Learn Hardcore Greek: Απόψε έχουμε έναν καλεσμένο στο σπίτι και ετοιμάζουμε βραδινό για όλους. - Tonight we have a guest at home and we are preparing dinner for everyone.

Απόψε = tonight (only for this night, quite common and slightly more “complete” as a word).
σήμερα το βράδυ = literally today in the evening, also “tonight”.

In most everyday contexts they are interchangeable. Απόψε is a bit shorter and very natural in speech; σήμερα το βράδυ can sound a little more neutral or explicit, but there’s no big difference in meaning here.

Why is it έχουμε έναν καλεσμένο and not something like είναι ένας καλεσμένος?

The verb έχω in έχουμε έναν καλεσμένο is used idiomatically:

έχουμε έναν καλεσμένο (στο σπίτι) literally: we have a guest (at home)
→ idiomatic English: we are having a guest over / we’re hosting a guest.

Using είναι ένας καλεσμένος (there is a guest) would describe someone’s mere presence, but it doesn’t carry the same nuance of hosting/expecting a guest.

So έχουμε έναν καλεσμένο is the natural way to say “We’re having a guest (over)” in Greek.

Why is it έναν καλεσμένο and not ένα καλεσμένο?

Έναν is the masculine form of “a/an/one”, in the accusative case:

Masculine:
- Nominative: ένας καλεσμένος (a guest – as subject)
- Accusative: έναν καλεσμένο (a guest – as object)

After the verb έχουμε, the guest is the direct object, so it must be in the accusative.
Also, καλεσμένος is grammatically masculine, even though the accusative ending -ο might look like a neuter. The article tells you the gender: έναν = masculine accusative.

What kind of word is καλεσμένο here, and what does it literally come from?

Καλεσμένο here is a noun meaning “guest (invited person)”, in the accusative singular masculine form.

It comes from the verb καλώ = to call / to invite.
The participle καλεσμένος literally means “invited”, and it is used as a noun:

ο καλεσμένος = the invited one → the guest
Accusative: τον/έναν καλεσμένο = (the/a) guest

So grammatically it started as a participle, but in everyday language it functions as a normal noun meaning “guest”.

Is there any difference between καλεσμένος, φιλοξενούμενος, and προσκεκλημένος?

Yes, there are nuances:

καλεσμένος – the most common, neutral word for guest (an invited person).
φιλοξενούμενος – someone you host, often with a stronger sense of hospitality, and especially if they stay with you (overnight, longer).
προσκεκλημένος – a bit more formal, often used for invited guests at official events (προσκεκλημένος ομιλητής = invited speaker).

In this home context, καλεσμένο is the most natural choice.

What does στο σπίτι literally mean, and what is στο?

Στο σπίτι literally means “in/at the house”, and in context here it is “at home”.

σε = in, at, to
το = the (neuter singular article)
σε + το → στο

So στο is a common contraction of the preposition σε with the neuter article το.
Στο σπίτι therefore = σε + το σπίτι = at the house / at home.

Why does the sentence not say στο σπίτι μας (“at our house”)? How do we know it’s our home?

Greek often omits “our” when it’s obvious from context:

Έχουμε έναν καλεσμένο στο σπίτι is naturally understood as
“We’re having a guest at our home”, not some random house.

If you want to make it explicit, you can say:

Έχουμε έναν καλεσμένο στο σπίτι μας.

Both are correct; the original just relies on context to show it’s your own home.

What tense is ετοιμάζουμε, and does it mean “we prepare” or “we are preparing”?

Ετοιμάζουμε is in the present tense, 1st person plural of ετοιμάζω = to prepare.

Modern Greek present tense covers both:

we prepare (habitual)
we are preparing (right now / around now)

In this specific sentence, with Απόψε (“tonight”), the natural meaning is:

“Tonight we are preparing dinner for everyone”
→ either literally right now, or as a definite plan for tonight.

Greek often uses the present for near-future plans like this.

Why doesn’t the sentence say εμείς ετοιμάζουμε? Where is the subject?

In Greek, the subject pronoun (εγώ, εσύ, εμείς, etc.) is usually dropped, because the verb ending already shows the person and number.

ετοιμάζουμε alone already means “we prepare / we are preparing”.
εμείς ετοιμάζουμε is only used for emphasis, like “we are the ones preparing”.

So the subject “we” is implicit inside the verb form -ουμε.

What exactly does βραδινό mean here, and how is it different from δείπνο?

Βραδινό here is a neuter noun meaning “dinner / evening meal”. It comes from the adjective:

βραδινός, -ή, -ό = “evening, of the evening”

In everyday speech:

το βραδινό (φαγητό) = dinner (lit. “the evening (food)”)
δείπνο = “dinner” too, but more formal or a bit old-fashioned in casual talk.

So:

ετοιμάζουμε βραδινό = we are preparing dinner.
In very natural everyday Greek it’s more common than saying ετοιμάζουμε δείπνο, unless you want a more formal tone.

Why is there no article before βραδινό (no το βραδινό)?

With meals in Greek, it is very common to omit the article, especially when talking generally about having/preparing a meal:

τρώμε πρωινό = we eat breakfast
φτιάχνω μεσημεριανό = I’m making lunch
ετοιμάζουμε βραδινό = we are preparing dinner

You can say το βραδινό in some contexts (e.g. “το βραδινό ήταν υπέροχο” – “the dinner was wonderful”), but in neutral statements about making or having the meal, dropping the article is normal and very natural.

What does για όλους mean exactly, and why is όλους in that form?

Για όλους means “for everyone / for all (of them)”.

για = for
όλους = “all” in the accusative plural masculine form

The preposition για always takes the accusative case, so:

όλοι (nominative, subject) → όλους (accusative, object)

Although όλους is grammatically masculine, it is commonly used to mean “everyone” regardless of gender in everyday speech.

Can I change the word order? For example, is Απόψε έχουμε στο σπίτι έναν καλεσμένο και ετοιμάζουμε βραδινό για όλους also correct?

Yes, Greek allows quite flexible word order, especially when meaning is clear.

These are all correct, with slightly different emphasis:

Απόψε έχουμε έναν καλεσμένο στο σπίτι και ετοιμάζουμε βραδινό για όλους.
Απόψε έχουμε στο σπίτι έναν καλεσμένο και ετοιμάζουμε βραδινό για όλους.
Έχουμε έναν καλεσμένο στο σπίτι απόψε και ετοιμάζουμε βραδινό για όλους.

They all mean essentially the same: “Tonight we’re having a guest at home and we’re preparing dinner for everyone.” The differences are minor and mostly about which piece of information is heard first (time, place, object, etc.).