Αγχώνομαι πριν από την εξέταση ελληνικών.

I get stressed before the Greek exam.

Breakdown of Αγχώνομαι πριν από την εξέταση ελληνικών.

• πριν από: before
• ελληνικός: Greek
• η εξέταση: the exam
• αγχώνομαι: to get stressed

Questions & Answers about Αγχώνομαι πριν από την εξέταση ελληνικών.

Why does Αγχώνομαι end in -ομαι, and what does that tell me about the verb?

The ending -ομαι shows that:

• the verb is in the present tense
• 1st person singular (so it means I …)
• in the middle/passive voice form

So αγχώνομαι is the middle/passive form of the verb αγχώνω.
Literally it is something like “I am getting stressed / I stress myself”, but in natural English we just say I get stressed or I feel stressed.

Formally:

• αγχώνω = I stress (someone else)
• αγχώνομαι = I get stressed / I am stressed (myself)

Why is the verb in the middle/passive form (αγχώνομαι) when the English meaning is active (I get stressed)?

Modern Greek uses the middle/passive endings for many verbs that in English are:

• reflexive: I wash myself
• or intransitive: I get dressed, I get tired, I get stressed

So αγχώνομαι is grammatically “middle/passive”, but in meaning it is reflexive / intransitive:

• αγχώνω = I stress someone
• αγχώνομαι = I get stressed (myself, without saying “myself”)

This pattern is very common:

• ντύνω = I dress (someone) → ντύνομαι = I get dressed
• κουράζω = I tire (someone) → κουράζομαι = I get tired
• αγχώνω = I stress (someone) → αγχώνομαι = I get stressed

What is the difference between αγχώνομαι, αγχώνω, and είμαι αγχωμένος?

• αγχώνω

  • active voice
  • I stress someone / I make someone anxious
  • Example: Με αγχώνει η δουλειά. = Work stresses me.

• αγχώνομαι

  • middle/passive form
  • I get stressed / I feel stressed / I’m getting anxious
  • Example: Αγχώνομαι πριν από την εξέταση. = I get stressed before the exam.

• είμαι αγχωμένος / αγχωμένη

  • adjective
    • είμαι (to be)
  • I am stressed (right now / in general)
  • Masculine: αγχωμένος, feminine: αγχωμένη
  • Example: Είμαι πολύ αγχωμένος σήμερα. = I am very stressed today.

αγχώνομαι focuses more on the process / reaction (I get stressed),
είμαι αγχωμένος more on the state (I am in a stressed state).

Why is there no subject pronoun εγώ in the sentence?

Greek is a pro-drop language: the subject pronoun is often omitted because the verb ending already shows the subject.

• Αγχώνομαι already tells you it is 1st person singular = I.
• Εγώ αγχώνομαι πριν από την εξέταση ελληνικών is grammatically correct, but it sounds like you are emphasizing “I” (as opposed to someone else).

So the neutral, natural version is:

• Αγχώνομαι πριν από την εξέταση ελληνικών.

What does πριν από mean, and why not just πριν?

πριν από means before (in time) and is typically used before a noun phrase:

• πριν από την εξέταση = before the exam
• πριν από το μάθημα = before the lesson
• πριν από τα Χριστούγεννα = before Christmas

The usual pattern is:

• πριν από + accusative noun

πριν by itself is more often used before a verb clause:

• πριν δώσω την εξέταση = before I take the exam
• πριν πάω στη δουλειά = before I go to work

In everyday speech people sometimes drop από and say:

• πριν την εξέταση, πριν το μάθημα

That is common and understood, but πριν από is the more standard and clearer pattern with a noun.

Why is it πριν από την εξέταση and not some other article or case?

την εξέταση is:

• feminine
• singular
• accusative case

The definite article in accusative feminine singular is την.

Rules here:

1. πριν από is followed by the accusative case:

   • πριν από την εξέταση
   • πριν από τη δουλειά
   • πριν από την παράσταση

2. εξέταση (exam) is a feminine noun:

   • nominative: η εξέταση
   • accusative: την εξέταση

So πριν από + accusative → πριν από την εξέταση.

