Σε αυτή την πόλη χάνομαι συχνά.

In this city I often get lost.

Breakdown of Σε αυτή την πόλη χάνομαι συχνά.

• αυτός: this
• σε: in
• η πόλη: the city
• συχνά: often
• χάνομαι: to be lost

Questions & Answers about Σε αυτή την πόλη χάνομαι συχνά.

Why is it Σε αυτή την πόλη and not just Σε αυτή πόλη? Do we really need την?

In Greek, when you use a demonstrative like αυτή (this), you almost always also use the definite article with the noun:

• αυτή η πόλη – this city
• αυτή την πόλη – this city (in the accusative)

So the pattern is:

[preposition] + [demonstrative] + [article] + [noun]

Here:

• σε = in
• αυτή = this
• την = the (feminine, accusative)
• πόλη = city

Leaving out την (Σε αυτή πόλη) sounds ungrammatical or, at best, very odd in standard Modern Greek.

What case is αυτή την πόλη in, and why?

It’s in the accusative case.

Reason: in Modern Greek, almost all prepositions (including σε) are followed by the accusative.

So:

• η πόλη – the city (nominative)
• την πόλη – the city (accusative)

Because we have σε before it, we must use the accusative: σε αυτή την πόλη (in this city).

Why is it αυτή and not αυτό?

Because πόλη (city) is grammatically feminine in Greek:

• Feminine forms:

  • αυτή η πόλη – this city
  • την πόλη – the city (accusative)

• Neuter forms (for neuter nouns):

  • αυτό το σπίτι – this house
  • το σπίτι – the house

So the demonstrative αυτή must agree in gender (feminine), number (singular), and case (accusative in form, though it doesn’t change here) with πόλη.

Why do we say Σε αυτή την πόλη and not Στην αυτή πόλη like the contraction σε + την = στην?

The contraction σε + την → στην happens directly before the article, like:

• στην πόλη – in the city
• στην καφετέρια – in the café

But when you insert a demonstrative (αυτή) between σε and την, they no longer sit side by side, so they don’t contract:

• σε + αυτή + την πόλη → σε αυτή την πόλη (no contraction)

You can contract σε with αυτή in speech by elision:

• σ’ αυτή την πόλη – in this city

But you don’t get στην αυτή πόλη in Modern Greek; that sounds either wrong or extremely archaic/literary.

Why is there no word for “I”? Where is “I” in χάνομαι?

Greek normally omits subject pronouns when they’re obvious from the verb ending.

• The verb χάνομαι is 1st person singular:
  • χάνομαι – I get lost

The ending -ομαι here shows:

• person: I
• number: singular
• voice: middle/passive

So εγώ (I) is understood and usually not said unless you want emphasis:

• Σε αυτή την πόλη χάνομαι συχνά. – I often get lost in this city.
• Εγώ, σε αυτή την πόλη, χάνομαι συχνά. – I (as for me), in this city, I often get lost. (more emphatic)

What’s the difference between χάνομαι and χάνω?

They’re different voices and meanings:

• χάνω (active voice) = I lose (something)

  • Χάνω τα κλειδιά μου. – I lose my keys.

• χάνομαι (middle/passive voice) = I get lost, I lose myself

  • Σε αυτή την πόλη χάνομαι συχνά. – I often get lost in this city.

So you must say χάνομαι when you are the one who gets lost (subject and “object” are the same person).

What tense/aspect is χάνομαι here? Is it like “I often get lost” or “I am often getting lost”?

Χάνομαι is the present tense in Greek. It covers both:

• English simple present: I often get lost
• English present continuous: I am often getting lost

With συχνά (often), the meaning is clearly habitual:

Σε αυτή την πόλη χάνομαι συχνά.
→ I often get lost in this city. (repeated / habitual action)

Why is συχνά at the end? Can it go somewhere else?

Yes, συχνά (often) can move; Greek word order is quite flexible.

All of these are natural, with slightly different emphasis:

• Σε αυτή την πόλη χάνομαι συχνά.
• Σε αυτή την πόλη συχνά χάνομαι.
• Συχνά χάνομαι σε αυτή την πόλη.
• Χάνομαι συχνά σε αυτή την πόλη.

Placing συχνά at the end (…χάνομαι συχνά) is very common and neutral; it lightly emphasizes the frequency as the last piece of information.

Is συχνά an adjective or an adverb here?

Here συχνά is an adverb meaning often / frequently, modifying the verb χάνομαι.

• συχνός – frequent (adjective, masculine)
  • συχνός έλεγχος – frequent check
• συχνά – often (adverb)
  • χάνομαι συχνά – I get lost often

Could I also say Σε αυτή την πόλη συχνά χάνομαι or Συχνά χάνομαι σε αυτή την πόλη? Do they sound natural?

Yes, both are completely natural.

• Σε αυτή την πόλη συχνά χάνομαι.
  Still “In this city I often get lost,” with the city a bit more foregrounded.

• Συχνά χάνομαι σε αυτή την πόλη.
  Starts with often: Often I get lost in this city, slightly emphasizing the frequency.

All are acceptable; word order subtly affects emphasis, not basic grammar.

Why does την have an -ν, but αυτή doesn’t? Should it be αυτήν?

The -ν in την is the so‑called movable ν (κινητό ν). In everyday spelling you usually see:

• την πόλη – the city
• αυτή την πόλη – this city

The demonstrative αυτή(ν) can also take -ν (αυτήν) in some styles or to avoid vowel clashes, especially in more careful or older writing:

• σ’ αυτήν την πόλη – in this city

In modern, informal usage:

• αυτή without -ν is very common.
• την almost always keeps -ν before a vowel or certain consonants: την πόλη.

Could I say Σε αυτή την πόλη μπερδεύομαι συχνά instead of χάνομαι συχνά? Does it mean the same?

You can say that, but there’s a nuance:

• χάνομαι – I get lost (physically can’t find my way)
• μπερδεύομαι – I get confused, I get mixed up

So:

• Σε αυτή την πόλη χάνομαι συχνά.
  → I literally lose my way in this city.

• Σε αυτή την πόλη μπερδεύομαι συχνά.
  → I often get confused in this city (e.g. about streets, routes, areas).

They can overlap in practice, but χάνομαι focuses more on being lost, μπερδεύομαι on confusion.

What’s the difference between Σε αυτή την πόλη χάνομαι συχνά and just Χάνομαι συχνά?

• Χάνομαι συχνά. – I often get lost.
  (No context about where.)

• Σε αυτή την πόλη χάνομαι συχνά. – In this city I often get lost.
  (Specifies the place and slightly emphasizes this particular city as the problem.)

Adding Σε αυτή την πόλη narrows down and highlights the location as the cause or context of getting lost.