Κατεβαίνω στην επόμενη στάση.

I get off at the next stop.

Breakdown of Κατεβαίνω στην επόμενη στάση.

• σε: at
• η στάση: the bus stop
• επόμενος: next
• κατεβαίνω: to get out of (a vehicle)

Questions & Answers about Κατεβαίνω στην επόμενη στάση.

What does the verb κατεβαίνω literally mean, and why is it used for getting off a bus or metro?

Κατεβαίνω literally means I go down / I descend.
By extension, it is the normal everyday verb used when you:

• get off a bus, tram, metro, taxi: Κατεβαίνω στην επόμενη στάση.
• go downstairs: Κατεβαίνω τις σκάλες.
• go down from somewhere higher to somewhere lower: Κατεβαίνω από το βουνό.

In transport contexts, κατεβαίνω = to get off (a vehicle). This is the natural, idiomatic choice in modern Greek.

Why is the present tense κατεβαίνω used if I mean a near-future action like I’m getting off at the next stop?

Modern Greek often uses the present tense for planned or very near-future actions, similar to English I’m leaving tomorrow, I’m meeting him later.

So Κατεβαίνω στην επόμενη στάση is understood as:

• I’m getting off at the next stop / I’m going to get off at the next stop, not a general habit.

If you really want to highlight the future, you can also say:

• Θα κατέβω στην επόμενη στάση. – I will get off at the next stop.

What exactly is στην here? Why not just σε?

Στην is a contracted form:

• σε (in, at, to) + την (the, feminine accusative singular) → στην

So στην επόμενη στάση literally is in/at the next stop.

You could in theory say σε την επόμενη στάση, but in real Greek it always contracts to στην επόμενη στάση.
Greek very often contracts σε + article:

• σε τον → στον
• σε την → στην
• σε το → στο
• σε τις → στις

Why is it στην επόμενη στάση and not στο επόμενο στάση or something similar?

Because στάση is a feminine noun.

• η στάση – the stop (nominative, feminine)
• την στάση – the stop (accusative, feminine)

The adjective επόμενος (next) must agree with the noun:

• masculine: επόμενος
• feminine: επόμενη
• neuter: επόμενο

Since στάση is feminine, you must say:

• στην επόμενη στάση – at the next stop (all feminine singular accusative)

How does the word στάση decline, and what does it literally mean?

Στάση literally means stop or station (for buses etc.), and also stance / posture / position in other contexts.

Basic forms (singular):

• η στάση – the stop (nominative)
• της στάσης – of the stop (genitive)
• τη(ν) στάση – the stop (accusative)
• στάση! – stop! (vocative, used less about buses)

In your sentence, στην επόμενη στάση uses the accusative because of the preposition σε (→ στην), which normally takes the accusative.

Why is it στην επόμενη στάση and not στη επόμενη στάση? When do we keep or drop the final -ν?

Here you must keep the -ν because the next word starts with a vowel:

• στην επόμενη στάση (next word starts with ε, a vowel)

In general, the final -ν in την / στην is:

• kept before vowels and certain consonants (κ, π, τ, μπ, ντ, γκ, ξ, ψ)
• often dropped before other consonants in casual writing/speech

So you’ll see:

• στην επόμενη στάση (vowel → keep ν)
• but στη στάση (no need for ν before σ; many speakers drop it here)

What is the difference between κατεβαίνω and βγαίνω? Both seem to mean to get out.

Both can overlap, but there is a difference in emphasis:

• κατεβαίνω: literally go down / descend; default for getting off a vehicle (bus, tram, etc.)
  • Κατεβαίνω στην επόμενη στάση. – I’m getting off at the next stop.
• βγαίνω: literally go out / exit; emphasizes leaving an enclosed place
  • Βγαίνω από το σπίτι. – I’m going out of the house.
  • Βγαίνω από το λεωφορείο. – I’m getting out of the bus (focus on exiting the inside of it)

For public transport, κατεβαίνω is the most idiomatic everyday verb for get off.

If I want to say I will get off at the next stop, should I use θα κατέβω or θα κατεβαίνω?

Use θα κατέβω:

• Θα κατέβω στην επόμενη στάση. – I will get off at the next stop (a single, completed action)

Κατέβω is the aorist stem (perfective aspect), used with θα for a single event.

Θα κατεβαίνω (imperfective) would mean something like:

• I will be going down / I will be getting off (repeatedly / habitually)

That is unusual in this context. For one specific upcoming stop, θα κατέβω is correct.

Why don’t we say Εγώ κατεβαίνω στην επόμενη στάση? Is it wrong to include εγώ?

Greek is a pro-drop language: the subject pronoun (εγώ, I) is usually omitted because the verb ending already shows the person:

• Κατεβαίνω → clearly I get off (1st person singular)

You only add εγώ if you want to emphasize the subject, e.g.:

• Εγώ κατεβαίνω στην επόμενη στάση. – I’m getting off at the next stop (not someone else).

So it’s not wrong; it just adds emphasis. Neutral, everyday version: Κατεβαίνω στην επόμενη στάση.

Can I change the word order, for example Στην επόμενη στάση κατεβαίνω? Does that sound natural?

Yes, that word order is possible and natural. It usually adds a bit of emphasis on the place/time phrase:

• Κατεβαίνω στην επόμενη στάση. – neutral statement.
• Στην επόμενη στάση κατεβαίνω. – emphasizes at the next stop (for example, contrasting with other stops).

Both are correct; the first is probably the most typical in everyday speech.

Can I drop the word στάση and just say Κατεβαίνω στην επόμενη?

Yes, very often in context speakers shorten it:

• Κατεβαίνω στην επόμενη.
• Θα κατέβω στην επόμενη.

Here στην επόμενη implicitly means στην επόμενη στάση.
This is completely natural when it’s obvious you’re talking about bus/metro stops.

How would I ask someone Where are you getting off? using the same verb?

You can say:

• Πού κατεβαίνεις; – Where are you getting off? (informal, εσύ)
• Πού κατεβαίνετε; – same, but formal or plural (εσείς)

You can make it more explicit:

• Σε ποια στάση κατεβαίνεις; – At which stop are you getting off?

How do you pronounce Κατεβαίνω στην επόμενη στάση?

Pronunciation in a rough phonetic transcription:

• Κατεβαίνω → ka-te-VE-no (stress on -βα-)
• στην → stin
• επόμενη → e-PO-me-ni (stress on -πό-)
• στάση → STA-si (stress on -στά-)

So the whole sentence:

• Κατεβαίνω στην επόμενη στάση. → ka-te-VE-no stin e-PO-me-ni STA-si

Note that αι, ει, η, ι, υ, οι can all sound like i in modern Greek, which is why κατεβαίνω and στάση sound simpler than they look.