Learn Hardcore Greek: Ο νέος δήμαρχος φαίνεται ειλικρινής, αλλά μερικές φορές μιλάει σαν να μην καταλαβαίνει την πραγματικότητα. - The new mayor seems honest, but sometimes he speaks as if he does not understand reality.

Ο νέος δήμαρχος = the new mayor (a particular mayor everyone in the context knows about)
Ο δήμαρχος = the mayor (still a specific, known mayor, just without saying he is new)
Νέος δήμαρχος alone (without ο) is unusual as a subject; it might appear in headlines or very telegraphic styles, but in normal sentences it sounds incomplete.

So Ο νέος δήμαρχος is the natural way to say the new mayor as the subject of the sentence.

What exactly does νέος mean here: new or young?

Νέος can mean both new and young, depending on context.

Ο νέος δήμαρχος almost always means “the new mayor (the one who has just been elected / recently took office)”.
If you wanted to focus on his age (he is not old), you would usually say:
- Ο δήμαρχος είναι νέος. = The mayor is young.

So ο νέος δήμαρχος in front of the noun is interpreted as “the new mayor in office,” not “the young mayor.”

Why is δήμαρχος with -ος masculine ending, even though in English “mayor” can be male or female?

Δήμαρχος is grammatically masculine in Greek:

ο δήμαρχος (masculine article)
του δημάρχου, τον δήμαρχο, etc.

For a female mayor, modern Greek often still uses the same noun, but may mark the gender with the article or context:

η δήμαρχος = the (female) mayor
Or a fully feminine form you may see: η δημάρχισσα (less neutral or more traditional in tone, and not always preferred).

In this sentence, the form ο νέος δήμαρχος suggests the mayor is male, at least grammatically.

Why is it φαίνεται ειλικρινής and not something like είναι ειλικρινής?

Φαίνεται comes from φαίνομαι and means “seems / appears”, not “is”.

Ο νέος δήμαρχος είναι ειλικρινής. = The new mayor is honest. (strong statement of fact)
Ο νέος δήμαρχος φαίνεται ειλικρινής. = The new mayor seems honest. (what he appears to be, from what we can tell)

So the writer is being less categorical, saying that the mayor appears honest, not necessarily that he truly is.

Why does ειλικρινής have this form, and how does it agree with δήμαρχος?

Ειλικρινής is an adjective of the type -ής, -ής, -ές:

masculine/feminine singular: ειλικρινής
neuter singular: ειλικρινές
plural: ειλικρινείς (for masculine/feminine), ειλικρινή (for neuter)

In the sentence:

Subject: ο νέος δήμαρχος → masculine, singular, nominative
Predicate adjective: ειλικρινής → also masculine, singular, nominative

Predicate adjectives (after είμαι, φαίνομαι, etc.) agree in gender, number, and case with the subject, but they do not take an article.

So Ο νέος δήμαρχος φαίνεται ειλικρινής is grammatically:
[masc. nom. sg.] [masc. nom. sg.] [masc. nom. sg. predicate adj.].

Could you also say φαίνεται ότι είναι ειλικρινής instead of φαίνεται ειλικρινής?

Yes, both are possible, with a small stylistic difference:

Ο νέος δήμαρχος φαίνεται ειλικρινής.
Ο νέος δήμαρχος φαίνεται ότι είναι ειλικρινής.

Both mean “The new mayor seems to be honest.” The version with ότι είναι is slightly more explicit and a bit heavier; φαίνεται ειλικρινής is more direct and natural in everyday speech.

Grammatically:

In φαίνεται ειλικρινής, ειλικρινής is a predicate adjective.
In φαίνεται ότι είναι ειλικρινής, ότι… introduces a subordinate clause (that he is honest).

Why is it αλλά with a comma before it?

Αλλά means “but” and introduces a contrast, just like English but.

The comma before αλλά marks a pause and contrast between the first idea (“He seems honest”) and the second (“but sometimes he talks as if…”).

In writing, it is standard in Greek to use a comma before αλλά when it joins two clauses, exactly as we often do in English before but in compound sentences.

What does μερικές φορές literally mean, and why is μερικές feminine and plural?

