Δεν επιτρέπεται να καπνίζεις μέσα στο πανεπιστήμιο.

It is not allowed to smoke inside the university.

Breakdown of Δεν επιτρέπεται να καπνίζεις μέσα στο πανεπιστήμιο.

• δεν: not
• να: to
• μέσα σε: inside
• το πανεπιστήμιο: the university
• επιτρέπομαι: to be allowed
• καπνίζω: to smoke

Questions & Answers about Δεν επιτρέπεται να καπνίζεις μέσα στο πανεπιστήμιο.

Why do we use Δεν επιτρέπεται and not something like Δεν επιτρέπω?

Επιτρέπω means I allow.
Δεν επιτρέπω = I do not allow (with a clear subject: I).

In this sentence, we are not talking about what I allow, but about a general rule: it is not allowed.

Greek often uses the impersonal passive form for this:

• (Δεν) επιτρέπεται = (It) is (not) allowed / permitted

So:

• Δεν επιτρέπεται να καπνίζεις = It is not allowed to smoke / You are not allowed to smoke (general rule).

What is the subject of επιτρέπεται? There is no it in Greek.

Greek simply leaves the subject understood.
Επιτρέπεται is 3rd person singular passive, which in English usually corresponds to it is allowed.

So you can think of:

• (Δεν) επιτρέπεται ≈ (It) is (not) allowed

The it is implied and not pronounced in Greek.

Why do we need να before καπνίζεις? Why not just Δεν επιτρέπεται καπνίζεις?

Modern Greek no longer uses an infinitive form like English to smoke.
Instead, Greek uses να + verb to express what English often expresses with to + verb or that + clause.

So:

• English: It is not allowed to smoke
• Greek: Δεν επιτρέπεται να καπνίζεις

Without να, καπνίζεις would just be a simple present:

• Καπνίζεις. = You smoke.

With να, it becomes a subjunctive clause, which is what Greek needs after verbs like επιτρέπεται, θέλω, μπορώ, etc.

Why is it να καπνίζεις (2nd person you) when English just says “smoking is not allowed”?

Greek can express this rule in two main ways:

1. Addressing “you” directly (very common in spoken language and signs):

   • Δεν επιτρέπεται να καπνίζεις.
     = You are not allowed to smoke.

2. More impersonal / general:

   • Δεν επιτρέπεται το κάπνισμα.
     = Smoking is not allowed.
   • Δεν επιτρέπεται να καπνίζει κανείς.
     = One is not allowed to smoke.

Your sentence uses the first pattern, talking directly to the person: you (singular) are not allowed to smoke.

Why is it να καπνίζεις and not να καπνίσεις?

Both forms exist, but they have different aspect:

• να καπνίζεις = present subjunctive (continuous / repeated action)
  → not allowed to be smoking / to smoke generally

• να καπνίσεις = aorist subjunctive (single, complete action)
  → not allowed to smoke (even once)

For a general rule like “no smoking”, Greek usually prefers the present subjunctive:

• Δεν επιτρέπεται να καπνίζεις μέσα στο πανεπιστήμιο.

Using να καπνίσεις would sound more like forbidding a single act of smoking, and is less natural for a posted rule.

What exactly does μέσα add to the sentence? Could we say just στο πανεπιστήμιο?

Yes, you can say:

• Δεν επιτρέπεται να καπνίζεις στο πανεπιστήμιο.

But μέσα means inside, and it makes the location more specific:

• μέσα στο πανεπιστήμιο = inside the university (buildings / interior)
• στο πανεπιστήμιο = at the university (more general: on the premises)

So μέσα στο πανεπιστήμιο emphasizes inside the university area/buildings.

What does στο mean? Is it one word or two?

Στο is a contraction of two words:

• σε = in, at, on, to
• το = the (neuter singular article)

So:

• σε + το = στο

Literally:

• μέσα στο πανεπιστήμιο = inside in-the university → inside the university

Why do we say στο πανεπιστήμιο with το? In English we just say “at university” without “the”.

Greek uses the definite article much more often than English, especially:

• with places and institutions:
  στο σχολείο, στο πανεπιστήμιο, στο νοσοκομείο
  (at school, at university, at the hospital)

So:

• στο πανεπιστήμιο is the normal, natural way to say at university in Greek, even when English drops the.

Could we change the word order, for example Μέσα στο πανεπιστήμιο δεν επιτρέπεται να καπνίζεις?

Yes. Greek word order is relatively flexible.

These are all grammatical:

• Δεν επιτρέπεται να καπνίζεις μέσα στο πανεπιστήμιο.
• Μέσα στο πανεπιστήμιο δεν επιτρέπεται να καπνίζεις.

The difference is mostly in emphasis:

• Starting with Μέσα στο πανεπιστήμιο stresses the place: Inside the university, you are not allowed to smoke (but maybe outside you can).
• The original sentence presents the rule first and then adds where it applies.

What tense is επιτρέπεται here? Is it “is allowed” now or always?

Επιτρέπεται is present tense, passive voice.

However, in Greek (as in English), the present tense is used for general rules and laws:

• Δεν επιτρέπεται να καπνίζεις...
  = It is not allowed (as a general rule) to smoke...

So grammatically it’s present, but in meaning it refers to an ongoing, permanent rule, not just this very moment.

Why is δεν placed before επιτρέπεται and not before να καπνίζεις?

Δεν always comes directly before the verb it negates.

Here the idea is:

• It is not allowed (the permission is negated), not “it is allowed not to smoke”.

So:

• Δεν επιτρέπεται [να καπνίζεις...]
  = It is not allowed [for you to smoke...]

If we put δεν before να καπνίζεις, it would try to mean something like:

• It is allowed that you do not smoke
  which is a different meaning and not what is intended.

Is Δεν επιτρέπεται the same as Απαγορεύεται?

They are very close, but there’s a nuance:

• Δεν επιτρέπεται = It is not allowed / not permitted
  → slightly softer, focuses on lack of permission.

• Απαγορεύεται = It is forbidden / prohibited
  → stronger, more absolute; common on official signs.

Both can be used for rules:

• Δεν επιτρέπεται να καπνίζεις μέσα στο πανεπιστήμιο.
• Απαγορεύεται το κάπνισμα μέσα στο πανεπιστήμιο.

In practice, Απαγορεύεται το κάπνισμα is very common on “No Smoking” signs.