Learn Hardcore Greek: Κάθε δευτερόλεπτο που χάνω στο ίντερνετ είναι χρόνος που δεν διαβάζω γλώσσα. - Every second that I lose on the internet is time when I am not studying language.

Using the plural (*κάθε δευτερόλεπτα) would be ungrammatical. Even though English says every second (singular) too, English learners sometimes expect a plural; just remember: after κάθε, Greek always uses the singular form.

What is the role of που in δευτερόλεπτο που χάνω and χρόνος που δεν διαβάζω?

Here, που is a relative pronoun, roughly meaning that / which / when in English.

κάθε δευτερόλεπτο που χάνω
→ every second *that I waste/lose*
είναι χρόνος που δεν διαβάζω γλώσσα
→ is time *when I am not reading/studying language*

Greek uses που very often for relative clauses where English might use that, which, who, or when. A more formal equivalent would be ο οποίος / η οποία / το οποίο, but που is by far the most common in everyday speech.

Why don’t we see the subject εγώ before χάνω and διαβάζω?

Greek usually drops subject pronouns when the subject is clear from the verb ending. This is called a pro‑drop language.

χάνω = I lose / I waste (the ending ‑ω shows 1st person singular)
διαβάζω = I read / I study (again, ‑ω)

So saying εγώ χάνω or εγώ διαβάζω is possible, but you only add εγώ when you want to emphasize I in contrast to someone else. In this sentence, the subject “I” is obvious from the verb forms, so εγώ is not needed.

What exactly does χάνω mean here? Is it “lose”, “miss”, or “waste”? Could I use a different verb?

The verb χάνω literally means to lose, but it is also commonly used in the sense of wasting time or opportunities:

Χάνω χρόνο. = I’m wasting time.
Χάνω τη μέρα μου. = I’m wasting my day.

So δευτερόλεπτο που χάνω στο ίντερνετ = a second that I waste on the internet.

You could express similar ideas with:

ξοδεύω χρόνο στο ίντερνετ = I spend time on the internet
περνάω χρόνο στο ίντερνετ = I pass/spend time on the internet

But χάνω χρόνο is stronger, with the negative feeling of “this is time I’m losing / wasting.”

What does στο ίντερνετ literally mean, and why is it that exact form?

στο ίντερνετ is the contraction of:

σε (in, at, on)
το (the, neuter singular)

So σε + το = στο → στο ίντερνετ = on the internet / on the net.

ίντερνετ is treated as a neuter noun in Greek, even though it’s borrowed from English and doesn’t decline:

το ίντερνετ (nominative/accusative; same form in all cases)

So the phrase is literally “in/on the internet”, just like English on the internet.

Why is ίντερνετ not capitalized? Is there a more “proper” Greek word for it?

In modern Greek, ίντερνετ is usually written with a lowercase iota, because it’s treated like a common noun, not a proper name:

το ίντερνετ = the internet

A more formal or “Greek” word is:

το διαδίκτυο = the internet (more literally “the network”)

Both are widely understood. In everyday speech and informal writing, ίντερνετ is very common; in more formal writing, you’ll often see διαδίκτυο.

Why is there no article before χρόνος? Why not είναι ο χρόνος or είναι ένας χρόνος?

Here χρόνος is used in a general, abstract sense: time as an uncountable resource, not “the time” or “a time”.

In such abstract, generic uses, Greek often omits the article:

Ο ύπνος είναι σημαντικός. = Sleep is important.
Ο καφές είναι ακριβός. = Coffee is expensive.
Είναι χάσιμο χρόνου. = It is a waste of time.

In your sentence, είναι χρόνος που… means “is time that…” in a general sense. Adding ο or ένας would sound wrong or at least unnatural here.

Why is there no article before γλώσσα? What’s the difference between διαβάζω γλώσσα, τη γλώσσα, μια γλώσσα, and ελληνικά?

Here γλώσσα is again used in a very general sense: language (as a thing you study). Greek often omits the article in such “generic” object uses.

