Learn Hardcore Greek: Τον χειμώνα δεν πηγαίνω συχνά βόλτα στο πάρκο. - In winter I don't often go for a walk in the park.

In Greek, a bare accusative with the article is often used to talk about when something happens, especially with seasons, days, times of day, etc.:

Τον χειμώνα = (in) winter
Το καλοκαίρι = (in) summer
Τη Δευτέρα = (on) Monday

You generally don’t say στον χειμώνα for this habitual, general meaning. Στον χειμώνα would sound like you’re literally “inside the winter” as a physical space and is not idiomatic.
Using Ο χειμώνας by itself would just be “Winter …” as a subject or topic, not a time expression.

Do we really need the article in Τον χειμώνα? Could it just be Χειμώνα δεν πηγαίνω…?

In everyday Greek, with seasons in these time expressions, the article is standard and natural:

Τον χειμώνα κάνει κρύο. – In winter, it’s cold.

You might occasionally see the article dropped in poetry, song lyrics, or very informal speech, but Τον χειμώνα is what you should use in normal speech and writing.
So Χειμώνα δεν πηγαίνω… would sound either poetic or just off in most contexts.

What case is χειμώνα here, and how does that work?

Χειμώνα is accusative singular of ο χειμώνας (winter). Basic forms:

Nominative (subject): ο χειμώνας
Accusative (object / time expression): τον χειμώνα

Here it’s accusative used as a time expression (accusative of time) to mean “in/during winter,” which is very common in Greek.

Why is there no subject pronoun like εγώ? How do we know it means “I don’t go…”?

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

The verb πηγαίνω is 1st person singular present:

(εγώ) πηγαίνω = I go

Since the form -ω tells you it’s “I”, the pronoun εγώ is only used when you want to emphasize it:

Εγώ δεν πηγαίνω συχνά βόλτα στο πάρκο, αλλά ο αδερφός μου πηγαίνει.
I don’t often go for a walk in the park, but my brother does.

Why is the negative δεν before the verb πηγαίνω? Could it come after?

In standard Greek, the negative particle δεν (or δε in fast speech) always comes immediately before the verb:

Δεν πηγαίνω. – I don’t go.
Δεν θέλω. – I don’t want.

You cannot say πηγαίνω δεν in this sentence; that would be wrong. The basic order is:

(Time) + δεν + Verb + (other elements)

Exactly as in your sentence: Τον χειμώνα δεν πηγαίνω συχνά βόλτα στο πάρκο.

What’s the difference between δεν and μη(ν)?

Both are negatives, but they are used in different environments:

δεν is used with indicative verbs (normal statements of fact):
- Δεν πηγαίνω στο πάρκο. – I don’t go to the park.
μη(ν) is used in things like commands, wishes, prohibitions, some subjunctive-like structures, etc.:
- Μην πηγαίνεις στο πάρκο τόσο αργά. – Don’t go to the park so late.

In your sentence, it’s just a normal statement, so δεν is correct: Δεν πηγαίνω…

What’s the difference between πηγαίνω and πάω?

Both generally mean “to go”:

πηγαίνω – more “full”/standard form, slightly more formal or neutral
πάω – very common, more colloquial/short form

In practice, you will hear πάω all the time in speech:

Τον χειμώνα δεν πάω συχνά βόλτα στο πάρκο. – perfectly natural

Πηγαίνω is absolutely correct too and can sound just a bit more careful or written, but the meaning here is the same.

Where can συχνά (often) go in the sentence? Is its position fixed?

Συχνά is fairly flexible. All of these are possible:

Τον χειμώνα δεν πηγαίνω συχνά βόλτα στο πάρκο.
Τον χειμώνα συχνά δεν πηγαίνω βόλτα στο πάρκο. (slightly different emphasis)
Συχνά τον χειμώνα δεν πηγαίνω βόλτα στο πάρκο.

The most neutral and common is the one you have: δεν πηγαίνω συχνά βόλτα… – “I don’t go often.”

