Learn Hardcore Greek: Πάντα παίρνω το τρένο όταν πηγαίνω στο πανεπιστήμιο. - I always take the train when I go to the university.

The most common position is before the verb:
- Πάντα παίρνω το τρένο.
You can also put it after the verb, but it sounds a bit more marked or emphatic:
- Παίρνω πάντα το τρένο. (Still natural.)

It normally does not go at the very end of the sentence in standard speech:

✗ Παίρνω το τρένο πάντα sounds odd or very emphatic and is not the neutral choice.

Why do we use παίρνω for the train? Doesn’t παίρνω literally mean I take?

Yes, παίρνω literally means I take, but in Greek it is the normal verb for using a means of transport:

παίρνω το τρένο – I take the train
παίρνω το λεωφορείο – I take the bus
παίρνω το ταξί – I take a taxi

You can also say:

πηγαίνω με το τρένο – I go by train

Both are correct, but:

παίρνω το τρένο focuses on the action of taking/boarding the train.
πηγαίνω με το τρένο focuses on the means of transport you use to go somewhere.

In everyday speech παίρνω το τρένο is very common and very natural.

How is παίρνω conjugated, and how do I know it means I take?

Παίρνω is a present tense verb, 1st person singular.

Present tense forms of παίρνω (informal speech):

(εγώ) παίρνω – I take
(εσύ) παίρνεις – you take (singular, informal)
(αυτός/αυτή/αυτό) παίρνει – he/she/it takes
(εμείς) παίρνουμε – we take
(εσείς) παίρνετε – you take (plural or polite)
(αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά) παίρνουν(ε) – they take

In Greek you usually omit the subject pronoun (εγώ, εσύ, etc.), because the verb ending shows the subject.
So παίρνω by itself already means I take.

Why is there a το before τρένο? Can you just say παίρνω τρένο?

In Greek, you very often need the definite article (ο, η, το) even where English does not use the.

So:

παίρνω το τρένο = literally I take the train, but it’s the normal way to say I take the train (as a means of transport).
παίρνω τρένο (without το) is not wrong grammatically, but in everyday speech it sounds unusual or incomplete in this context.

General point:
Greek tends to use the definite article:

with generic things: Μου αρέσει το τρένο. – I like trains / the train as a means of transport.
with institutions: Πηγαίνω στο σχολείο. – I go to school.

So here το τρένο is the natural, idiomatic form.

What does όταν do here? Is it like when or if?

Όταν is a time conjunction, meaning when.

In Πάντα παίρνω το τρένο όταν πηγαίνω στο πανεπιστήμιο, the meaning is:

I always take the train when(ever) I go to the university.

So:

όταν = when / whenever (indicating time)
αν = if (indicating condition)

Compare:

Όταν πηγαίνω στο πανεπιστήμιο, παίρνω το τρένο.
When(ever) I go to the university, I take the train.
Αν πάω στο πανεπιστήμιο, θα πάρω το τρένο.
If I go to the university, I will take the train.

Here όταν clearly introduces a time clause, not a condition.

Why are both verbs in the present tense (παίρνω, πηγαίνω) when we’re talking about a habit?

In Greek, the present tense is used both for:

actions happening right now, and
habitual actions (things you regularly do).

So:

Τώρα παίρνω το τρένο. – I am taking the train now.
Πάντα παίρνω το τρένο. – I always take the train. (habit)

Similarly:

Όταν πηγαίνω στο πανεπιστήμιο = When(ever) I go to the university (every time, as a habit).

You do not need a special tense for habitual actions; the simple present does that job.

What is the difference between πηγαίνω and πάω?

Both πηγαίνω and πάω mean I go.

πηγαίνω is the full form, a bit more neutral / standard.
πάω is the short, very common spoken form.

You can usually replace πηγαίνω with πάω in everyday speech:

Πάντα παίρνω το τρένο όταν πάω στο πανεπιστήμιο.
(Completely natural in conversation.)

They have the same meaning in this context; the difference is style/register rather than meaning.

