Τώρα ετοιμάζομαι για τη συνάντηση.

Now I am getting ready for the meeting.

Breakdown of Τώρα ετοιμάζομαι για τη συνάντηση.

• τώρα: now
• για: for
• η συνάντηση: the meeting
• ετοιμάζομαι: to be prepared

Questions & Answers about Τώρα ετοιμάζομαι για τη συνάντηση.

Where is the word I in this sentence? Why isn’t it written?

Greek usually does not write subject pronouns unless you want to emphasize them.

• The verb ending in ετοιμάζομαι (-ομαι) already tells us the subject is first person singular (I).
• So ετοιμάζομαι by itself means I am getting ready.
• If you really wanted to stress I, you could say Εγώ τώρα ετοιμάζομαι για τη συνάντηση. (with emphasis on εγώ).

What tense, person, and voice is ετοιμάζομαι, and what does that mean in practice?

ετοιμάζομαι is:

• Present tense
• First person singular
• Middle/passive voice

So grammatically it is I (myself) am in the process of getting ready.

In actual meaning, it corresponds to English I’m getting ready (an action happening now, in progress).

Why is it ετοιμάζομαι and not an active form like ετοιμάζω when I talk about myself?

Greek uses the middle/passive voice for many actions that are reflexive or that naturally affect the subject.

• ετοιμάζω = I prepare something
  
  • Example: Ετοιμάζω το φαγητό. → I’m preparing the food.
• ετοιμάζομαι = I prepare myself / I get ready

So when you mean I’m getting myself ready, Greek prefers the middle form ετοιμάζομαι, not the active ετοιμάζω.

Does ετοιμάζομαι mean both I get ready and I’m getting ready? Is there a special continuous form in Greek?

Yes, ετοιμάζομαι covers both:

• I get ready (in general)
• I’m getting ready (right now)

Modern Greek does not have a separate grammatical form like English am doing vs do. The present tense usually does both jobs. Context words like τώρα (now) make it clear that the action is happening right now:

• Ετοιμάζομαι. → could be I get ready or I’m getting ready
• Τώρα ετοιμάζομαι. → clearly Now I’m getting ready.

What exactly does για do in για τη συνάντηση? Could we just say ετοιμάζομαι τη συνάντηση?

Here για means for, expressing purpose:

• για τη συνάντηση = for the meeting

You cannot say ετοιμάζομαι τη συνάντηση in this sense. That would sound like you are somehow doing something to the meeting as a direct object, which is not what you mean.

So:

• Ετοιμάζομαι για τη συνάντηση. → I’m getting ready for the meeting. (purpose)
• Ετοιμάζω τη συνάντηση. → I’m preparing the meeting. (I am organizing it)

What gender and case is τη συνάντηση, and why?

• συνάντηση is a feminine noun.
• After για, the noun goes in the accusative case.
• Feminine accusative singular uses the article τη(ν).

So:

• η συνάντηση = the meeting (nominative, subject)
• τη συνάντηση = the meeting (accusative, after για, object/purpose)

In Τώρα ετοιμάζομαι για τη συνάντηση, τη συνάντηση is in the accusative because it depends on the preposition για.

Why is it written τη συνάντηση and not την συνάντηση?

The feminine accusative article is historically την, but the final -ν is often dropped before many consonants, especially in informal modern writing and speech.

• Before vowels and some consonants (like κ, π, τ, ξ, ψ), you will often see την.
• Before other consonants (like σ in συνάντηση), people commonly drop the -ν and write τη.

So both are grammatically possible in principle, but in normal modern usage:

• τη συνάντηση is what you will typically see.
• την συνάντηση is also correct but feels more formal or old-fashioned, and many speakers would still pronounce it without the -ν.

What is the difference between συνάντηση and ραντεβού? Could I say Τώρα ετοιμάζομαι για το ραντεβού?

You can say Τώρα ετοιμάζομαι για το ραντεβού, but there is a nuance:

• συνάντηση = meeting in a broad sense
  
  • Can be formal or informal, group or one‑to‑one, work meeting, etc.
• ραντεβού = appointment / date / arranged meeting
  
  • Often used for doctor’s appointments, business appointments, or romantic dates.

So:

• Τώρα ετοιμάζομαι για τη συνάντηση.
  → Neutral: I’m getting ready for the (scheduled) meeting.
• Τώρα ετοιμάζομαι για το ραντεβού.
  → Focuses more on the idea of an appointment or date.

Can the word order change? For example, can I say Ετοιμάζομαι τώρα για τη συνάντηση?

Yes, Greek word order is relatively flexible. All of these are natural:

• Τώρα ετοιμάζομαι για τη συνάντηση.
• Ετοιμάζομαι τώρα για τη συνάντηση.
• Ετοιμάζομαι για τη συνάντηση τώρα.

They all mean Now I’m getting ready for the meeting, with slightly different rhythmic or emphasis effects, but no big change in meaning. The original sentence, starting with Τώρα, slightly highlights the time (“right now”) first.

Is τώρα necessary? What changes if I leave it out?

τώρα means now and gives a clear sense that the action is happening at this moment.

• Τώρα ετοιμάζομαι για τη συνάντηση.
  → Specifically Now I’m getting ready for the meeting.
• Ετοιμάζομαι για τη συνάντηση.
  → I’m getting ready for the meeting (context decides whether it’s now or more general).

So τώρα is not grammatically required, but it makes the time reference explicit and pushes the meaning toward right now.

How do you pronounce συνάντηση, and where is the stress?

συνάντηση is pronounced approximately:

• [si‑NÁN‑ti‑si] (in English-style transcription)
• IPA: /siˈnan.tisi/

Details:

• The stress falls on the second syllable: σι‑νάν‑τη‑ση.
• The η at the end is pronounced like ee in see, not silent.
• The σ is always like s in see, never like z here.

So spoken, Τώρα ετοιμάζομαι για τη συνάντηση sounds roughly like:
TÓ‑ra e‑ti‑MÁ‑zo‑me ya ti si‑NÁN‑ti‑si.