Learn Hardcore Greek: Προχωράω προσεκτικά στον δρόμο όταν έχει πολύ κίνηση. - I walk carefully on the road when there is a lot of traffic.

In many contexts it can mean “walk”, e.g. Προχωράω στον δρόμο ≈ “I walk along the road.”
It can also mean “go on / continue”, e.g. Προχωράω με τη δουλειά μου = “I’m continuing with my work.”
Compared with περπατάω (“to walk (on foot)”), προχωράω focuses more on progressing / moving ahead rather than just the physical act of walking.

So in this sentence it’s close to: “I move/continue carefully along the road when there’s heavy traffic.”

Why don’t we say εγώ προχωράω? Where is the word “I” in Greek?

Greek is a “pro‑drop” language: the subject pronoun (εγώ = “I”) is usually omitted, because the verb ending already shows the person.

Προχωράω has the 1st person singular ending ‑ω, so it already means “I move forward / I proceed.”
Εγώ προχωράω is also correct, but it’s used when you want to emphasize the subject:
- Εγώ προχωράω προσεκτικά, όχι εσύ.
  “I walk carefully, not you.”

In neutral sentences, Greeks normally leave out εγώ.

What is the difference between προχωράω and προχωρώ? Are both correct?

Yes, both are correct forms of the same verb.

Προχωράω and προχωρώ are both 1st person singular, present tense of προχωρώ / προχωράω (“to move forward”).
Many modern Greek verbs have two parallel forms in the present:
- ‑άω type: προχωράω, αγαπάω, ρωτάω
- ‑ώ type: προχωρώ, αγαπώ, ρωτώ

Usage:

‑άω forms (προχωράω) are very common in everyday speech.
‑ώ forms (προχωρώ) sound a bit more formal or literary, but are also used in normal speech and writing.

So you can say either Προχωράω προσεκτικά… or Προχωρώ προσεκτικά… without changing the meaning.

How does προσεκτικά work here? Where can the adverb go in the sentence?

Προσεκτικά is an adverb meaning “carefully”, formed from the adjective προσεκτικός (“careful”).

In Greek, adverbs of manner (how?) usually come after the verb:

Προχωράω προσεκτικά = “I move carefully.”

But word order is flexible, so you can move προσεκτικά for emphasis:

Προσεκτικά προχωράω στον δρόμο…
Emphasis on how you move: “Carefully is how I move along the road…”
Στον δρόμο προχωράω προσεκτικά…
Emphasis slightly more on “on the road”.

All these are grammatically correct; the default, neutral position is verb + adverb:

Προχωράω προσεκτικά στον δρόμο…

What exactly is στον δρόμο? Why do we have this form and what case is it?

Στον δρόμο comes from:

σε = “in, on, at, to”
τον = masculine accusative singular definite article (“the”)
δρόμο(ς) = “road” (nominative ο δρόμος, accusative τον δρόμο)

In speech and writing, σε + τον combine into στον:

σε + τον δρόμο → στον δρόμο

Case:

With the preposition σε, Greek almost always uses the accusative case.
So στον δρόμο is accusative, even though the meaning can be either:
- location: “on/along the road”
- direction: “to(wards) the road”
In this sentence, context makes it mean “along / on the road.”

I also see στο δρόμο without the final ν. Which one is correct: στον δρόμο or στο δρόμο?

Both forms are used:

στον δρόμο = more careful / classical spelling, keeps the final ‑ν of στον.
στο δρόμο = also common; the ‑ν is often dropped in speech and in much modern writing.

Grammar rule (modern standard):

The final ‑ν in τον, στον etc. is obligatory before:
- vowels and the consonants κ, π, τ, μπ, ντ, γκ, ξ, ψ
Before other consonants (like δ), it is optional.

So before δ (as in δρόμο), you may write either:

στον δρόμο or στο δρόμο

You will encounter both; choose one style and be consistent.

Why do Greeks say έχει πολύ κίνηση to mean “there is a lot of traffic”? Doesn’t έχει just mean “has”?

Literally, έχει πολύ κίνηση means “(it) has a lot of movement.”

