Μου αρέσει πολύ να περπατάω στο πάρκο.

Breakdown of Μου αρέσει πολύ να περπατάω στο πάρκο.

να
to
μου
me
σε
in
περπατάω
to walk
το πάρκο
the park
αρέσω
to like
πολύ
much
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Questions & Answers about Μου αρέσει πολύ να περπατάω στο πάρκο.

Why do we say Μου αρέσει and not Εγώ αρέσω for I like?

In Greek, the verb αρέσει literally means is pleasing.
So Μου αρέσει is more like It is pleasing to me.

  • μου = to me (indirect object)
  • αρέσει = is pleasing (3rd person singular)

The thing you like is the grammatical subject:

  • Μου αρέσει το πάρκο. = The park pleases me.

So you don’t say Εγώ αρέσω το πάρκο, because εγώ is not the subject here. The structure is reversed compared to English.

What is μου grammatically, and why is there no separate word for to?

μου is a weak (clitic) personal pronoun:

  • person: 1st
  • number: singular
  • case: genitive

It often corresponds to to me / my in English.
Modern Greek uses the genitive pronoun μου both for possession and for indirect objects:

  • το βιβλίο μου = my book
  • μου αρέσει = it pleases me / I like it

Greek doesn’t need a separate word like to here; the case ending (genitive) already expresses the to me meaning.

When do we use αρέσει and when αρέσουν?

αρέσει and αρέσουν agree with the thing that is liked:

  • Μου αρέσει το πάρκο.
    το πάρκο (singular) → αρέσει (3rd person singular)

  • Μου αρέσουν τα πάρκα.
    τα πάρκα (plural) → αρέσουν (3rd person plural)

The pronoun μου does not affect the verb ending; the subject (what you like) does.

What does πολύ do in this sentence, and what exactly does it modify?

πολύ is an adverb meaning very / very much / a lot.

In Μου αρέσει πολύ να περπατάω στο πάρκο, it modifies αρέσει and shows how much you like the action:

  • Μου αρέσει πολύ… = I like it very much…

Typical positions:

  • Μου αρέσει πολύ να περπατάω στο πάρκο.
  • Πολύ μου αρέσει να περπατάω στο πάρκο. (more emphatic on πολύ)

If you remove it:

  • Μου αρέσει να περπατάω στο πάρκο. = I like walking in the park. (without the very much)
Why do we need να before περπατάω?

Modern Greek does not really use infinitives (forms like to walk).
Instead, it uses a να + verb structure, often called the subjunctive.

Here να περπατάω functions like English to walk or walking after like:

  • Μου αρέσει να περπατάω στο πάρκο.
    I like walking / I like to walk in the park.

So να is a particle that introduces a verb in this special form, used after verbs like θέλω (I want), μπορώ (I can), πρέπει (must), μου αρέσει (I like), etc.

Is να περπατάω closer to to walk or walking in English?

Functionally, it covers both:

  • I like to walk in the park.
  • I like walking in the park.

Greek does not distinguish these two ways the way English does.
The structure να + verb simply lets a verb act like a noun phrase after μου αρέσει, so either English version is usually a good translation.

What is the difference between να περπατάω and να περπατήσω?

Both are να + verb, but they differ in aspect:

  • να περπατάω – imperfective: the action as ongoing, repeated, or habitual
    → use this for general likes, habits, activities
    Μου αρέσει να περπατάω στο πάρκο.
    = I like the activity of walking in the park.

  • να περπατήσω – perfective: the action as a single, complete event
    You would not normally say Μου αρέσει να περπατήσω στο πάρκο; it sounds odd, because μου αρέσει expresses a general preference, not a one-time completed event.

So with μου αρέσει, the natural choice is the imperfective να περπατάω (or να περπατώ).

What is the difference between περπατάω and περπατώ?

They are two forms of the same verb:

  • περπατάω – more colloquial and very common in spoken Greek
  • περπατώ – slightly more formal / standard, but also correct and common

Both mean I walk. You can say:

  • Μου αρέσει να περπατάω στο πάρκο.
  • Μου αρέσει να περπατώ στο πάρκο.

The meaning is the same; it’s mostly a matter of style and personal preference.

Why is it στο πάρκο and not σε το πάρκο?

στο is the contraction of σε + το:

  • σε = in / at / to
  • το = definite article, neuter singular (the)

So:

  • σε + το πάρκοστο πάρκο = in the park / at the park

This contraction is obligatory in normal speech and writing.
Similarly:

  • σε + τον δρόμοστον δρόμο
  • σε + τη(ν) θάλασσαστη(ν) θάλασσα
Could we say σε πάρκο instead of στο πάρκο?

Yes, but the meaning changes:

  • στο πάρκο = in the park (a specific or generic park type, but definite)
  • σε πάρκο = in a park (some park, not specified)

Your original sentence with στο πάρκο usually implies in the park in a general or specific sense, not just any park.

How would you make this sentence negative?

Place δεν before μου αρέσει:

  • Δεν μου αρέσει να περπατάω στο πάρκο.
    = I don’t like walking in the park.

If you want I don’t really like walking in the park, you might say:

  • Δεν μου αρέσει και τόσο να περπατάω στο πάρκο.
  • Δεν μου αρέσει πολύ να περπατάω στο πάρκο. (often understood as not very much)
How do you pronounce Μου αρέσει πολύ να περπατάω στο πάρκο?

Syllable division and stress (capital letters show the stressed syllable):

  • Μου → /mu/
  • αρέσει → a-RE-si (α-ΡΕ-σι)
  • πολύ → po-LI (πο-ΛΥ)
  • να → na
  • περπατάω → per-pa-TA-o (περ-πα-ΤΑ-ω)
    (often pronounced a bit like περ-πα-ΤΑω, almost 3 syllables)
  • στο → sto
  • πάρκο → PAR-ko (ΠΑΡ-κο)

Altogether:
Μου αΡΕσι ποΛΙ να περπαΤΑω στο ΠΑΡκο.