Some nuances:

διαβάζω γλώσσα
Literally I read/study language – a bit abstract, like “I study language (materials)”. More natural with a specific language:
διαβάζω ελληνικά / αγγλικά / γαλλικά
I study Greek / English / French (as a language).
διαβάζω τη γλώσσα
I read/study *the language – refers to a *specific language already known from context (“this particular language we’ve been talking about”).
διαβάζω μια γλώσσα
I study *a language* – some unspecified language.

In real life, learners almost always say things like:

Κάθε δευτερόλεπτο που χάνω στο ίντερνετ είναι χρόνος που δεν διαβάζω ελληνικά.
Every second I waste on the internet is time I’m not studying Greek.

What does διαβάζω mean here? Only “read”, or also “study”?

διαβάζω has two main meanings:

to read (a book, article, etc.)
- Διαβάζω ένα βιβλίο. = I’m reading a book.
to study / to do homework / to prepare for exams
- Διαβάζω για το τεστ. = I’m studying for the test.
- Πάω να διαβάσω. = I’m going to study.

In the sentence δεν διαβάζω γλώσσα, the meaning is between “read” and “study” – contextually, it’s about studying language (reading language materials, grammar, etc.). So you can understand it as “time when I’m not studying language.”

Can I change the word order, for example: Κάθε δευτερόλεπτο στο ίντερνετ που χάνω…? Is that still correct?

Word order in Greek is quite flexible, but not all orders sound equally natural.

The original:

Κάθε δευτερόλεπτο που χάνω στο ίντερνετ…
keeps “κάθε δευτερόλεπτο” (every second) and its relative clause “που χάνω” tightly together, then adds “στο ίντερνετ” as a modifier of χάνω.

Variants:

Κάθε δευτερόλεπτο που χάνω στο ίντερνετ είναι χρόνος… → very natural.
Κάθε δευτερόλεπτο στο ίντερνετ που χάνω είναι χρόνος… → understandable, but a bit heavier; feels slightly less smooth.

The safest and most natural is exactly the original order, with που χάνω immediately after δευτερόλεπτο.

Why are the verbs in the present tense (χάνω, δεν διαβάζω)? Could we use another tense?

The present tense in Greek is used for:

habits / general truths
(Κάθε δευτερόλεπτο που χάνω… = “Whenever I waste a second…”)
ongoing actions

Here it expresses a general rule: whenever a second is being wasted on the internet, that same second is time not spent studying language.

Other tenses would change the meaning:

Κάθε δευτερόλεπτο που έχω χάσει…
Every second that I have already wasted… (past, completed)
Κάθε δευτερόλεπτο που θα χάσω…
Every second that I will waste… (future)

So the simple present is the natural choice for this “whenever / every time” meaning.

Is there a slightly more natural way a Greek person might say this same idea?

The sentence is understandable, but a few small tweaks would sound more colloquial. For example:

Κάθε δευτερόλεπτο που χαζεύω στο ίντερνετ είναι χρόνος που δεν διαβάζω ελληνικά.
(χαζεύω στο ίντερνετ = I’m mindlessly browsing the internet)

Or:

Κάθε δευτερόλεπτο που περνάω στο ίντερνετ είναι χρόνος που δεν μελετάω τη γλώσσα.
(περνάω χρόνο = I spend time; μελετάω = I study more seriously)

These keep the same structure but use verbs that are very natural in everyday speech.

What case are κάθε δευτερόλεπτο and χρόνος in, and why?

Both δευτερόλεπτο and χρόνος are in the nominative case, because they function as:

Subject: Κάθε δευτερόλεπτο που χάνω στο ίντερνετ
→ Every second that I waste on the internet (this whole phrase is the subject of είναι)
Predicate noun (complement): χρόνος after είναι
→ is time…

In Greek, both the subject and a noun that comes after είμαι (to be) are in the nominative:

Ο Γιάννης είναι δάσκαλος. (both nominative)
Κάθε δευτερόλεπτο … είναι χρόνος… (both nominative)