Breakdown of Όταν κατεβαίνω από το λεωφορείο, προσέχω να βγαίνω πρώτα στο πεζοδρόμιο και όχι στον δρόμο.
Questions & Answers about Όταν κατεβαίνω από το λεωφορείο, προσέχω να βγαίνω πρώτα στο πεζοδρόμιο και όχι στον δρόμο.
Both verbs can be translated with “get off / get out,” but they focus on slightly different things:
κατεβαίνω literally means “go down / descend.”
- With transport (bus, train, etc.) it normally means “to get off”.
- It emphasizes the movement downwards from a vehicle.
βγαίνω means “go out / come out / exit.”
- It focuses on leaving an enclosed or defined space and appearing outside.
In the sentence:
- κατεβαίνω από το λεωφορείο = I get off the bus (i.e. I descend from the vehicle).
- να βγαίνω πρώτα στο πεζοδρόμιο = to step out onto the pavement first (i.e. the way I emerge into space after getting off).
So: κατεβαίνω = leaving the bus; βγαίνω = where and how I appear once I’ve left it.
You can hear βγαίνω από το λεωφορείο in everyday speech, and people will understand it.
However, κατεβαίνω από το λεωφορείο is the most natural and standard phrase for “get off the bus.”
- For vehicles such as λεωφορείο, τρένο, μετρό, πλοίο, etc., κατεβαίνω (από) is the default verb.
- βγαίνω (από) is more generic “come out of” and doesn’t automatically evoke the idea of “getting off public transport” as strongly.
So βγαίνω από το λεωφορείο isn’t wrong, but κατεβαίνω από το λεωφορείο sounds more idiomatic.
This is about aspect (imperfective vs perfective):
να βγαίνω (imperfective subjunctive) describes:
- a habitual, repeated, or ongoing type of action
- “I make sure that I always get out (in this way) whenever this situation occurs.”
να βγω (aorist / perfective subjunctive) would describe:
- a single, complete event in the future or a specific instance
- e.g. “I’ll make sure to get out (this one time) onto the pavement.”
In the sentence, we’re talking about what the speaker does every time they get off the bus, as a general habit.
So Greek naturally uses προσέχω να βγαίνω to express this repeated pattern of behavior.
If you changed it to προσέχω να βγω, it would sound more like you’re talking about one particular occasion (“I’ll make sure to step onto the pavement (this time)”) rather than a general rule.
Grammatically, it is subjunctive:
- In Modern Greek, after να, the verb is in the subjunctive mood.
- For imperfective verbs (like βγαίνω), the subjunctive form is identical to the present indicative.
So:
- (εγώ) βγαίνω = present indicative form
- να βγαίνω = imperfective subjunctive (same “shape,” different mood)
You recognize it as subjunctive here not from the verb ending but from the particle να that introduces it and from the meaning (a desired / intended / controlled action).
Because the sentence describes a general, habitual situation, not a single future event.
- Όταν κατεβαίνω από το λεωφορείο
= When(ever) I get off the bus (in general, every time it happens)
→ Greek uses the present for these general truths or habits.
If you were talking about one specific future occasion, you’d say something like:
- Όταν κατέβω από το λεωφορείο, θα σε πάρω τηλέφωνο.
When I get off the bus (on that future occasion), I’ll call you.
So:
- present after όταν → general / habitual
- subjunctive (e.g. κατέβω) + θα → one-time future situation
Modern Greek uses the definite article much more frequently than English:
το λεωφορείο = the bus
→ In Greek, if it’s a concrete, specific bus that you’re on right now, you almost always use το.στο πεζοδρόμιο, στον δρόμο
→ These are “the pavement / sidewalk” and “the road,” not in a strongly specific sense, but as the normal, concrete surroundings. Greek still prefers the article here.
In many everyday, concrete contexts:
- English can say “on pavement,” “in traffic,” “in school” with no article.
- Greek usually uses the definite article: στο πεζοδρόμιο, στην κίνηση, στο σχολείο.
So the presence of το / στο / στον here is standard and natural, not specially emphatic.
Both are contractions of σε + definite article, but with different genders:
στο πεζοδρόμιο = σε + το πεζοδρόμιο
- πεζοδρόμιο is neuter, so its article in the accusative is το.
