Αγχώνομαι πριν από την εξέταση ελληνικών.

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)

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

• 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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

• 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.

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.

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.

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.

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”).

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).