that is used with active meaning (a “deponent” verb in traditional terminology).
- Basic meaning: I am bored / I get bored.
Verbs ending in -ομαι / -ιέμαι like this often:
- Look grammatically like passive,
- But in modern Greek are simply the normal way to express certain actions/feelings.
Conjugation (present):
- βαριέμαι = I am/get bored
- βαριέσαι = you (sg) are/get bored
- βαριέται = he/she/it is/gets bored
- βαριόμαστε = we are/get bored
- βαριέστε / βαριόσαστε = you (pl) are/get bored
- βαριούνται = they are/get bored
There is also a slightly older form βαριούμαι, but βαριέμαι is very common in everyday speech.
They express related but different ideas:
βαριέμαι (verb) = I am bored / I get bored
- Όταν περιμένω πολλή ώρα, βαριέμαι. = When I wait a long time, I get bored.
βαριεμένος (participle, used like an adjective) = bored (state)
- Είμαι βαριεμένος. = I’m bored.
βαρετός (adjective) = boring
- Το νοσοκομείο είναι βαρετό. = The hospital is boring.
So:
- βαριέμαι / είμαι βαριεμένος → I feel bored.
- βαρετός → something is boring.
Greek usually doesn’t need subject pronouns, because the verb ending shows the person:
- περιμένω = I wait
- βαριέμαι = I am bored
So “I” is built into the verbs.
You can add εγώ for emphasis or contrast:
- Όταν εγώ περιμένω πολλή ώρα στο νοσοκομείο, βαριέμαι.
= When I wait a long time at the hospital, I get bored (emphasizing I, as opposed to someone else).
But in neutral statements, you normally leave εγώ out.
Yes, Greek word order is quite flexible. All of these are grammatical, with slight shifts in emphasis:
Όταν περιμένω πολλή ώρα στο νοσοκομείο, βαριέμαι.
(neutral order, very natural)Όταν περιμένω στο νοσοκομείο πολλή ώρα, βαριέμαι.
(focus a bit more on “at the hospital” before the “long time”)Όταν στο νοσοκομείο περιμένω πολλή ώρα, βαριέμαι.
(stronger emphasis on “at the hospital” as the location where this happens)
Meaning stays essentially the same: word order mainly affects emphasis and rhythm, not basic grammar here.
The sentence has:
- A subordinate clause: Όταν περιμένω πολλή ώρα στο νοσοκομείο (When I wait a long time at the hospital),
- Followed by the main clause: βαριέμαι (I get bored).
In Greek, when a dependent clause comes first, it is normally followed by a comma:
- Όταν + [clause], [main clause].
If you reverse the order, the comma is often dropped:
- Βαριέμαι όταν περιμένω πολλή ώρα στο νοσοκομείο.
Grammatically, no difference; both are correct.
Nuance:
Όταν περιμένω πολλή ώρα στο νοσοκομείο, βαριέμαι.
→ Slightly more “cause → effect” feel: When this happens, then I get bored.Βαριέμαι όταν περιμένω πολλή ώρα στο νοσοκομείο.
→ Starts with the general statement I get bored, and then specifies when.
Both are perfectly natural in everyday speech.