Μερικές φορές is a very common expression meaning “sometimes”.

μερικές = some, several (feminine, plural)
φορά (singular) = time, occasion → plural φορές (feminine, plural)

So literally: μερικές φορές = “some times / several times” → idiomatically “sometimes”.

The adjective μερικές agrees with the noun φορές:

both are feminine plural:
- μερικές (fem. pl.)
- φορές (fem. pl.)

What is the difference between μιλάει and μιλά? Are both correct?

Both μιλάει and μιλά are correct and mean “he/she speaks”:

Verb: μιλάω / μιλώ (to speak)
- 3rd person singular: μιλάει or μιλά

Differences:

μιλάει is a bit more colloquial / spoken.
μιλά is a bit more formal or written, but still common in speech.

You can use either in this sentence:

…αλλά μερικές φορές μιλάει σαν…
…αλλά μερικές φορές μιλά σαν…

Why is it μιλάει and not λέει in this context?

Greek distinguishes clearly between:

μιλάω / μιλώ = to speak, to talk, focusing on the act or manner of speaking
λέω = to say, to tell, focusing on the content (what is said)

In the sentence:

μερικές φορές μιλάει σαν να…
→ sometimes he talks as if…

The focus is how he talks, the way he speaks, not just the particular phrase he says. So μιλάει is the natural choice. Using λέει (sometimes he says as if…) would sound wrong here.

What does σαν να do grammatically in σαν να μην καταλαβαίνει?

Σαν να is a fixed expression meaning “as if” or “as though”.

Structure:

σαν να
- verb with να (subjunctive-like form)

In this sentence:

μιλάει σαν να μην καταλαβαίνει…
= he speaks as if he doesn’t understand…

So σαν να introduces a comparison to a hypothetical / seemingly unreal situation. It describes the appearance or impression created by the way he talks.

Why is the negative μην and not δεν in σαν να μην καταλαβαίνει?

Greek uses two different negative particles:

δεν: with indicative forms (normal present, past, future statements)
μη(ν): with subjunctive (να), imperative, and in some other non‑indicative environments

Because σαν να is followed by a να‑form (να καταλαβαίνει), you must use μην:

σαν να καταλαβαίνει → as if he understands
σαν να μην καταλαβαίνει → as if he doesn’t understand

So:

να + verb → negative μην
usual finite verb without να → negative δεν
- e.g. δεν καταλαβαίνει την πραγματικότητα. = He doesn’t understand reality.

Why is the verb καταλαβαίνει (imperfective) used and not καταλάβει?

Greek verbs have aspect: imperfective (ongoing, repeated, general) vs perfective (single, complete event).

καταλαβαίνει = imperfective: understands / is understanding / generally understands
καταλάβει = perfective: understand (in a single, complete act)

Here the idea is not about one moment of understanding, but about the mayor’s general grasp of reality (ongoing or habitual lack of understanding):

σαν να μην καταλαβαίνει την πραγματικότητα
= as if he doesn’t (really) understand reality (in general)

Using καταλάβει would sound more like a specific event (“as if he didn’t manage to understand reality (this time)”), which is not the intended meaning.

Why is την πραγματικότητα definite? In English we usually say just “reality” without “the”.

Greek uses the definite article much more often than English, especially with abstract nouns.

η πραγματικότητα = reality (in general)
την πραγματικότητα (accusative) = reality as the object: understand reality

In English you often omit “the” before abstract nouns:

understand reality (no article)

In Greek the natural version usually includes the article:

καταλαβαίνω την πραγματικότητα
η αγάπη, η ζωή, η ελευθερία, etc.

So την πραγματικότητα here does not mean a specific reality; it’s just the standard Greek way to express the abstract noun.

Can σαν να μην καταλαβαίνει την πραγματικότητα be interpreted as literally not understanding, or is it more about being out of touch?

Literally, it means “as if he doesn’t understand reality”, but in normal usage it often implies being out of touch, naive, or detached from how things really are.

So pragmatically it can mean things like:

he is unrealistic
he doesn’t grasp how the world works
he talks in a way that ignores real problems / facts

The phrase is not about a basic cognitive incapacity; it’s more a criticism of his political or practical sense.