In modern Greek, έχει (“has”) is very often used impersonally with weather and similar conditions, and it corresponds to English “there is / there are”:

Έχει κίνηση. = “There is traffic.”
Έχει ήλιο. = “It’s sunny.”
Έχει ζέστη. = “It’s hot (there is heat).”
Έχει πολύ κόσμο. = “There are a lot of people / It’s crowded.”

You could also say:

Υπάρχει πολλή κίνηση. = “There is a lot of traffic.”

This is more formal/explicit. In everyday speech, έχει πολύ κίνηση is the most natural phrase.

Why does κίνηση, which looks like “movement”, mean “traffic” here?

Κίνηση literally means “movement” or “motion.” From that basic idea, it has several related meanings:

Movement in general
- Η κίνηση των χεριών σου = “the movement of your hands”
Traffic (on roads)
- Έχει κίνηση στον δρόμο. = “There’s traffic on the road.”
Business/activity
- Δεν είχε πολλή κίνηση στο μαγαζί σήμερα. = “There wasn’t much business in the shop today.”
Move (in a game, like chess)
- Έκανα μια λάθος κίνηση. = “I made a wrong move.”

In your sentence, κίνηση is specifically road traffic.

Shouldn’t it be πολλή κίνηση (with agreement) instead of πολύ κίνηση? What’s the difference?

You’ve noticed a real issue Greeks themselves discuss.

Forms:

πολύς, πολλή, πολύ = adjective “much / many”
- πολλή κίνηση = “a lot of traffic” (feminine agreement with κίνηση)
πολύ (indeclinable adverb) = “very / a lot”
- πολύ κίνηση = here used adverbially, like “a lot of traffic”

Usage:

Traditional/“school” grammar prefers πολλή κίνηση because κίνηση is feminine, and adjectives normally agree in gender.
In everyday spoken Greek, people very often say πολύ κίνηση, treating πολύ like an adverb meaning “a lot (of).”

So:

Έχει πολλή κίνηση. = fully standard and “carefully correct.”
Έχει πολύ κίνηση. = extremely common, natural everyday Greek, and widely accepted.

As a learner:

You can safely use both, but if you’re in an exam or very formal writing, πολλή κίνηση is the safest “school-correct” option.

Why do we use όταν here and not αν or όποτε?

The conjunctions are slightly different in meaning:

όταν = “when” (for real, factual times)
- Προχωράω προσεκτικά όταν έχει πολύ κίνηση.
  = “I walk carefully when there is heavy traffic.”
  (A real situation that actually happens.)
αν = “if” (for conditions or hypotheses)
- Προχωράω προσεκτικά αν έχει πολύ κίνηση.
  = “I walk carefully if there is heavy traffic.”
  (Conditional: only under that condition.)
όποτε = “whenever / any time that”
- Προχωράω προσεκτικά όποτε έχει πολύ κίνηση.
  = “I walk carefully whenever there is heavy traffic.”
  (Emphasizes repetition / any time it happens.)

In your sentence, όταν states a regular, real-time relationship between two things: heavy traffic and careful walking.

Does the Greek present tense here mean “I am walking” or “I (usually) walk”? How does aspect work in this sentence?

In Greek, the present tense (here προχωράω) covers both:

Present continuous: “I am walking / I am moving”
Present habitual: “I (usually) walk / I walk (whenever X happens)”

So:

Προχωράω προσεκτικά στον δρόμο όταν έχει πολύ κίνηση.
can be understood as:
- “I walk carefully along the road when there is a lot of traffic.” (habit)
- or “I’m walking carefully along the road when there is heavy traffic.” (describing a current, typical scenario)

Context usually makes it clear. There is no separate “simple present” vs “present continuous” form in Greek; both meanings are expressed with the same present tense.

Can I leave out πολύ and just say όταν έχει κίνηση? How does that change the meaning?

Yes, you can:

Προχωράω προσεκτικά στον δρόμο όταν έχει κίνηση.

Meaning:

έχει κίνηση = “there is (some) traffic”
έχει πολύ κίνηση = “there is a lot of / heavy traffic”

So:

Without πολύ: you’re careful whenever there is traffic at all.
With πολύ: you are especially careful when there is a lot of traffic, not just a little.

Both are correct; they just indicate different degrees of traffic.