Learn Hardcore Greek: Σήμερα είμαι πραγματικά κουρασμένος, αλλά συνεχίζω το μάθημα. - Today I am really tired, but I continue the lesson.

Using a noun, like έχω κούραση, is not how Greeks normally express this state; it would sound unnatural or very unusual. So think of κουρασμένος as an adjective meaning “tired”, not as a thing you “have”.

How does gender work with κουρασμένος? What changes if a woman is speaking?

Κουρασμένος is an adjective and must agree with the speaker in gender and number.

Masculine singular: κουρασμένος – I (a man) am tired.
- Σήμερα είμαι πραγματικά κουρασμένος.
Feminine singular: κουρασμένη – I (a woman) am tired.
- Σήμερα είμαι πραγματικά κουρασμένη.
Neuter singular: κουρασμένο (for neuter nouns, e.g. a child: το παιδί είναι κουρασμένο).

For more people:

Masculine / mixed group: κουρασμένοι – Είμαστε κουρασμένοι. – We (at least one man) are tired.
Feminine group only: κουρασμένες – Είμαστε κουρασμένες.

So the ending of κουρασμένος changes to match who or what is tired.

What does πραγματικά add to the sentence? Is it like “really” or “very”?

Πραγματικά is an adverb meaning “really, truly, actually”.

In this sentence:

είμαι πραγματικά κουρασμένος
literally: I am really / truly tired.

It emphasizes that the tiredness is genuine or strong.

Compare:

είμαι κουρασμένος – I’m tired.
είμαι πολύ κουρασμένος – I’m very tired (focus on degree).
είμαι πραγματικά κουρασμένος – I’m really (genuinely) tired (both degree and truthfulness).

All are correct; πραγματικά is closer to English “really” than to “very”, but often overlaps in use.

Why is it αλλά συνεχίζω and not something like όμως συνεχίζω for “but I continue”?

Both αλλά and όμως can translate as “but”, but they function a bit differently.

αλλά = a conjunction, like English “but”, joining two clauses:
- …κουρασμένος, αλλά συνεχίζω το μάθημα.
όμως = usually an adverbial connector, more like “however” / “but still”:
- …κουρασμένος, όμως συνεχίζω το μάθημα.

In this exact sentence, you could say:

Σήμερα είμαι πραγματικά κουρασμένος, όμως συνεχίζω το μάθημα.

That is also correct, and sounds a bit more like “I’m really tired, however I continue the lesson.” The version with αλλά is more neutral and very common in everyday speech.

Why is there a comma before αλλά? Is that always required in Greek?

In modern Greek punctuation, you normally put a comma before αλλά when it connects two clauses, just like English often does with “but”:

Είμαι κουρασμένος, αλλά συνεχίζω.
Θέλω να έρθω, αλλά δεν μπορώ.

So in the sentence:

Σήμερα είμαι πραγματικά κουρασμένος, αλλά συνεχίζω το μάθημα.

the comma is standard and correct.
You would usually not use a comma if αλλά is connecting smaller items within the same clause (less common with αλλά, more with και, “and”).

Does συνεχίζω mean “I continue” or “I am continuing”? How is the present tense used here?

In Greek, the simple present tense covers both English “I continue” and “I am continuing”. There is no separate present continuous form like in English.

συνεχίζω = I continue / I am continuing

So:

αλλά συνεχίζω το μάθημα
can be understood as:
- “…but I continue the lesson”
  or
- “…but I’m continuing the lesson / but I keep going with the class.”

Context tells you whether it’s a general habit or a right-now action. Here it’s most naturally understood as something happening now.

Why is it συνεχίζω το μάθημα and not συνεχίζω μάθημα without the article?

In Greek, the definite article (ο, η, το, etc.) is used more often than in English.

Here, το μάθημα refers to a specific, known lesson or class (for example, today’s class, your current lesson), so Greek normally uses the article:

συνεχίζω το μάθημα – I continue the lesson / class.

Leaving it out (συνεχίζω μάθημα) would usually sound incomplete or unnatural in standard modern Greek, unless you were using a very compressed, telegraphic style (e.g. in notes or headlines), which is not the case here.

Could the sentence also be Σήμερα συνεχίζω το μάθημα, αλλά είμαι πραγματικά κουρασμένος? Does that change the meaning?

Yes, you can say:

Σήμερα συνεχίζω το μάθημα, αλλά είμαι πραγματικά κουρασμένος.

This is grammatically correct. The basic meaning is the same, but the focus shifts slightly:

Original: Σήμερα είμαι πραγματικά κουρασμένος, αλλά συνεχίζω το μάθημα.
Focus first on how tired you are, then on the fact that you still continue.
Alternative: Σήμερα συνεχίζω το μάθημα, αλλά είμαι πραγματικά κουρασμένος.
Focus first on the fact that you’re continuing the lesson today, even though you’re really tired.

Greek word order is flexible; moving parts around usually changes emphasis more than meaning.

How do you pronounce πραγματικά and κουρασμένος? Are there any tricky sounds?

πραγματικά – [prah-ghmah-tee-KÁ]

πραγ-: the γ before a consonant is a hard “gh” sound, like a voiced version of the Greek χ.
Stress is on the last syllable: -κά.

κουρασμένος – [koo-rahz-MÉ-nos]

κου-: like “koo” in “cool”.
-ρα-: “ra”.
-σμ-: pronounced together, “zm” sound.
Stress is on -μέ-: κουρασμένος.

Pay attention to the stress marks (΄) in Greek; they are essential for correct pronunciation.

What is the difference between κουρασμένος and a stronger word like “exhausted” in Greek?

Κουρασμένος generally means “tired”, and depending on context, it can be mild or quite strong.

To make it stronger, Greek often adds an adverb or chooses a different word:

είμαι πολύ κουρασμένος – I’m very tired.
είμαι εξαντλημένος / εξαντλημένη – I’m exhausted.
είμαι ψόφια (slang, feminine) / ψόφιος (slang, masculine) – I’m dead tired.

In the original sentence, πραγματικά κουρασμένος leans toward “really tired”, but not quite as dramatic as “exhausted” unless the context makes it feel stronger.

Is το μάθημα closer to “lesson” or “class” in English?

Το μάθημα can mean both “lesson” and “class”, depending on context.

At school/university: one “class” in the timetable:
- Έχω μάθημα στις οκτώ. – I have class at eight.
In a course or private study: one “lesson”:
- Τελειώσαμε το σημερινό μάθημα. – We finished today’s lesson.

In συνεχίζω το μάθημα, you can translate it naturally as either:

“…but I continue the lesson.”
“…but I keep going with the class.”

Choice depends on what sounds more natural in your target English context.

Is this sentence formal or informal? Would it be okay to say to a teacher?

The sentence:

Σήμερα είμαι πραγματικά κουρασμένος, αλλά συνεχίζω το μάθημα.

is neutral in tone. It is perfectly acceptable in both informal and relatively formal contexts.

You could say it:

To a friend or classmate.
To a teacher or instructor.

If you wanted to sound slightly more formal or respectful to a teacher, you might add σας or something extra in another part of the conversation, but this sentence by itself is already polite and appropriate.