Η μετάφραση είναι δύσκολη, αλλά βοηθάει πολύ όταν το κείμενο είναι προχωρημένο.

Translation is difficult, but it helps a lot when the text is advanced.

Breakdown of Η μετάφραση είναι δύσκολη, αλλά βοηθάει πολύ όταν το κείμενο είναι προχωρημένο.

• είμαι: to be
• αλλά: but
• βοηθάω: to help
• πολύ: a lot
• όταν: when
• δύσκολος: difficult
• προχωρημένος: advanced
• το κείμενο: the text
• η μετάφραση: the translation

Questions & Answers about Η μετάφραση είναι δύσκολη, αλλά βοηθάει πολύ όταν το κείμενο είναι προχωρημένο.

Why does the sentence start with Η μετάφραση and not just Μετάφραση?

Η is the feminine singular definite article (the), so Η μετάφραση literally means the translation.

In Greek, the definite article is used much more than in English, especially:

• with abstract nouns (η αγάπη, η μουσική, η μετάφραση)
• when talking about things in general

So Η μετάφραση είναι δύσκολη is the normal way to say Translation is difficult (in general).

If you say Μετάφραση είναι δύσκολη without η, it sounds unusual or like a title/heading rather than a normal sentence.

What gender and case is μετάφραση, and how can I tell?

μετάφραση is:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative

How to see this:

• The ending -η (in words like μετάφραση, πόλη, γνώση) is a very common feminine nominative singular ending.
• It is the subject of the verb είναι, so it must be in the nominative case.
• The article Η in front of it is also feminine nominative singular (η, της, τη(ν) etc.), which confirms the gender and case.

So in a dictionary you will see it as η μετάφραση.

Why is it δύσκολη and not δύσκολο or δύσκολος?

δύσκολη is an adjective that must agree with μετάφραση in gender, number, and case.

The basic forms of the adjective are:

• masculine: δύσκολος
• feminine: δύσκολη
• neuter: δύσκολο

Since μετάφραση is feminine singular nominative, the adjective also has to be feminine singular nominative, so we choose δύσκολη.

So:

• Η μετάφραση είναι δύσκολη. (feminine noun → feminine adjective)
• Ο διάλογος είναι δύσκολος. (masculine noun)
• Το κείμενο είναι δύσκολο. (neuter noun)

What is the subject of βοηθάει? Why is there no αυτή or η μετάφραση again?

The subject of βοηθάει is still η μετάφραση.

Greek is a pro‑drop language: subject pronouns (like εγώ, εσύ, αυτός) and repeated subjects are often left out when they are obvious from context.

So:

• Η μετάφραση είναι δύσκολη, αλλά βοηθάει πολύ…
  = Translation is difficult, but (it) helps a lot…

There is no separate word for it here. The subject is understood from the previous clause:

• η μετάφραση (subject)
• βοηθάει (3rd person singular verb form, so it fits η μετάφραση)

What is the difference between βοηθάει and βοηθά?

Both βοηθάει and βοηθά are 3rd person singular present forms of the verb βοηθάω / βοηθώ (to help):

• βοηθάει – a fuller form
• βοηθά – a shorter form

They mean the same thing (he/she/it helps). In modern Greek:

• βοηθά is very common in everyday speech and writing.
• βοηθάει is also common and fully correct; sometimes it can sound slightly more careful or explicit in pronunciation.

So you could also say:

• Η μετάφραση είναι δύσκολη, αλλά βοηθά πολύ…

with βοηθά instead of βοηθάει.

How does πολύ work here? Why not πολλά or πολλή?

In βοηθάει πολύ, the word πολύ is an adverb modifying the verb βοηθάει. It means a lot / very much:

• βοηθάει πολύ = it helps a lot / it helps very much

As an adverb, πολύ does not change for gender, number, or case. It always stays πολύ.

