Breakdown of Κουράζομαι όταν δουλεύω όλη τη μέρα στο γραφείο.
σε
at
το γραφείο
the office
δουλεύω
to work
όταν
when
Questions & Answers about Κουράζομαι όταν δουλεύω όλη τη μέρα στο γραφείο.
What is the meaning of κουράζομαι, and why does it end in -ομαι instead of just -ω?
Κουράζομαι literally means “I get tired / I become tired.”
In Greek, verbs that end in -ομαι are middle/passive voice forms. That can mean:
- Reflexive-like meaning: the subject is affected themself
- κουράζω = “I tire (someone else), I make (someone) tired”
- κουράζομαι = “I get tired / I become tired (myself)”
So the base verb is:
- κουράζω – active voice: I tire (someone)
- κουράζομαι – middle/passive: I get tired / I become tired
In this sentence Κουράζομαι όταν δουλεύω…, we naturally translate κουράζομαι as “I get tired” or “I feel tired” in English.
Why is there no “I” (εγώ) in the sentence before κουράζομαι?
Greek usually drops the subject pronoun (εγώ, εσύ, αυτός, etc.) because the verb ending already shows the subject.
- κουράζομαι = “I get tired” (1st person singular)
- κουράζεσαι = “you get tired”
- κουράζεται = “he/she/it gets tired”
So εγώ κουράζομαι is grammatically correct, but in normal speech/writing people just say Κουράζομαι.
You only add the pronoun εγώ when you want to emphasize:
- Εγώ κουράζομαι, όχι εσύ. – I am the one who gets tired, not you.
What does όταν mean here, and how is it different from other words for “when” like ?