Questions & Answers about Όταν έχει πολλά αστέρια, νιώθω πιο ήρεμος στο πάρκο.
In English we say "When there are many stars". Why does Greek use έχει (literally "has") in Όταν έχει πολλά αστέρια?
In modern Greek, έχει is very often used impersonally to mean "there is / there are", especially for:
- weather and natural conditions:
- Έχει ήλιο. = There is sun / It’s sunny.
- Έχει σύννεφα. = There are clouds.
- general presence of things/people:
- Έχει πολύ κόσμο. = There are many people.
So Όταν έχει πολλά αστέρια is literally "When it has many stars", but idiomatically it means "When there are many stars (in the sky)".
Using έχει like this is very natural and common in spoken Greek.
Where is "there" or "in the sky" in the Greek sentence? Why is it not written?
It’s understood from context and usually left out.
- In Greek, Όταν έχει πολλά αστέρια automatically suggests "when there are many stars in the sky".
- The location (the sky) is obvious from the type of thing we’re talking about (stars), so it doesn’t need to be mentioned unless you want to be very explicit.
You can say it explicitly:
- Όταν έχει πολλά αστέρια στον ουρανό, νιώθω πιο ήρεμος στο πάρκο.
= When there are many stars in the sky, I feel calmer in the park.
But in normal conversation, Όταν έχει πολλά αστέρια is enough.
What tense are έχει and νιώθω? How do I know if it means "I feel" or "I am feeling"?