When πολύ is an adjective meaning many / much, it does change:

• masculine: πολύς
• feminine: πολλή
• neuter: πολύ
• plural: πολλοί, πολλές, πολλά

Examples:

• Πίνω πολύ καφέ. – I drink a lot of coffee. (adverb)
• Έχω πολλούς φίλους. – I have many friends. (adjective)

Why is όταν used here? How is it different from αν or όποτε?

όταν introduces a time clause: it means when (in the sense of at the time that / whenever).

In the sentence:

• …όταν το κείμενο είναι προχωρημένο.
  = …when the text is advanced.

Comparisons:

• όταν – when (time)
• αν – if (condition)
• όποτε – whenever (emphasis on any time it happens)

Here we are talking about the time/situation in which translation helps (whenever the text is advanced), so όταν is the natural choice.

αν το κείμενο είναι προχωρημένο would mean if the text is advanced, which feels more purely conditional and less like a normal temporal when statement.

Why is it το κείμενο είναι προχωρημένο and not το προχωρημένο κείμενο είναι…?

Both structures are grammatically possible, but they have different emphasis.

In the sentence:

• όταν το κείμενο είναι προχωρημένο

the structure is:

• subject: το κείμενο
• verb: είναι
• complement (predicate adjective): προχωρημένο

This is the usual neutral way to say the text is advanced.

If you say:

• όταν το προχωρημένο κείμενο είναι…

you are using προχωρημένο as an adjective directly before the noun (the advanced text), which is more like defining what kind of text it is, and then you would expect some extra information after είναι. It changes the focus and is not what we want here.

So for when the text is advanced, the normal structure is το κείμενο είναι προχωρημένο.

What exactly does προχωρημένο mean here, and why is it neuter?

προχωρημένο is an adjective meaning advanced (in level, not beginner). It comes from the verb προχωρώ (to advance / to progress), and is a past participle used as an adjective.

Its three basic gender forms are:

• masculine: προχωρημένος
• feminine: προχωρημένη
• neuter: προχωρημένο

In το κείμενο είναι προχωρημένο:

• κείμενο is a neuter singular nominative noun.
• Adjectives must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.
• Therefore, we use the neuter singular nominative adjective: προχωρημένο.

Meaning-wise, προχωρημένο κείμενο is a text that is at a higher / advanced level, not for beginners.

Does το κείμενο mean the text or a text in English?

Literally, το κείμενο is the text (definite article).

However, in Greek, the definite article is often used where English might use a or no article at all, especially in:

• general statements
• typical situations

In this sentence, όταν το κείμενο είναι προχωρημένο can naturally be translated as:

• when the text is advanced, or
• when a text is advanced, or even
• when the text you are dealing with is advanced

The idea is any text (in that situation), not one specific text you already mentioned. Greek still uses το, but English does not always keep the in such general statements.

Why is είναι (present tense) used after όταν? Could we say όταν το κείμενο θα είναι προχωρημένο?

In Greek, after time conjunctions like όταν, όταν, μόλις, αφού, we normally use the present tense (or other non‑future forms) even if we are talking about the future.

So:

• όταν το κείμενο είναι προχωρημένο
  can refer to a general situation or to the future:
  when the text is / will be advanced.

Using θα after όταν:

• όταν το κείμενο θα είναι προχωρημένο

is generally avoided in standard Greek and often sounds wrong or very non‑standard. As a learner, you should not put θα after όταν in such clauses.

So the correct and natural form here is όταν το κείμενο είναι προχωρημένο.

Why is there a comma before αλλά?

αλλά means but and introduces a clause that contrasts with the previous one:

• Η μετάφραση είναι δύσκολη, αλλά βοηθάει πολύ…

In Greek punctuation, it is standard to put a comma before coordinating conjunctions like:

• αλλά (but)
• όμως (however)
• γιατί (because), etc.,

when they join two clauses.

So the comma before αλλά here is normal and expected, just like in English Translation is difficult, but it helps a lot…