Κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά, νιώθω χαρούμενος.

Every time I speak Greek, I feel happy.

Breakdown of Κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά, νιώθω χαρούμενος.

• μιλάω: to speak
• ελληνικά: in Greek
• που: that
• νιώθω: to feel
• χαρούμενος: happy
• κάθε φορά: every time

Questions & Answers about Κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά, νιώθω χαρούμενος.

Why is there no word for I in the sentence?

In Greek, subject pronouns (like εγώ = I) are usually dropped because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• μιλάω ends in -ω, which tells you the subject is I.
• So εγώ μιλάω ελληνικά and μιλάω ελληνικά both mean I speak Greek.

You only add εγώ when you want to emphasize I specifically, for example:

• Κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά, εγώ νιώθω χαρούμενος, όχι οι άλλοι.
  (Every time I speak Greek, I feel happy, not the others.)

What does κάθε φορά που mean, and how is it different from just όταν?

Κάθε φορά που literally means every time that. It stresses repetition: something happens repeatedly under the same condition.

• Κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά, νιώθω χαρούμενος.
  = Every time I speak Greek, I feel happy. (habitual, repeated)

Όταν means when in general:

• Όταν μιλάω ελληνικά, νιώθω χαρούμενος.
  This also works and is very natural. It can express a general or habitual situation, similar to whenever or when in English.

Subtle nuance:

• κάθε φορά που: emphasizes each occurrence, a bit more explicit and sometimes a little stronger.
• όταν: more neutral and very common.

What is the role of που in κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά?

Here που works like a linking word meaning roughly that or when:

• κάθε φορά = every time
• που μιλάω ελληνικά = that I speak Greek / when I speak Greek

So κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά = every time (that) I speak Greek.

In this structure, που introduces the subordinate clause (μιλάω ελληνικά) and does not mean where (as in place).

What is the difference between μιλάω and μιλώ? Are both correct?

Yes, both are correct; they are simply two forms of the same verb.

• μιλάω is slightly more colloquial / everyday speech.
• μιλώ sounds a bit more formal or bookish, but is also used in normal speech.

They mean the same: I speak / I am speaking.

So you can say:

• Κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά…
• Κάθε φορά που μιλώ ελληνικά…

Both are fine; μιλάω is very common in spoken modern Greek.

Why is ελληνικά in the plural and without an article?

Ελληνικά is the neuter plural form of the adjective ελληνικός (Greek). In Modern Greek, neuter plural adjectives are often used as nouns to mean the language:

• τα ελληνικά = the Greek language
• τα αγγλικά = English (the language)
• τα γαλλικά = French (the language)

When we talk about a language after verbs like μιλάω (speak), ξέρω (know), we often drop the article:

• Μιλάω ελληνικά. = I speak Greek.
• Ξέρω αγγλικά. = I know English.

So:

• Plural: because that’s how language names work in Greek (neuter plural used as a noun).
• No article: very normal with μιλάω + language.

Could I say την ελληνική instead of ελληνικά?

Not in this context.

Την ελληνική (feminine singular) by itself is incomplete. You would need a noun:

• τη(n) ελληνική γλώσσα = the Greek language
• μιλάω την ελληνική γλώσσα = grammatically correct, but sounds formal / heavy in everyday speech.

In natural modern Greek, people almost always say:

• μιλάω ελληνικά
• ξέρω ελληνικά

So in your sentence, ελληνικά is the natural choice.

Why is νιώθω used instead of είμαι (as in είμαι χαρούμενος)?

• νιώθω means I feel.
• είμαι means I am.

Using νιώθω χαρούμενος focuses on the emotion as an inner feeling that arises in that situation:

• Κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά, νιώθω χαρούμενος.
  = Every time I speak Greek, I feel happy.

You could also say:

• …είμαι χαρούμενος. = …I am happy.

This is also correct, but sounds a bit more static, like describing a state. Νιώθω highlights the emotional reaction more strongly, which fits very well with this sentence.

