Learn Hardcore Greek: Πηγαίνω στον σταθμό με τα πόδια, αλλά η συναδέλφισσά μου παίρνει πάντα το ασανσέρ. - I go to the station on foot, but my colleague female always takes the elevator.

Πηγαίνω ends in -ω, which is the 1st person singular ending in the present tense.
So Πηγαίνω already means “I go / I am going”, and Εγώ πηγαίνω would sound emphatic: “I (as opposed to someone else) go…”.

Leaving εγώ out is normal and natural in Greek.

What exactly is στον in στον σταθμό?

Στον is a contraction of:

σε (a preposition meaning “to, at, in”)
τον (the masculine singular definite article “the” in the accusative case)

So σε + τον → στον.

Στον σταθμό literally = “to the station / at the station”.

In speech you will often hear στον σταθμό as one unit: ston stathmó.

Why is σταθμό in that form and not σταθμός?

Σταθμός is the nominative form (dictionary form).
After σε(ν) (σε / στον / στο / στην), the noun goes into the accusative case.

Nominative: ο σταθμός (subject: “the station (does something)”)
Accusative: τον σταθμό (“to the station”, “I see the station”, etc.)

So στον σταθμό is σε + τον + σταθμό = “to the station / at the station”, with σταθμό in the accusative.

Why does με τα πόδια mean “on foot”? It looks like “with the feet”.

Literally, με τα πόδια is “with the feet”:

με = with / by (used for means or instrument)
τα = the (neuter plural)
πόδια = feet

As an idiom, με τα πόδια means exactly “on foot”: going somewhere by walking.

It’s very common and natural:

Πηγαίνω στη δουλειά με τα πόδια. = I go to work on foot.
You could also say περπατάω μέχρι τη δουλειά (“I walk to work”), but με τα πόδια is a set phrase you’ll hear a lot.

Can Πηγαίνω be replaced with Πάω here? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say:

Πάω στον σταθμό με τα πόδια…

Both πηγαίνω and πάω mean “to go” in the present tense.

Nuances (very small in everyday speech):

Πάω is shorter, more colloquial, very common in conversation.
Πηγαίνω can sound a bit more formal or careful, and sometimes slightly emphasizes the process of going, but in many contexts they are interchangeable.

In this sentence, either is fine for a native speaker.

Why is there a comma before αλλά?

In Greek, αλλά means “but”, and, as in English, a comma is normally used before αλλά when it joins two clauses:

Πηγαίνω στον σταθμό με τα πόδια, αλλά η συναδέλφισσά μου…

So the comma here works the same way as in English:

“I go to the station on foot, but my colleague…”

What does η tell me in η συναδέλφισσά μου?

Η is the feminine singular definite article “the”.

η = the (feminine singular, nominative)
συναδέλφισσά = female colleague
μου = my

So η συναδέλφισσά μου = “my (female) colleague” (literally “the colleague-my (fem.)”).

The article η marks the noun as feminine and singular, and also signals that this is a specific person.

Why is it συναδέλφισσά and not συνάδελφος?

Συνάδελφος is grammatically common gender (can refer to a male or female colleague, especially in formal contexts).

However, there is also a specifically feminine form:

ο συνάδελφος = the (male) colleague
η συνάδελφος = the (female) colleague (formal / neutral)
η συναδέλφισσα = the female colleague (explicitly feminine)

In everyday spoken Greek, many people prefer συναδέλφισσα to make clear the colleague is a woman. That’s what we have here: η συναδέλφισσά μου = “my female colleague”.

Why does συναδέλφισσά have two accents in η συναδέλφισσά μου?

Without μου, the word is:

η συναδέλφισσα (stress on -δέλ-)

When you add a short enclitic pronoun like μου (“my”), stress rules change:

The enclitic μου doesn’t have its own written accent.
To keep the stress in the correct place in the whole phrase, Greek often adds a second accent to the last syllable of the main word.

So we get:

η συναδέλφισσά μου

You will see this pattern with many nouns + μου/σου/του/της/μας/σας/τους:

η μαμά μου → η μαμά μου (already stressed on the last syllable, so no change)
ο φίλος → ο φίλος μου (no extra accent needed)
η αδερφή → η αδερφή μου (stress already at the end)

Here, the additional accent just shows the stress pattern clearly when an enclitic follows.

Why is μου after συναδέλφισσά and not before, like “my colleague” in English?

Greek possessive pronouns (my, your, his, etc.) normally follow the noun, and are clitics:

η συναδέλφισσά μου = literally “the colleague my”
το σπίτι μου = my house
το βιβλίο σου = your book

Putting μου before the noun (μου συναδέλφισσα) is not standard; it only appears in some special emphatic or poetic uses. For normal speech and writing, the possessive goes after the noun.

What does παίρνει mean here? Why use “take” with το ασανσέρ?

Παίρνει is the 3rd person singular of παίρνω = “to take”.

In Greek, as in English, παίρνω is often used with means of transport or devices you “take” or “use”:

παίρνω το λεωφορείο = I take the bus
παίρνω το μετρό = I take the metro
παίρνω το ταξί = I take a taxi
παίρνω το ασανσέρ = I take the elevator

So η συναδέλφισσά μου παίρνει πάντα το ασανσέρ = “my colleague always takes the elevator”.

Where can πάντα go in the sentence, and does the position change the meaning?

Πάντα means “always”. In this sentence it can appear in a couple of natural positions:

η συναδέλφισσά μου πάντα παίρνει το ασανσέρ
η συναδέλφισσά μου παίρνει πάντα το ασανσέρ

Both mean “my colleague always takes the elevator”.

Differences in nuance are minimal here; both are very common word orders. In general, πάντα usually goes close to the verb, either before or after it.

What about το ασανσέρ – what gender is it, and does it change form?

Ασανσέρ is a neuter, indeclinable noun borrowed from French (ascenseur).

Article: το ασανσέρ (the elevator)
It stays ασανσέρ in all cases and both numbers:
- το ασανσέρ (nominative / accusative singular)
- του ασανσέρ (genitive singular – only the article changes)
- τα ασανσέρ (nominative / accusative plural – same form for the noun)

So in παίρνει πάντα το ασανσέρ, only the article το shows it is neuter singular; the noun itself doesn’t change.

Why is the present tense used? Does Πηγαίνω here mean “I am going” now or “I (usually) go”?

Greek present tense (Ενεστώτας) covers both:

current actions: “I am going (right now)”
habitual actions: “I (usually) go / I go (regularly)”

Context decides which one is meant. In this sentence, we have πάντα (“always”) and a contrast between two habits, so it clearly expresses a habitual action:

Πηγαίνω στον σταθμό με τα πόδια = I (usually) go to the station on foot.
η συναδέλφισσά μου παίρνει πάντα το ασανσέρ = my colleague always takes the elevator.

No special tense change is needed for habits; the simple present covers it.