Learn Hardcore Greek: Αφού τελειώσω τη δουλειά, έχω τη συνήθεια να περπατάω καθημερινά για λίγη ώρα. - After I finish work, I have the habit of walking daily for a little while.

In this sentence Αφού means “after / once”, introducing a time clause: Αφού τελειώσω τη δουλειά = “After I finish work / Once I’ve finished work”.
It shows that one action is completed first (finishing work) and then another follows (walking).

μετά is usually a preposition or adverb: μετά τη δουλειά = “after work”. To use a verb, you’d normally say μετά τη δουλειά or more colloquially μετά που τελειώσω τη δουλειά.
όταν means “when(ever)” and is more neutral about sequence; it just says at the time when something happens. Αφού here is stronger about “after that is done, then…”.

So Αφού in this sentence is best understood as “after / once” rather than “since”.

Why is τελειώσω used instead of τελειώνω?

Τελειώσω is the aorist subjunctive form, and it is used because:

The action is future / not yet realized from the speaker’s point of view (it happens each day, after work).
The aorist aspect focuses on the action as a single, complete event: “after I have finished (my work)”.

Greek often uses the aorist subjunctive in time clauses with Αφού for future or habitual sequences:
Αφού τελειώσω, περπατάω = “After I (have) finished, I walk.”

If you said Αφού τελειώνω τη δουλειά, it would sound odd here; τελειώνω (present) is used more with όταν for habits:
Όταν τελειώνω τη δουλειά, περπατάω = “When I finish work, I walk.”

Why do we say τη δουλειά with the article here? Could we omit it?

Greek uses the definite article much more often than English. With verbs like τελειώνω / τελειώσω, it’s very natural to talk about τελειώνω τη δουλειά (“I finish the work / my work for the day”), i.e. some specific, known work.

τελειώσω τη δουλειά feels normal and specific.
τελειώσω δουλειά (without the article) is possible, but sounds more vague or less idiomatic in this everyday meaning; it can occur but is much less common here.

So the article τη helps signal that this is the specific work you normally do, not just some abstract “work in general”.

Can I say τη δουλειά μου instead of τη δουλειά? Does it change the meaning?

Yes, you can say Αφού τελειώσω τη δουλειά μου. The meaning is essentially:

τη δουλειά = “the work / my work (understood from context)”
τη δουλειά μου = explicitly “my work / my job”.

In everyday speech, τη δουλειά μου is very common when you mean your job or your daily work tasks.
In many contexts, listeners will understand τη δουλειά as “my work” anyway, so adding μου just makes it explicit.

Is έχω τη συνήθεια να… the usual way to say “I usually…” in Greek?

Έχω τη συνήθεια να… literally means “I have the habit of…”. It is correct and natural, but it sounds a bit more formal or emphatic.

More typical everyday alternatives for “I usually…” would be:

Συνήθως περπατάω καθημερινά για λίγη ώρα. – “I usually walk every day for a little while.”
Συνηθίζω να περπατάω καθημερινά για λίγη ώρα. – “I’m in the habit of walking every day for a little while.”

So έχω τη συνήθεια να περπατάω… is fine, just slightly more “spelled‑out” or careful than what people often say in casual conversation.

Why is it να περπατάω and not να περπατήσω or να περπατώ?

Here we have να + present subjunctive (περπατάω), which emphasizes an ongoing / repeated / habitual action:

να περπατάω = “to walk (regularly / for some time, as a habit)”.

If you used the aorist subjunctive να περπατήσω, it would sound more like a single, complete walk: “to take one walk (once)”. That doesn’t fit as well with the idea of a habit.

Να περπατώ is the more “formal” or literary present form; να περπατάω is very common in everyday speech. Both are grammatically correct, but να περπατάω sounds more colloquial and natural here.

What is the difference between καθημερινά and κάθε μέρα?

In this sentence, καθημερινά and κάθε μέρα are practically synonymous:

καθημερινά = “daily, every day” (an adverb derived from καθημερινός).
κάθε μέρα = “every day” (literally “each day”).

You could say:

περπατάω καθημερινά
περπατάω κάθε μέρα

Both are correct and very common. Καθημερινά can sometimes also mean “in everyday life / routinely”, but here it just means “every day”.

What is the role of για in για λίγη ώρα? Is it necessary?

Για here means “for” in the sense of duration:
για λίγη ώρα = “for a little while / for a short time”.

In many cases, για with time expressions is optional:

Περπατάω καθημερινά για λίγη ώρα.
Περπατάω καθημερινά λίγη ώρα.

Both are understood as “I walk for a little while every day.”
Using για is very common and feels natural; leaving it out is still correct but slightly more neutral or concise.

Why do we say λίγη ώρα and not λίγο ώρα?

Because ώρα is a feminine noun, and the adjective λίγος must agree with it in gender, number, and case.

Masculine: λίγος χρόνος – “a little time”
Feminine: λίγη ώρα – “a little while / a short time”
Neuter: λίγο νερό – “a little water”

So with ώρα you must use the feminine form λίγη, not the neuter λίγο.

Can we change the word order, for example putting Αφού τελειώσω τη δουλειά at the end?

Yes. Greek word order is fairly flexible, so both of these are natural:

Αφού τελειώσω τη δουλειά, έχω τη συνήθεια να περπατάω καθημερινά για λίγη ώρα.
Έχω τη συνήθεια να περπατάω καθημερινά για λίγη ώρα αφού τελειώσω τη δουλειά.

When the Αφού… clause comes first, you normally separate it with a comma.
When it comes second and the sentence is short, Greek often omits the comma:
…να περπατάω καθημερινά για λίγη ώρα αφού τελειώσω τη δουλειά.