What is the difference between νιώθω and αισθάνομαι?

Both can mean I feel, and they often overlap.

• νιώθω is very common, more everyday, slightly more informal.
• αισθάνομαι is a bit more formal / literary, but still used in normal speech.

In your sentence, you could say:

• νιώθω χαρούμενος
• αισθάνομαι χαρούμενος

Both are correct. Νιώθω is the more typical, natural choice here.

Why is it χαρούμενος and not another ending? How does agreement work here?

Adjectives in Greek must agree with the noun (or the implied subject) in gender, number, and case.

The implied subject is I (εγώ), and:

• If the speaker is a man, the adjective must be masculine singular nominative → χαρούμενος.
• If the speaker is a woman, it should be feminine singular nominative → χαρούμενη.

So:

• A man: Κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά, νιώθω χαρούμενος.
• A woman: Κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά, νιώθω χαρούμενη.

Plural examples:

• Group of men / mixed group: νιώθουμε χαρούμενοι.
• Group of women only: νιώθουμε χαρούμενες.

Is the present tense μιλάω here like English I speak or I am speaking?

Greek present tense (μιλάω) can cover both:

• I speak Greek (in general).
• I am speaking Greek (right now).

In this particular sentence, with κάθε φορά που, it clearly refers to a habit / repeated action:

• Κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά…
  = Every time I speak Greek… / Whenever I speak Greek…

So the meaning is a habitual present, similar to English simple present.

Could I say Όποτε μιλάω ελληνικά instead of Κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά?

Yes, you can.

• Όποτε μιλάω ελληνικά, νιώθω χαρούμενος.

Όποτε means something like whenever. Nuances:

• κάθε φορά που: stresses each individual time, a bit more explicit.
• όποτε: also means whenever, slightly more compact and very natural.

In most everyday contexts, they are interchangeable here.

Is the comma before νιώθω necessary in Greek?

Yes, the comma is normal and recommended here.

• Κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά, νιώθω χαρούμενος.

You have a subordinate clause (κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά) followed by the main clause (νιώθω χαρούμενος). Greek punctuation usually places a comma between them, similar to English:

• Every time I speak Greek, I feel happy.

Can I change the word order and say Νιώθω χαρούμενος κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά?

Yes, that is completely correct and natural:

• Νιώθω χαρούμενος κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά.

Both:

• Κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά, νιώθω χαρούμενος.
• Νιώθω χαρούμενος κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά.

mean the same. The difference is just which part you foreground:

• Starting with Κάθε φορά που… emphasizes the condition / situation.
• Starting with Νιώθω χαρούμενος… emphasizes the feeling first.

Greek word order is fairly flexible, as long as the meaning stays clear.

How would I say this if I am a woman?

You only need to change the adjective to the feminine form:

• Κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά, νιώθω χαρούμενη.

Everything else stays the same. The verb νιώθω doesn’t change; only the adjective agrees with your (implied) gender.

How do you pronounce each word in this sentence?

Approximate pronunciation (stress marked with capital letters):

• Κάθε → KÁ-theh
• φορά → fo-RÁ
• που → pu (like poo, but short)
• μιλάω → mee-LÁ-o (often in fast speech sounds like mee-LÁ-o or mee-LÁ with a very light final sound)
• ελληνικά → e-lee-nee-KÁ
• νιώθω → NYÓ-tho (the νι is like ny in canyon)
• χαρούμενος → ha-ROO-me-nos (stress on ROO)

Full sentence:
KÁ-theh fo-RÁ pu mee-LÁ-o e-lee-nee-KÁ, NYÓ-tho ha-ROO-me-nos.

How would I negate the sentence: I don’t feel happy?

To negate νιώθω, you add δεν before the verb:

• Κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά, δεν νιώθω χαρούμενος.
  = Every time I speak Greek, I don’t feel happy.

If the speaker is a woman:

• Κάθε φορά που μιλάω ελληνικά, δεν νιώθω χαρούμενη.