Δεν μου αρέσει να τηγανίζω πολύ συχνά, γιατί το τηγάνι γίνεται πολύ βρώμικο.

I don't like frying very often, because the pan gets very dirty.

Breakdown of Δεν μου αρέσει να τηγανίζω πολύ συχνά, γιατί το τηγάνι γίνεται πολύ βρώμικο.

• πολύ: very
• δεν: not
• να: to
• γιατί: because
• μου: me
• συχνά: often
• αρέσω: to like
• γίνομαι: to become
• βρώμικος: dirty
• τηγανίζω: to fry
• το τηγάνι: the pan

Questions & Answers about Δεν μου αρέσει να τηγανίζω πολύ συχνά, γιατί το τηγάνι γίνεται πολύ βρώμικο.

Why is it δεν μου αρέσει (3rd person singular) and not something like δεν αρέσω to say “I don’t like”?

In Greek the structure with αρέσει is literally “it doesn’t please me”, not “I don’t like”.

• αρέσει is 3rd person singular: “it pleases” / “it is pleasing”.
• μου is the indirect object: “to me”.

So δεν μου αρέσει να τηγανίζω = “it doesn’t please me, the frying” → “I don’t like frying.”

Using αρέσω (1st person singular) would mean “I am pleasing (to someone)”, e.g.

• Αρέσω στον Γιάννη. = Giannis likes me / I am pleasing to Giannis.

For your own likes and dislikes, Greek normally uses (δεν) μου αρέσει + noun / να-clause.

Why is it δεν μου αρέσει and not δεν αρέσει μου? Where does μου go?

The weak object pronoun μου must come before the verb (in most simple main clauses), and after δεν:

• Correct: δεν μου αρέσει
• Incorrect: δεν αρέσει μου

The basic order is:
(δεν) + clitic pronoun(s) + verb

So with μου (to me):

• Μου αρέσει. = I like it.
• Δεν μου αρέσει. = I don’t like it.

Putting μου after αρέσει is ungrammatical in this structure.

Why isn’t εγώ (I) used? Could I say Εγώ δεν μου αρέσει να τηγανίζω?

Greek normally drops subject pronouns when they’re obvious from the verb form or context. Here, αρέσει doesn’t show the subject as clearly as English, but the standard structure is still impersonal: “(it) doesn’t please me.”

You can add εγώ for emphasis, but it must be used correctly:

• Εγώ δεν μου αρέσει να τηγανίζω… → ungrammatical.
• Εμένα δεν μου αρέσει να τηγανίζω… → correct, emphatic: “As for me, I don’t like frying…”

So, if you want emphasis, prefer Εμένα δεν μου αρέσει…, not Εγώ δεν μου αρέσει….

What exactly is να τηγανίζω here? Why not an infinitive like in English?

Modern Greek does not have an infinitive like English “to fry”. Instead, it uses να + verb to express things that would often be infinitives or subordinate clauses in English.

So:

• να τηγανίζω ≈ “to fry / frying” (here: the activity in general).
• Δεν μου αρέσει να τηγανίζω. = “I don’t like frying.”

In your sentence, να τηγανίζω functions like a verbal noun (the act of frying).

Why is it να τηγανίζω and not να τηγανίσω? What’s the difference?

The difference is aspect (type of action):

• να τηγανίζω (present subjunctive) → habitual, repeated, ongoing action
  
  • “to (generally) fry / to fry often / the activity of frying”
• να τηγανίσω (aorist subjunctive) → one complete event
  
  • “to fry (once / on one occasion)”

In your sentence, you’re talking about frying very often, so you want the habitual / repeated sense → να τηγανίζω πολύ συχνά.

If you said:

• Δεν μου αρέσει να τηγανίσω.
  it would sound like “I don’t like the idea of frying (this time / on this occasion)”, which doesn’t match the idea of very often.

What does πολύ συχνά mean? Isn’t that redundant (both “very” and “often”)?

πολύ = very / a lot
συχνά = often

Together, πολύ συχνά means “very often” or “too often / so often”, just like in English:

• συχνά → often
• πολύ συχνά → very often / really often

So it’s not redundant; πολύ is intensifying συχνά, exactly like “very” in English “very often”.

Can I put πολύ συχνά in another place, like Δεν μου αρέσει πολύ συχνά να τηγανίζω?

