Breakdown of Δεν μπορώ να συγκεντρωθώ όταν στην κουζίνα δεν έχει ησυχία.
Questions & Answers about Δεν μπορώ να συγκεντρωθώ όταν στην κουζίνα δεν έχει ησυχία.
Modern Greek no longer uses an infinitive form like English to concentrate.
Instead, it uses να + subjunctive:
- μπορώ να + subjunctive = I can / I am able to + verb
So:
- δεν μπορώ να συγκεντρωθώ = I can’t concentrate / I’m not able to concentrate
Here να is not translated by a separate English word; it just introduces the verb in the subjunctive mood.
συγκεντρωθώ is:
- Mood: subjunctive (because it follows να)
- Tense/aspect: aorist (single, complete event, not ongoing)
- Voice: mediopassive (Greek’s “middle/passive” voice)
The dictionary form of the verb is συγκεντρώνομαι (I concentrate / I focus), which only exists in the mediopassive voice. The aorist subjunctive of συγκεντρώνομαι is να συγκεντρωθώ.
So δεν μπορώ να συγκεντρωθώ literally = I’m not able (for me) to get myself concentrated (once / in that moment).
The difference is aspect:
- να συγκεντρωθώ – aorist subjunctive: focus on the event as a whole, “to get concentrated,” “to manage to concentrate” (one act or result).
- να συγκεντρώνομαι – present subjunctive: focus on an ongoing or repeated process, “to be concentrating,” “to keep concentrating.”
In your sentence:
- Δεν μπορώ να συγκεντρωθώ suggests I can’t (manage to) get myself into a state of concentration (at all) in that situation.
If you said:
- Δεν μπορώ να συγκεντρώνομαι όταν…, it would lean more toward I can’t be in a state of concentration / I can’t keep concentrating when…
Both are understandable; the aorist is more common here.
Literally, δεν έχει ησυχία means:
- “it doesn’t have quiet” or more naturally “there is no quiet”.
Greek often uses έχει (“has”) impersonally in this sense:
- έχει φασαρία = there is noise
- έχει ζέστη = it’s hot / there is heat
- έχει κίνηση = there is traffic
So:
- όταν στην κουζίνα δεν έχει ησυχία
≈ when there is no quiet in the kitchen
≈ when it’s not quiet in the kitchen.
Yes, you can say:
- Όταν δεν είναι ήσυχα στην κουζίνα, δεν μπορώ να συγκεντρωθώ.
This is also correct and natural. Roughly:
- δεν έχει ησυχία = there is no quiet (noun)
- δεν είναι ήσυχα = it is not quiet (adverb/adjective used adverbially)
Nuance:
- δεν έχει ησυχία sounds a bit more impersonal and noun-like: “there is no quiet.”
- δεν είναι ήσυχα focuses more on the state of the environment: “it’s not quiet (there).”
In everyday speech, both versions are common; the difference is subtle.
στην is the contraction of:
σε + την = στην
- σε = in/at/to (a very common preposition)
- την = the (feminine, accusative, singular)
So:
- στην κουζίνα literally = in the kitchen.
In writing and speech, σε plus the definite article is usually merged:
- σε + τον = στον
- σε + την = στην
- σε + το = στο
- σε + τις = στις
- σε + τους = στους
κουζίνα is in the accusative case:
- Nominative: η κουζίνα (the kitchen – subject)
- Accusative: την κουζίνα (direct object / after certain prepositions)
The preposition σε is followed by the accusative. That’s why we get:
- σε + την κουζίνα → στην κουζίνα
(in/at the kitchen)
So στην κουζίνα is in the kitchen with κουζίνα in the accusative case.
Both word orders are grammatically correct and natural:
- Όταν στην κουζίνα δεν έχει ησυχία…
- Όταν δεν έχει ησυχία στην κουζίνα…
The difference is mainly emphasis:
- In (1), putting στην κουζίνα earlier slightly highlights the location (“in the kitchen” is foregrounded).
- In (2), you first say there is no quiet and then add where that is true.
In normal conversation, Greeks freely choose either order depending on what they want to emphasize or on rhythm; there is no change in basic meaning.
Greek uses the present tense both for:
- Right now situations, and
- General / habitual situations.
Here it’s a general rule for the speaker: Whenever it’s not quiet in the kitchen, I can’t concentrate.
So:
- Δεν μπορώ να συγκεντρωθώ όταν…
- …δεν έχει ησυχία.
Both are present tense but express a general truth or habit. English does the same here: “I can’t concentrate when it’s not quiet in the kitchen” (present simple for general truth).
Note: even when talking about the future, Greek often still uses the present after όταν:
- Όταν έχει ησυχία, θα διαβάσω.
When it’s quiet, I’ll study.
In this sentence, no. Each δεν negates its own verb:
- δεν μπορώ (I cannot)
- δεν έχει (there is not / it doesn’t have)
This is just two separate negative clauses inside one sentence.
Greek does allow multiple negatives in the same clause (so‑called “negative concord”), for example:
- Δεν βλέπω κανέναν. = I don’t see anyone.
- Δεν πήγε πουθενά. = He/She didn’t go anywhere.
Those are not considered incorrect in Greek; they are the normal way to say it. In your sentence, though, we simply have two independent negatives in two clauses.
Both κουζίνα and ησυχία are feminine nouns.
Clues:
- They take the feminine article η (nominative) / την (accusative):
- η κουζίνα, την κουζίνα
- η ησυχία, την ησυχία
- Common feminine endings include ‑α, ‑η, ‑ία, and both words follow that pattern:
- κουζίνα → ‑α
- ησυχία → ‑ία
So:
- στην κουζίνα = in the (feminine) kitchen
- η ησυχία = the (feminine) quiet
Yes, that is perfectly natural:
- Δεν μπορώ να συγκεντρωθώ όταν δεν έχει ησυχία.
= I can’t concentrate when there isn’t any quiet.
Adding στην κουζίνα simply specifies where the quiet is missing. Without it, the statement is more general: you can’t concentrate whenever your surroundings are not quiet, regardless of the place.