What exactly is στο in στο πανεπιστήμιο?

Στο is a contraction of two words:

σε (to, at, in) + το (the, neuter singular) → στο

So:

στο πανεπιστήμιο = σε το πανεπιστήμιο = to the / at the university

This contraction is very common:

σε + το → στο
σε + τον → στον
σε + την → στη(ν)

In this sentence:

πανεπιστήμιο is neuter, so we use το, hence στο πανεπιστήμιο.

Why is it στο πανεπιστήμιο and not something like στον πανεπιστήμιο?

Because πανεπιστήμιο is neuter, not masculine.

The noun:

το πανεπιστήμιο – the university (neuter)

So with σε:

σε + το πανεπιστήμιο → στο πανεπιστήμιο

If it were masculine, you would see:

σε + τον … → στον …

For example:

ο γιατρός (the doctor, masc.) → στον γιατρό (to the doctor)

But πανεπιστήμιο is neuter, so we get στο πανεπιστήμιο.

Could we say Όταν πηγαίνω στο πανεπιστήμιο, πάντα παίρνω το τρένο instead? Does the word order change the meaning?

Yes, that is perfectly correct:

Όταν πηγαίνω στο πανεπιστήμιο, πάντα παίρνω το τρένο.

Greek word order is fairly flexible, especially with clauses. Both:

Πάντα παίρνω το τρένο όταν πηγαίνω στο πανεπιστήμιο.
Όταν πηγαίνω στο πανεπιστήμιο, πάντα παίρνω το τρένο.

mean exactly the same thing.

The choice is mostly about style and emphasis:

Starting with Όταν… slightly emphasizes the time condition (when I go…).
Starting with Πάντα παίρνω… slightly emphasizes the habit (always taking the train).

In everyday speech, both orders sound natural.

Why is εγώ (I) not written? How do we know who the subject is?

Greek is a pro‑drop language: subject pronouns (like εγώ, εσύ) are usually omitted because the verb ending shows the person.

In παίρνω:

the ‑ω ending tells you it’s 1st person singular → I.

So:

(Εγώ) πάντα παίρνω το τρένο…
Πάντα παίρνω το τρένο…

mean the same thing.
You only add εγώ for extra emphasis, e.g.:

Εγώ πάντα παίρνω το τρένο, όχι το λεωφορείο.
I always take the train, not the bus.

Does πανεπιστήμιο need a capital letter, like Πανεπιστήμιο?

In this sentence, στο πανεπιστήμιο refers to university in general or my university as a place/institution, so lowercase is normal:

στο πανεπιστήμιο – (to) the university

You might see Πανεπιστήμιο capitalized when:

It is part of an official name:
- Το Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
Or in some styles when speaking of The University as a specific titled institution, but this is less strict than in English.

For everyday use like in this sentence, στο πανεπιστήμιο with lowercase π is standard.

What is the difference between παίρνω and πάρω? When would I use πάρω for the train?

Παίρνω is present tense, imperfective aspect: it can describe ongoing or habitual actions.

Πάρω is the perfective stem used in:

simple future: θα πάρω – I will take
subjunctive: να πάρω – (for me) to take

Examples:

Πάντα παίρνω το τρένο. – I always take the train. (habit, present)
Αύριο θα πάρω το τρένο. – Tomorrow I will take the train.
Θέλω να πάρω το τρένο. – I want to take the train.

So in the original sentence (a general habit), παίρνω is the correct and natural form.

How do you pronounce the main words in this sentence?

Approximate pronunciation (stressed syllable in CAPS):

Πάντα – PAN‑da
παίρνω – PER‑no (the αι is like e in pet)
το – to (like toh)
τρένο – TRE‑no
όταν – O‑tan (like OH‑tan)
πηγαίνω – pee‑YEN‑o (the γ before αι is like a soft y sound)
στο – sto
πανεπιστήμιο – pa‑ne‑PIS‑tee‑mio

Stress in Greek is very important: changing the stress can change the word or make it hard to understand. Here, just copy the positions of the written accents.