If you move συχνά earlier (συχνά δεν πηγαίνω), it tends to emphasize the frequency or the negation a bit more: “Often, I don’t go…”

What exactly does βόλτα mean here, and why is there no article (μια βόλτα)?

Βόλτα literally means “walk/outing/stroll.”
With the verb πάω/πηγαίνω, πάω βόλτα is a very common fixed expression meaning “to go for a walk / to go out for a stroll.”

In such set expressions, Greek often omits the article:

Πάω βόλτα. – I’m going for a walk.
Πάω σχολείο. – I go to school.
Πάω δουλειά. – I go to work.

You can say πάω μια βόλτα (“I go for a/one walk”) but then μια adds a nuance of “a (single) outing” rather than the general activity.

Why is βόλτα in the accusative, and is it the object of the verb?

Yes. Βόλτα here is in the accusative singular and functions as the direct object of πηγαίνω in this particular expression:

(Εγώ) δεν πηγαίνω [τι;] βόλτα. – I don’t go what? A walk.

Because πάω/πηγαίνω βόλτα is a set phrase, you can just remember it as a chunk meaning “go for a walk,” with βόλτα in the accusative and usually without an article.

What does στο in στο πάρκο stand for?

Στο is a contraction of the preposition σε (to, in, at) + the neuter definite article το (the):

σε + το = στο

So στο πάρκο literally is “in/to the park.”
Similar contractions:

σε + τον = στον (στoν δρόμο – in the road)
σε + την = στην (στην πόλη – in the city)

What gender and case is πάρκο, and why do we use το?

Πάρκο is a neuter noun borrowed from a foreign word (like English “park”). Many such neuter nouns end in -ο.

Basic forms:

το πάρκο – nominative/accusative singular (the park)

In στο πάρκο, you have:

σε + το πάρκο → στο πάρκο, accusative after the preposition σε.

Prepositions in Greek (like σε) normally take the accusative.

Could we drop the article and just say βόλτα σε πάρκο?

You could say βόλτα σε πάρκο in some contexts, but it changes the meaning:

βόλτα στο πάρκο – a walk in the park (a specific or known park, or “the park” in general, like a usual place)
βόλτα σε πάρκο – a walk in a park (any park, not specified)

In everyday speech, when we mean “I go for a walk in the park” in the general sense of “that park I usually go to,” Greek strongly prefers στο πάρκο with the article.

The English meaning is habitual (“In winter I don’t often go…”). Is the Greek present tense normally used for habits like this?

Yes. The present tense in Greek (πηγαίνω) is regularly used to express habits and repeated actions, just like the English simple present:

Κάθε μέρα πηγαίνω στη δουλειά. – Every day I go to work.
Τον χειμώνα δεν πηγαίνω συχνά βόλτα στο πάρκο. – In winter I don’t often go for a walk in the park.

If you were talking about a past habit, you’d use the imperfect:

Τον χειμώνα δεν πήγαινα συχνά βόλτα στο πάρκο. – In the winter (back then) I didn’t often go for a walk in the park.

How should I pronounce the words, especially χειμώνα and πηγαίνω?

Approximate pronunciations (in simple English-like transcription):

Τον – /ton/ (like “ton”)
χειμώνα – /hi-MO-na/
- χ = rough “h” in the back of the throat (like the ch in Spanish jota or German Bach)
- Stress on -μό- → χειμώνα
δεν – /ðen/
- δ = voiced “th” as in this
πηγαίνω – /pi-ʝE-no/ roughly “pee-YEN-o”
- γ before α, ο, ου = hard “g” sound
- γ before ε, ι = softer, like a “y” with friction (γ in πηγαίνω sounds like a soft “y” sound)
- Stress on -γαί- → πηγαίνω
συχνά – /si-HNA/ (χ = same rough “h” as in χειμώνα, stress on -νά)
βόλτα – /VOL-ta/ (stress on βόλ-)
στο – /sto/
πάρκο – /PAR-ko/ (stress on πάρ-)

Stress marks (´) in Greek show you exactly where the strong syllable is, and that’s crucial for correct pronunciation.