Breakdown of Δύο φορές την εβδομάδα πηγαίνω σε φροντιστήριο ελληνικών μετά τη δουλειά.
Questions & Answers about Δύο φορές την εβδομάδα πηγαίνω σε φροντιστήριο ελληνικών μετά τη δουλειά.
Greek often uses number + φορές + την + time period to express frequency:
- δύο φορές την εβδομάδα = two times the week → twice a week
- τρεις φορές τον μήνα = three times the month → three times a month
The definite article (την) is normal here and does not mean a specific week; it is a fixed pattern for saying per [time period] in Greek. So it sounds perfectly natural to Greek speakers, even though English uses a instead of the in this expression.
Την εβδομάδα is in the accusative case, feminine singular.
- εβδομάδα is a feminine noun.
- The feminine accusative singular article is την.
Time expressions showing duration or frequency are often in the accusative in Greek, so την εβδομάδα fits the pattern of accusative of time (how often / for how long).
Both πηγαίνω and πάω mean I go.
- πηγαίνω is slightly more formal or neutral and is the full form.
- πάω is shorter and more colloquial, very common in everyday speech.
In this sentence, you could say Δύο φορές την εβδομάδα πάω σε φροντιστήριο… and it would still be correct and natural. The meaning does not really change; it is mostly a stylistic choice.
In Greek, the simple present (ενεστώτας) is used for:
- actions happening now
- habitual or repeated actions
So πηγαίνω can mean I am going (now) or I go / I usually go depending on context. Here, words like δύο φορές την εβδομάδα clearly show it is a habitual action, so πηγαίνω naturally means I go (regularly).
Both are possible, but there is a nuance:
- σε φροντιστήριο ελληνικών literally: to a cram school of Greek (studies)
- ελληνικών is a genitive plural meaning of Greek (lessons / language).
- σε ελληνικό φροντιστήριο: to a Greek tutoring school
- ελληνικό is an adjective describing the school as Greek in some sense (maybe located in Greece, or a school run by Greeks).
In this context, σε φροντιστήριο ελληνικών focuses on the subject you are studying (Greek), which is what you want here.
Ελληνικών is neuter plural genitive. This is very common with school subjects:
- μάθημα ελληνικών = Greek (language) lesson
- βιβλίο αγγλικών = English (language) book
The genitive often expresses “of [subject]”, and the plural is used because it originally referred to the Greek (things / studies / lessons). So φροντιστήριο ελληνικών means a tutoring school for Greek (language).
You can say either:
- σε φροντιστήριο ελληνικών
- σε ένα φροντιστήριο ελληνικών
Both are grammatically correct. In Greek, leaving out ένα is very common when you mean “to a [type of place]” in a general or habitual way. The bare noun after σε often has an indefinite meaning, so σε φροντιστήριο ελληνικών naturally means to a Greek (language) tutoring school.
Verbs of motion like πηγαίνω usually take σε + accusative to indicate destination:
- πηγαίνω στο σχολείο = I go to school
- πηγαίνω σε φίλους = I go to (visit) friends
So πηγαίνω σε φροντιστήριο ελληνικών literally means I go to a Greek (language) cram school. Omitting σε here would be ungrammatical.
Φροντιστήριο is not the same as σχολείο.
- σχολείο = regular school (primary, secondary, etc.)
- φροντιστήριο = private tutoring center, cram school, or extra classes outside regular school
In this sentence, φροντιστήριο ελληνικών is a private place where you take Greek lessons, not a general school.
The preposition μετά in Modern Greek almost always takes the accusative with an article when it means after in a temporal sense:
- μετά τη δουλειά = after work
- μετά το μάθημα = after the lesson
Greek uses the definite article more often than English, especially with routine activities like η δουλειά (work, the job), το σχολείο (school). So μετά τη δουλειά is the normal, idiomatic form.
Yes, you can say μετά από τη δουλειά, and it is also correct.
- μετά τη δουλειά is slightly shorter and very common, especially in speech.
- μετά από τη δουλειά is a bit more explicit; από reinforces the meaning after, from that point on.
In everyday usage, there is no real difference in meaning here; both are natural.
Yes, Greek word order is flexible. You can move time and frequency phrases around:
- Δύο φορές την εβδομάδα πηγαίνω σε φροντιστήριο ελληνικών μετά τη δουλειά.
- Πηγαίνω σε φροντιστήριο ελληνικών δύο φορές την εβδομάδα μετά τη δουλειά.
- Μετά τη δουλειά, δύο φορές την εβδομάδα, πηγαίνω σε φροντιστήριο ελληνικών.
All are grammatically correct. The main effect of changing the order is to change what you emphasize (for example, starting with Δύο φορές την εβδομάδα highlights the frequency).