Breakdown of Την άνοιξη μου αρέσει να περπατάω στο πάρκο.
Questions & Answers about Την άνοιξη μου αρέσει να περπατάω στο πάρκο.
In Greek, μου αρέσει literally means “it is pleasing to me”.
- αρέσει is the 3rd person singular form of the verb αρέσω = to be pleasing.
- μου is the weak (clitic) form of εγώ in the genitive case, meaning “to me / for me”.
So the structure is:
- μου = to me
- αρέσει = is pleasing
→ μου αρέσει = it is pleasing to me → I like it.
In this sentence, what “is pleasing to me” is the whole clause να περπατάω στο πάρκο (to walk in the park). Greek keeps the verb in 3rd person and uses μου to show who likes it, instead of saying εγώ αρέσω.
Greek often uses the accusative case without a preposition to express time when something happens.
- η άνοιξη = nominative (subject form)
- την άνοιξη = accusative (object / adverbial form)
Expressions like:
- την άνοιξη – in (the) spring
- το καλοκαίρι – in (the) summer
- κάθε Δευτέρα (accusative) – every Monday
function like adverbs of time. So Την άνοιξη here means “in (the) spring” and tells us when the speaker likes walking in the park. Using Η άνοιξη would incorrectly make “spring” look like the subject of the sentence.
You can say Στην άνοιξη, and it is grammatically correct, but Την άνοιξη is more natural here.
- Την άνοιξη (bare accusative) is the usual, idiomatic way to say “in (the) spring” in a general, habitual sense.
- Στην άνοιξη (in the spring) can sound a bit more literal or specific, as if you are placing the action inside the time period, and is less common in this kind of general preference sentence.
In everyday speech, for a general statement of what you like doing in that season, Greek speakers overwhelmingly prefer:
Την άνοιξη μου αρέσει να περπατάω στο πάρκο.
Την άνοιξη is an adverbial phrase of time.
- It is in the accusative case, but it is not a direct object here.
- It functions like an adverb, answering “when?” → When do I like to walk in the park? → In the spring.
So the main structure is:
- μου αρέσει = I like
- να περπατάω στο πάρκο = to walk in the park (what I like)
- Την άνοιξη = in the spring (when I like it).
μου is a clitic pronoun (a weak, unstressed form), and in Greek clitics usually appear right before the verb they belong to (in simple sentences in the present or past).
So:
- Μου αρέσει… = I like…
NOT: Αρέσει μου… (which sounds unnatural or old-fashioned in modern standard Greek).
In more complex sentences (e.g., with some conjunctions or negatives) the position of μου can change slightly, but with a simple main verb like αρέσει, the normal neutral order is μου αρέσει.
να is a particle that introduces a subordinate verb form, often called the subjunctive in Greek grammars.
In this sentence, να περπατάω works like an infinitive in English:
- να περπατάω ≈ to walk
Since modern Greek doesn’t have a separate infinitive form like “to walk”, it uses να + verb instead. So:
- μου αρέσει να περπατάω = I like to walk / I like walking.
The difference is aspect (how the action is viewed):
να περπατάω: present subjunctive, imperfective aspect → action as ongoing, repeated, or habitual.
- Here: I like walking (as an activity, in general).
να περπατήσω: aorist subjunctive, perfective aspect → action as a single, complete event.
- Μου αρέσει να περπατήσω στο πάρκο is not natural for a general preference. It would sound like “I’d like to (go and) walk in the park (once, now / later).”
For general likes and hobbies, Greek uses the present subjunctive: μου αρέσει να περπατάω, μου αρέσει να διαβάζω, etc.
Both να περπατάω and να περπατώ are present subjunctive, same aspect and meaning: “to walk” (as an ongoing / habitual activity).
The difference is mainly style and register:
- να περπατάω – more colloquial and very common in everyday speech.
- να περπατώ – a bit more formal or bookish, though still correct and understood.
So you could also say:
Την άνοιξη μου αρέσει να περπατώ στο πάρκο.
It means the same thing; it just sounds slightly more formal.
In Greek, the preposition σε (“in, at, to”) contracts with the definite article:
- σε + το → στο
- σε + την → στην
- σε + τις → στις, etc.
So:
- σε + το πάρκο = στο πάρκο (in the park / to the park).
Writing σε το πάρκο is technically understandable but not standard; the contraction στο πάρκο is the normal correct form.
Yes, you can say σε ένα πάρκο, and it changes the meaning slightly:
- στο πάρκο = in the park → a specific park, or “the park” you usually go to. Greek often uses the definite article even where English might omit “the” in general statements.
- σε ένα πάρκο = in a park → any park, not a particular one.
In a typical sentence about a personal routine, στο πάρκο feels more natural, as if you have a familiar park in mind.
Yes. Greek word order is fairly flexible, and Την άνοιξη can move, as long as the clitic μου stays close to αρέσει.
All of these are grammatically correct:
- Την άνοιξη μου αρέσει να περπατάω στο πάρκο.
- Μου αρέσει την άνοιξη να περπατάω στο πάρκο.
- Μου αρέσει να περπατάω στο πάρκο την άνοιξη.
The meaning is essentially the same; the differences are small nuances of emphasis. The original order (Την άνοιξη μου αρέσει…) slightly highlights “in the spring” more strongly.