Αν οι γονείς μου δεν με πάρουν τηλέφωνο, ανησυχώ λίγο.

If my parents don't call me, I worry a bit.

Breakdown of Αν οι γονείς μου δεν με πάρουν τηλέφωνο, ανησυχώ λίγο.

• δεν: not
• μου: my
• με: me
• αν: if
• ο γονιός: the parent
• παίρνω τηλέφωνο: to call
• ανησυχώ: to worry
• λίγο: a bit

Questions & Answers about Αν οι γονείς μου δεν με πάρουν τηλέφωνο, ανησυχώ λίγο.

Why is Αν translated as "if" here? Could it also mean "when"?

Αν is the basic conjunction for "if" in Modern Greek.

In this sentence it introduces a condition:

• Αν οι γονείς μου δεν με πάρουν τηλέφωνο…
  If my parents don’t call me…

It can sometimes be close to "when" in meaning in very habitual statements, but here the idea is clearly conditional (there is a real possibility they might not call), so "if" is the natural translation.

For a more straightforward "when", Greek normally uses όταν (e.g. Όταν οι γονείς μου δεν με παίρνουν τηλέφωνο… = When my parents don’t call me…).

Why is it πάρουν and not παίρνουν in δεν με πάρουν τηλέφωνο?

• παίρνουν = present indicative, "they take / they are taking"
• πάρουν = aorist subjunctive, "they (should) take" as a single complete action

After αν (if) talking about a future, one‑time event, Greek normally uses the aorist subjunctive, not the present:

• Αν με πάρουν τηλέφωνο… = If they (do) call me… (one occasion)
• Αν με παίρνουν τηλέφωνο… = If they call me (regularly / are in the habit of calling me)

So πάρουν is chosen to express one possible future phone call, not an ongoing habit.

What does με πάρουν τηλέφωνο literally mean, and why do you say it that way?

Literally:

• παίρνω τηλέφωνο κάποιον = I take (someone) telephone → idiomatically “I call someone (on the phone)”
• με πάρουν τηλέφωνο = they call me (by phone)

Structure:

• με = me (direct object)
• πάρουν = take (here: call)
• τηλέφωνο = telephone (object used to form the expression)

This is a very common everyday expression. It’s roughly equivalent to English “give me a call” rather than a strict word‑for‑word phrase.

Why is the pronoun με placed before πάρουν in δεν με πάρουν τηλέφωνο?

In Greek, weak object pronouns (like με, σε, τον, την, το, μας, σας, τους) usually go before the verb in simple forms:

• με παίρνουν = they call me
• δεν με παίρνουν = they don’t call me

So:

• δεν με πάρουν τηλέφωνο is the normal order:
  • δεν (not)
  • με (me)
  • πάρουν (take/call)

Putting με after the verb (δεν πάρουν με τηλέφωνο) would be wrong in standard Modern Greek.

Why is it ανησυχώ and not θα ανησυχήσω or θα ανησυχώ?

In Greek conditionals about the future, it’s very common to use present tense in the main clause, even where English uses “will”:

• Αν οι γονείς μου δεν με πάρουν τηλέφωνο, ανησυχώ λίγο.
  Literally: If my parents don’t call me, I worry a bit.
  Natural English: If my parents don’t call me, I’ll worry a bit.

Alternatives:

• …θα ανησυχήσω (λίγο) = I will get worried / I will start worrying (a bit)
  – more clearly future, often with a sense of reaction at that moment.
• …θα ανησυχώ = I will be worried (ongoing state in the future), less likely here.

Using present ανησυχώ here sounds natural and slightly more general or habitual in Greek.

What nuance does λίγο add in ανησυχώ λίγο?

λίγο literally means “a little / a bit”.

Here it softens the verb ανησυχώ:

• ανησυχώ = I worry / I’m worried
• ανησυχώ λίγο = I worry a bit / I get a little worried

It suggests mild concern, not serious anxiety. Omitting λίγο:

• …ανησυχώ. = …I worry / I get worried. (stronger, more absolute)

How does οι γονείς μου work grammatically? Why both an article and μου?

οι γονείς μου breaks down like this:

• οι = the (nominative plural article)
• γονείς = parents
• μου = my (genitive of εγώ, used as a possessive pronoun)

So οι γονείς μου literally = “the parents of me” = my parents.

Greek generally needs the article with family members in this kind of phrase:

• ο πατέρας μου = my father
• η μητέρα μου = my mother
• οι γονείς μου = my parents

Leaving out μου (οι γονείς δεν με πάρουν…) would just mean “the parents”, with no idea of “my.”