- σε + το → στο
στον δρόμο = σε + τον δρόμο
- δρόμος is masculine, so its article in the accusative is τον.
- σε + τον → στον
So:
- στο = in/on/at the (neuter or sometimes masculine when the ν is dropped in speech)
- στον = in/on/at the (masculine, with the ν kept clearly)
The difference is purely grammatical (gender/case), not semantic.
The meaning doesn’t change; it’s just that the two nouns have different grammatical genders:
- το πεζοδρόμιο (sidewalk/pavement) → neuter noun
- ο δρόμος (road/street) → masculine noun
Greek assigns gender to nouns somewhat arbitrarily. It doesn’t mean that the pavement is “neuter” in any logical sense and the road is “masculine” in meaning; it’s simply part of their dictionary form.
The gender only affects:
- the form of the article (το / ο → στο / στον)
- agreement with adjectives, pronouns, etc.
It does not reflect a difference in meaning like “more solid” or “more abstract.”
Yes, it’s a compound:
- πεζός = someone who is on foot, a pedestrian
- δρόμος = road
So πεζο-δρόμιο originally is “pedestrian-road,” i.e. the part of the road for people on foot.
Over time it became the standard word for sidewalk / pavement: το πεζοδρόμιο.
(There is also πεζόδρομος = pedestrian street, a street closed to cars, for pedestrians only.)
You can say προσέχω να βγω..., but it changes the nuance:
προσέχω να βγαίνω...
→ “I make sure I (always) get out onto the pavement first”
→ habitual, general rule whenever this situation occurs.προσέχω να βγω...
→ would usually be understood as “I’ll make sure to get out onto the pavement (this particular time)”
→ more specific, one-time event focus.
In the original sentence, we’re describing a general safety habit, so να βγαίνω (imperfective) fits better.
Yes, but each choice changes the feel slightly:
προσέχω να βγαίνω…
→ “I pay attention / I’m careful to get out…”
→ Strong sense of carefulness / caution, very natural for safety rules.φροντίζω να βγαίνω…
→ “I make sure / I see to it that I get out…”
→ More about taking care / making sure, a bit less directly about “being cautious.”βεβαιώνομαι ότι βγαίνω…
→ “I make sure / I confirm that I get out…”
→ Sounds more formal, something you’d say in more careful or written language.
In everyday speech, for a safety instruction like this, προσέχω να… is the most natural.
και όχι sets up a clear contrast between two alternatives:
- πρώτα στο πεζοδρόμιο
→ the preferred / correct option - και όχι στον δρόμο
→ the rejected option
It’s like saying in English:
- “first onto the pavement, and not into the road”
If you said only όχι στον δρόμο without και, it could still be understood, but you’d lose some of the clear “A, and not B” structure.
και όχι is a very common way in Greek to contrast two options:
- Θέλω καφέ και όχι τσάι. = I want coffee and not tea.
Yes, Greek word order is quite flexible, especially for adverbs like πρώτα. All of these are possible:
- προσέχω να βγαίνω πρώτα στο πεζοδρόμιο (original)
- προσέχω πρώτα να βγαίνω στο πεζοδρόμιο
- προσέχω να βγαίνω στο πεζοδρόμιο πρώτα
They all mean essentially the same thing:
- πρώτα placed right before στο πεζοδρόμιο (as in the original) makes it very clear that it modifies where you step first.
- πρώτα earlier in the clause (e.g. προσέχω πρώτα) can slightly shift the emphasis, but in context it’s still understood as “first I step on the pavement.”
The original να βγαίνω πρώτα στο πεζοδρόμιο is very natural and clear.
With verbs of getting off / down from something, Greek usually uses από:
- κατεβαίνω από το λεωφορείο = I get off the bus
- κατεβαίνω από το τρένο / από το πλοίο, etc.
από here means “from, down from,” marking the point of departure.
You cannot normally omit από with λεωφορείο:
- κατεβαίνω το λεωφορείο sounds wrong or at best very unusual in Modern Greek.
You can omit από with some nouns like σκάλες:
- κατεβαίνω τις σκάλες = I go down the stairs.
But for vehicles like το λεωφορείο, you need από:
- κατεβαίνω από το λεωφορείο ✔
- κατεβαίνω το λεωφορείο ✖ in modern everyday usage.