What case is ελληνικών, and why is it used here?

ελληνικών is:

• genitive plural of ελληνικά (Greek language)
• It literally means “of Greek” / “of Greek (language)”

In this structure:

• η εξέταση ελληνικών = the exam of Greek (the Greek exam)

Greek often uses the genitive after a noun to show:

• type, subject, or content of that noun

Similar patterns:

• εξέταση μαθηματικών = math exam
• μάθημα ελληνικών = Greek lesson
• βιβλίο ιστορίας = history book

So την εξέταση ελληνικών = the Greek exam, literally the exam of Greek.

When do I use ελληνικά versus ελληνικών?

• ελληνικά

  • neuter plural, usually nominative/accusative
  • used when Greek is the direct object or subject:
  • Μαθαίνω ελληνικά. = I am learning Greek.
  • Τα ελληνικά είναι δύσκολα. = Greek (the language) is difficult.

• ελληνικών

  • genitive plural
  • often used after a noun to show subject / content:
  • η εξέταση ελληνικών = the Greek exam
  • το βιβλίο ελληνικών = the Greek (language) book
  • ο δάσκαλος ελληνικών = the Greek teacher (teacher of Greek)

So:

• Μαθαίνω ελληνικά για την εξέταση ελληνικών.
  I’m learning Greek for the Greek exam.

Is the word order fixed? Can I move things around?

Greek word order is relatively flexible, especially in short sentences.

All of these are correct, with slightly different emphasis:

• Αγχώνομαι πριν από την εξέταση ελληνικών.
  Neutral: I get stressed before the Greek exam.

• Πριν από την εξέταση ελληνικών, αγχώνομαι.
  Emphasizes the time phrase (“As for before the exam, that’s when I get stressed”).

• Αγχώνομαι πριν από την εξέταση στα ελληνικά.
  Slightly different phrase; still understandable (see below).

What you cannot change:

• πριν από must stay together as a unit before its noun phrase.
• The article and noun must agree and stay together: την εξέταση.

Could I say την εξέταση στα ελληνικά instead of την εξέταση ελληνικών?

Yes, but it changes the nuance slightly.

• η εξέταση ελληνικών

  • literally: the exam of Greek
  • means: the Greek (language) exam (subject = Greek)

• η εξέταση στα ελληνικά

  • literally: the exam in Greek
  • means: an exam conducted in the Greek language (the subject might be something else, but the language of the exam is Greek)

In everyday speech, people might use them loosely, but:

• for “the Greek exam (language test)”, εξέταση ελληνικών is the most typical.

How would I say “I don’t get stressed before the Greek exam”?

You just add δεν before the verb:

• Δεν αγχώνομαι πριν από την εξέταση ελληνικών.

Pattern:

• δεν + verb
  
  • Δεν αγχώνομαι = I don’t get stressed
  • Δεν τρώω. = I don’t eat.
  • Δεν διαβάζω. = I don’t study / I’m not reading.

Does αγχώνομαι mean “I am stressed” right now or “I usually get stressed”?

In Modern Greek, the present tense can mean:

1. Right now / currently:

   • Αγχώνομαι τώρα. = I’m getting stressed now.

2. Habitual / general tendency:

   • Αγχώνομαι πριν από την εξέταση ελληνικών.
     = I (tend to) get stressed before the Greek exam (whenever it happens).

Context tells you whether it’s current or habitual.
The sentence you gave feels more like a general habit (“I usually get stressed then”).

How do I pronounce αγχώνομαι, especially the γχ?

Αγχώνομαι is pronounced approximately:

• [aŋˈxonomɛ]

Breakdown:

• α = like “a” in “father”
• γ before χ becomes a nasal sound, like “ng” in “sing”
• χ = a voiceless “kh” sound (like the ch in German “Bach” or Scottish “loch”)
• ώ = stressed “o” (as in “not”, but a bit tenser)
• ν = n
• ο = o
• μαι = here pronounced like “me” (meh)

So you can think: an-GHO-no-meh, with the main stress on χω (αγΧΩνομαι).