Breakdown of Τα Σάββατα κάνουμε βόλτα δίπλα στο ποτάμι που περνάει έξω από την πόλη.
Questions & Answers about Τα Σάββατα κάνουμε βόλτα δίπλα στο ποτάμι που περνάει έξω από την πόλη.
In Greek, using the plural with an article for days of the week (Τα Σάββατα, Οι Κυριακές, etc.) usually means a repeated/habitual action:
- Τα Σάββατα κάνουμε βόλτα… = On Saturdays (every Saturday / on Saturday(s) in general) we go for a walk…
If you say:
- Το Σάββατο κάνουμε βόλτα…
it usually refers to one specific Saturday (this coming Saturday, or the one already mentioned in context), not a regular habit.
Both express a habitual action, but with a slightly different feel:
Τα Σάββατα κάνουμε βόλτα…
Neutral, very common way to say On Saturdays we go for a walk…Κάθε Σάββατο κάνουμε βόλτα…
Literally Every Saturday… – it can feel a bit more explicit or emphatic, like “every single Saturday”.
In everyday speech, they’re often interchangeable here.
In Greek, the combination κάνω + noun is very common to express activities:
- κάνω βόλτα = to go for a walk / stroll / ride / outing
- κάνω μπάνιο = to take a bath / swim
- κάνω γυμναστική = to exercise
So κάνουμε βόλτα is the natural way to say we go for a walk / stroll.
You could say περπατάμε δίπλα στο ποτάμι (we walk by the river), but κάνουμε βόλτα focuses on the idea of a pleasant outing, not just the physical act of walking.
Another common variant is πάμε βόλτα = we go for a walk.
Both are possible, but there is a nuance:
κάνουμε βόλτα
A more “generic” expression; the activity itself is emphasized. In the habitual sentence you gave, this sounds perfectly natural.κάνουμε μια βόλτα
Literally we take a (one) walk – a bit more specific, often used for a particular outing:
Πάμε να κάνουμε μια βόλτα; – Shall we go for a walk (now)?
With frequent or habitual activities, Greek often drops the article in these κάνω + noun expressions.
δίπλα στο is:
- δίπλα = next to, beside
- σε
- το = στο (preposition + article contract to one word)
So:
- δίπλα σε το ποτάμι → δίπλα στο ποτάμι
The preposition σε always takes the accusative case, so the noun after στο is in accusative: (το) ποτάμι.
You will hear δίπλα από in real Greek, but:
- δίπλα σε (→ δίπλα στο ποτάμι) is the standard and most neutral way to say next to / beside something.
- δίπλα από is also used, but it can sometimes feel a bit less standard or slightly more “spoken”/regional, and in some contexts it can lean toward the idea of just off to the side of / from next to.
For a learner, δίπλα σε is the safest and most natural choice here: δίπλα στο ποτάμι.
Both mean river, but:
- το ποτάμι (neuter): everyday, colloquial, the normal word in modern spoken Greek.
- ο ποταμός (masculine): more formal, literary, or used in geography (names of big rivers, written descriptions, etc.).
In your sentence, στο ποτάμι sounds completely natural, casual, and modern.
στον ποταμό would sound more like a written, formal style, or as if you’re talking about a specific, named river in a somewhat elevated way.
Here που is a relative pronoun / particle introducing a relative clause:
- το ποτάμι που περνάει έξω από την πόλη
= the river that passes outside the city
So που corresponds to English that / which in this context.
In modern Greek, που is by far the most common way to form relative clauses in speech.
A more formal alternative would be:
- το ποτάμι το οποίο περνάει έξω από την πόλη
but που is the default in everyday language.
The verb is περνάω / περνώ (to pass, go by/through). In the 3rd person singular:
- (αυτός/αυτή/αυτό) περνάει
- (αυτός/αυτή/αυτό) περνά
Both forms are correct and pronounced the same in modern Greek (/perˈna/).
The spelling περνάει is the “full” form; περνά is the contracted form. Usage:
- In everyday writing, both appear; many people slightly prefer the shorter περνά.
- In speech there’s no difference; they sound identical.
So το ποτάμι που περνά έξω από την πόλη would also be correct.
- έξω = outside
- από = from, of (here: outside of)
- την πόλη = the city (feminine, accusative singular)
έξω από την πόλη literally means outside from the city, but idiomatically it’s outside the city, outside of town.
In modern Greek, when you specify outside of what, you almost always say:
- έξω από + accusative
έξω από την πόλη, έξω από το σπίτι, έξω από το χωριό, etc.
Using just έξω without από is fine when you don’t say what it is outside of:
- Είναι έξω. – He/She/It is outside.
Older or very formal Greek sometimes uses έξω της πόλης (with genitive), but for modern everyday usage, stick to έξω από + accusative.
The noun πόλη (city) is:
- Nominative: η πόλη
- Accusative: την πόλη
The preposition από normally takes the accusative case in modern Greek, so:
- από την πόλη = from the city / of the city
- έξω από την πόλη = outside (of) the city
That’s why you see την πόλη and not η πόλη here.
Greek word order is relatively flexible, especially with prepositional phrases. Your alternative:
- Τα Σάββατα κάνουμε βόλτα έξω από την πόλη δίπλα στο ποτάμι.
is grammatically correct and understandable.
However, the original:
- Τα Σάββατα κάνουμε βόλτα δίπλα στο ποτάμι που περνάει έξω από την πόλη.
makes it very clear that:
- The river is what passes outside the city (το ποτάμι που περνάει έξω από την πόλη), and
- The walk is by that river.
If you move phrases around too much, you sometimes need a comma or more context to avoid ambiguity. As a learner, keeping the relative clause directly after the noun it describes (το ποτάμι που…) is a good habit.