Learn Hardcore Greek: Το βράδυ δεν βγαίνω από το σπίτι όταν κάνει κρύο. - At night I don’t go out of the house when it is cold.

A bare βράδυ without an article is rarely used on its own as a time expression. You might see it in combinations like αργά βράδυ (late evening), but Βράδυ δεν βγαίνω would sound odd. The article is part of the natural expression here.

What is the difference between Το βράδυ and Στο βράδυ?

Στο = σε (in/at) + το (the), so στο βράδυ would literally be “in the evening” or “at the evening.”

However, for telling when something happens, Greek usually uses το βράδυ, not στο βράδυ:

Το βράδυ διαβάζω. – In the evening I read.
Το βράδυ δεν βγαίνω από το σπίτι. – In the evening I don’t go out of the house.

Στο βράδυ is not natural here. You do see στο with specific events or nouns, e.g.:

στο πάρτι – at the party
στο δείπνο – at the dinner

But for “in the evening” as a time expression, use το βράδυ, not στο βράδυ.

Why is there no word for “I” in δεν βγαίνω?

Greek is a “pro‑drop” language: the subject pronoun is usually omitted because the verb ending shows who the subject is.

βγαίνω ends in -ω, which means “I go out.”
So (εγώ) βγαίνω = I go out.

You only add εγώ for emphasis or contrast:

Εγώ το βράδυ δεν βγαίνω από το σπίτι.
I don’t go out in the evening (but maybe others do).

In normal, neutral speech, δεν βγαίνω already means “I don’t go out.”

What exactly does βγαίνω mean? Is it just “to go out”?

βγαίνω is a very common verb. Basic meanings:

“to go out / exit”:
- βγαίνω από το σπίτι – I go out of the house
- βγαίνω από το αυτοκίνητο – I get out of the car
“to come out / emerge”:
- βγήκε ο ήλιος – the sun came out

For social “going out” (to bars, restaurants, etc.), Greek often uses:

βγαίνω or βγαίνω έξω – I go out (for fun)

So in your sentence, δεν βγαίνω από το σπίτι is literally “I don’t go out of the house,” and by context it means “I don’t leave the house / I don’t go out.”

Note: βγαίνω έξω is common in speech, but βγαίνω alone already includes the idea of “out.”

Why is it από το σπίτι and not something like από σπίτι?

από means “from” or “out of,” and it normally takes a noun with the article:

από το σπίτι – from/out of the house (or “from home”)
από το σχολείο – from school
από τη δουλειά – from work

Here:

από = from/out of
το σπίτι = the house / the home

από σπίτι without the article sounds either incomplete or very marked/poetic; in normal everyday Greek you almost always include the article: από το σπίτι.

Also, compare:

στο σπίτι – at home / in the house
από το σπίτι – from (out of) the house

So δεν βγαίνω από το σπίτι clearly says you don’t exit your house.

What does όταν κάνει κρύο literally mean, and why do we use κάνει for the weather?

Literal breakdown:

όταν – when / whenever
κάνει κρύο – literally “it does/makes cold”

But κάνει κρύο is the standard way to say “it’s cold (weather‑wise).” Greek uses κάνει (does/makes) in many weather expressions:

κάνει ζέστη – it’s hot (there is heat)
κάνει κρύο – it’s cold
κάνει αέρα – it’s windy
κάνει ήλιο – it’s sunny

There is no explicit “it” subject; Greek just uses the third person singular of the verb.

Compare:

είναι κρύο – is more often “it is cold” referring to a specific thing:
- Το νερό είναι κρύο. – The water is cold.
έχει κρύο – also used in some regions and styles for “it’s cold (weather).”

So όταν κάνει κρύο is best understood as “when it’s cold (outside).”

Why is the negative δεν used, and where does it go in the sentence?

In standard Greek, δεν is the normal negative word for verbs in the indicative mood (statements and questions).

It always comes directly before the verb:

δεν βγαίνω – I do not go out
δεν πάω – I do not go
δεν μένω εδώ – I do not live here

In your sentence:

Το βράδυ δεν βγαίνω από το σπίτι…
The negative is attached to βγαίνω by putting δεν immediately before it.

You may also see μη(ν) in Greek; that is used mainly with:

subjunctive constructions (να μην βγαίνω)
negative commands (μη βγεις! don’t go out!)

But for a simple factual statement like this, you need δεν.

Can the word order change? For example, can I move το βράδυ or όταν κάνει κρύο?

Yes. Greek word order is flexible, especially for adverbs and time/condition clauses. All of these are possible:

Το βράδυ δεν βγαίνω από το σπίτι όταν κάνει κρύο. (original)
Δεν βγαίνω από το σπίτι το βράδυ όταν κάνει κρύο.
Όταν κάνει κρύο, το βράδυ δεν βγαίνω από το σπίτι.
Το βράδυ, όταν κάνει κρύο, δεν βγαίνω από το σπίτι.

The basic rules that tend to stay stable:

δεν stays directly before the verb (δεν βγαίνω)
The meaning does not change much; different orders just put slight emphasis on different parts (for example, starting with Όταν κάνει κρύο really highlights the condition).

Does this sentence mean “every evening” as a general habit, or “tonight”?

As it stands, Το βράδυ δεν βγαίνω από το σπίτι όταν κάνει κρύο. most naturally describes a general habit:

“In the evening I don’t go out of the house when it’s cold (as a rule).”

Greek present tense + όταν typically gives a habitual meaning, like English “when(ever) it’s cold, I don’t go out in the evening.”

For a specific evening (e.g. tonight), Greek would normally use the future or a time‑specific adverb:

Σήμερα το βράδυ δεν θα βγω από το σπίτι γιατί κάνει κρύο.
Tonight I won’t go out of the house because it’s cold.

What is the difference between το βράδυ and τη νύχτα?

Both relate to evening/night, but there is a nuance:

το βράδυ – evening / early night, roughly from after sunset until bedtime
τη νύχτα – (in) the night, usually later, the deep night hours

So:

Το βράδυ δεν βγαίνω από το σπίτι.
In the evening I don’t go out of the house.
Τη νύχτα δεν βγαίνω από το σπίτι.
I don’t go out at night (usually suggests later, darker hours).

There is overlap, and sometimes they can both be translated as “at night,” but το βράδυ feels more like normal evening time.

Is there a way to say “in the evenings” (plural), and how is it different from το βράδυ?

Yes. You can use the plural:

Τα βράδια δεν βγαίνω από το σπίτι όταν κάνει κρύο.
In the evenings I don’t go out of the house when it’s cold.

Το βράδυ can already sound habitual from context, but τα βράδια makes the general, repeated habit even clearer: it emphasizes “on (these) evenings (in general), I don’t go out.”