Why is the negative δεν placed before με in δεν με πάρουν?

The normal sequence for a simple verb with a weak object pronoun is:

1. δεν (negation)
2. weak pronoun (με, σε, τον…)
3. verb

So:

• δεν με παίρνουν = they do not call me
• δεν με πάρουν = (if) they do not call me

Putting δεν after the pronoun (με δεν πάρουν) is ungrammatical. The pattern is:

δεν + (object pronoun) + verb

Can I change the word order, for example Αν δεν με πάρουν τηλέφωνο οι γονείς μου?

Yes. Greek word order is relatively flexible. These are all acceptable:

1. Αν οι γονείς μου δεν με πάρουν τηλέφωνο, ανησυχώ λίγο.
2. Αν δεν με πάρουν τηλέφωνο οι γονείς μου, ανησυχώ λίγο.

Both mean the same. Difference:

• Putting οι γονείς μου first (1) lightly emphasizes who we’re talking about at the start.
• Putting οι γονείς μου later (2) slightly emphasizes the condition (if they don’t call me), then identifies who they are.

The cluster δεν με πάρουν τηλέφωνο needs to stay together; you can’t break it in arbitrary ways.

Could I say τηλεφωνήσουν instead of με πάρουν τηλέφωνο?

You can, but you must change the pronoun:

• τηλεφωνώ σε κάποιον = I phone to someone
  → takes an indirect object in Greek (genitive pronoun)

So:

• Αν οι γονείς μου δεν μου τηλεφωνήσουν, ανησυχώ λίγο.
  Here:
  • μου = to me (indirect object)
  • τηλεφωνήσουν = aorist subjunctive of τηλεφωνώ

Compare:

• με πάρουν τηλέφωνο (direct object με)
• μου τηλεφωνήσουν (indirect object μου)

Both are natural, but παίρνω τηλέφωνο is extremely common in speech.

What’s the difference between αν and όταν in a sentence like this?

• αν = if (conditional, uncertain whether it will happen)
• όταν = when (whenever / every time / at the time that)

In this example:

• Αν οι γονείς μου δεν με πάρουν τηλέφωνο, ανησυχώ λίγο.
  → If my parents don’t call me, I (will) worry a bit. (uncertain situation)

If you say:

• Όταν οι γονείς μου δεν με παίρνουν τηλέφωνο, ανησυχώ λίγο.
  → When my parents don’t call me, I (tend to) worry a bit.
  This sounds more habitual: Whenever they don’t call, I get worried.

Why is there no να before πάρουν? Isn’t the subjunctive usually να πάρουν?

Yes, the aorist subjunctive is very often introduced by να:

• να πάρουν = (that) they take / they should take

However, some conjunctions directly trigger the subjunctive and you don’t add να:

• αν πάρουν (if they take)
• όταν πάρουν (when they take – referring to the future)
• μόλις πάρουν (as soon as they take)

So in Αν οι γονείς μου δεν με πάρουν τηλέφωνο, αν itself requires the subjunctive, so you say πάρουν, not να πάρουν and not παίρνουν.

What form of the verb is πάρουν exactly, and how is it formed from παίρνω?

πάρουν is:

• 3rd person plural
• aorist subjunctive active
• of the verb παίρνω (to take)

Pattern:

• Present: παίρν-
  
  • παίρνω, παίρνεις, παίρνει, παίρνουμε, παίρνετε, παίρνουν(ε)
• Aorist stem: πήρ- (for indicative) and πάρ- (for subjunctive/imperative)
  • Indicative aorist: πήρα, πήρες, πήρε, πήραμε, πήρατε, πήραν(ε)
  • Subjunctive aorist: να πάρω, να πάρεις, να πάρει, να πάρουμε, να πάρετε, να πάρουν(ε)

So (αν) πάρουν is parallel to (να) πάρουν – it’s the same subjunctive form.

Is the comma after τηλέφωνο necessary, and could the sentence be written without it?

The comma is standard and recommended here because:

• Αν οι γονείς μου δεν με πάρουν τηλέφωνο = conditional clause
• ανησυχώ λίγο = main clause

Greek normally separates a dependent clause from the main clause with a comma, so:

• ✅ Αν οι γονείς μου δεν με πάρουν τηλέφωνο, ανησυχώ λίγο.

Writing it without a comma (…τηλέφωνο ανησυχώ λίγο) is not standard punctuation and makes the sentence harder to parse.