The most natural place is what you have:

• Δεν μου αρέσει να τηγανίζω πολύ συχνά… ✅

Other possible, but less neutral variants:

• Δεν μου αρέσει πολύ να τηγανίζω συχνά. (sounds like “I don’t very much like frying often” — slight shift of focus)
• Πολύ συχνά δεν μου αρέσει να τηγανίζω. (marked, emphasises “very often” at the start)

However, Δεν μου αρέσει πολύ συχνά να τηγανίζω sounds unnatural or ambiguous; native speakers don’t usually split it there.

So, for everyday speech, keep:
…να τηγανίζω πολύ συχνά.

What is the role of γιατί here? Is it “because” or “why”? Could I use επειδή instead?

γιατί in Greek can mean both:

• “why” (question):
  
  • Γιατί δεν μου αρέσει; = Why don’t I like it?
• “because” (conjunction):
  
  • Δεν μου αρέσει, γιατί… = I don’t like it, because…

In your sentence:

• …γιατί το τηγάνι γίνεται πολύ βρώμικο.
  → Here γιατί = “because”.

You can usually replace this γιατί with επειδή meaning “because”:

• Δεν μου αρέσει να τηγανίζω πολύ συχνά, επειδή το τηγάνι γίνεται πολύ βρώμικο.

Both are acceptable; γιατί is a bit more colloquial, επειδή can sound slightly more formal or explicit.

Why do we say το τηγάνι with the definite article? In English we just say “the pan” or sometimes just “pans” in general.

Greek tends to use the definite article more often than English, even for things mentioned in a general way.

το τηγάνι here likely refers to:

• the pan you usually use, or
• the typical pan in this situation (as a kind of “generic” pan).

So:

• Δεν μου αρέσει να τηγανίζω πολύ συχνά, γιατί το τηγάνι γίνεται πολύ βρώμικο.
  → “…because the pan gets very dirty” (the one I use / the pan in general).

You could make it clearly general/plural with:

• …γιατί τα τηγάνια γίνονται πολύ βρώμικα. = because pans get very dirty.

But the original το τηγάνι sounds very natural; Greek often uses the where English might use a generic singular or a plural without an article.

Why is it γίνεται πολύ βρώμικο and not είναι πολύ βρώμικο?

γίνεται = “becomes / gets”
είναι = “is”

So:

• γίνεται πολύ βρώμικο → “it becomes / gets very dirty” (change of state)
• είναι πολύ βρώμικο → “it is very dirty” (its current state)

In your sentence, the idea is “as a result of frying, the pan gets dirty”, so γίνεται is appropriate.

You could also hear:

• …γιατί το τηγάνι λερώνεται πολύ. = because the pan gets very dirty / gets dirty a lot.

But γίνεται πολύ βρώμικο is perfectly natural and focuses on the resulting condition.

Why is the adjective βρώμικο in the neuter form?

Adjectives in Greek agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe.

• το τηγάνι is neuter, singular, nominative.
• So the adjective must also be neuter, singular, nominative: βρώμικο.

Patterns:

• Masculine: βρώμικος (π.χ. ο βρώμικος δρόμος)
• Feminine: βρώμικη (π.χ. η βρώμικη πετσέτα)
• Neuter: βρώμικο (π.χ. το βρώμικο τηγάνι)

Here, in το τηγάνι γίνεται πολύ βρώμικο, the implied structure is το τηγάνι [είναι / γίνεται] βρώμικο, so βρώμικο matches τηγάνι.

I’ve seen both βρώμικο and βρόμικο. Which one is correct?

Both spellings exist in modern Greek:

• βρόμικος / βρόμικο
• βρώμικος / βρώμικο

Today:

• βρώμικος (with ώ) is widely used and taught as the standard in many contexts.
• βρόμικος is also used and is considered correct by many dictionaries.

You can safely use βρώμικο; just be aware you may see βρόμικο in texts or from some speakers. They mean the same thing: dirty.

In fast speech, does Δεν μου αρέσει change? I’ve heard something like Δεν μ’ αρέσει.

Yes. In everyday speech and writing, μου is often contracted to μ’ before a word starting with a vowel sound, like αρέσει:

• Δεν μου αρέσει… → Δεν μ’ αρέσει…

Both are correct; the contracted form is more colloquial and mirrors actual pronunciation.

So you might say or see:

• Δεν μ’ αρέσει να τηγανίζω πολύ συχνά…

The meaning is exactly the same as Δεν μου αρέσει….