Breakdown of Αν δεν είχα τόση πίεση στη δουλειά, θα μπορούσα να κάνω περισσότερη εξάσκηση.
Questions & Answers about Αν δεν είχα τόση πίεση στη δουλειά, θα μπορούσα να κάνω περισσότερη εξάσκηση.
In Greek, this is a "unreal" or hypothetical conditional about the present.
The usual pattern for this type is:
- Αν + simple past / imperfect
- θα + simple past / imperfect (often with a modal meaning like "would/could")
So:
- Αν δεν είχα τόση πίεση… = If I didn’t have so much pressure (but in reality I do)
- …θα μπορούσα… = I would be able / could
Greek does not use a special conditional mood here (like If I had vs I have in English). It simply uses the past (imperfective) indicative in both parts, with θα in the main clause to mark the conditional meaning.
Θα μπορούσα expresses a hypothetical / conditional ability: "I could / would be able to" under certain conditions.
- μπορούσα = I was able, I could (in the past, factual)
- θα μπορούσα = I would be able / I could (hypothetical, not real)
In this sentence we’re not talking about real past ability, but about a possibility that depends on the condition (if I didn’t have so much pressure), so Greek adds θα to form that conditional meaning.
Yes, that’s perfectly correct too.
…θα μπορούσα να κάνω περισσότερη εξάσκηση
Focuses on possibility/ability: I would be able to do more practice.…θα έκανα περισσότερη εξάσκηση
Focuses on the action itself: I would do more practice.
In most contexts, the meaning is very similar, but:
- θα μπορούσα να κάνω hints at "I would have the time/energy/opportunity."
- θα έκανα sounds a bit more definite about actually doing it.
Both are correct but slightly different in nuance:
- πολλή πίεση = a lot of pressure (quantity)
- τόση πίεση = so much pressure / that much pressure (intensity or degree, often with an emotional tone)
Τόση often implies:
- surprise, complaint, or emphasis: so much pressure (it’s too much!)
- comparison to a (spoken or unspoken) standard: more than expected / tolerable.
So τόση πίεση here carries a more emphatic, emotional tone than πολλή πίεση.
All three can be related to stress, but they’re not identical:
πίεση
Literally pressure. Can be:- physical pressure
- pressure from work, deadlines, expectations
E.g. νιώθω μεγάλη πίεση στη δουλειά = I feel a lot of pressure at work.
άγχος
Anxiety / worry / stress (emotional state).
E.g. έχω πολύ άγχος = I’m very anxious / stressed.στρες
A loanword from English stress, often used informally, close to άγχος, but sometimes more about everyday stress, lifestyle, etc.
In this sentence πίεση στη δουλειά is natural because we mean pressure at work, not exactly the internal feeling of anxiety.
Both forms exist:
- στη δουλειά (without final -ν)
- στην δουλειά (with final -ν)
The rules for the final -ν on την / στην in modern Greek are somewhat flexible, especially in speech.
Common practice:
- The ν is kept before:
- vowels
- κ, π, τ, μπ, ντ, γκ, ξ, ψ
- It is often dropped before other consonants, especially in everyday speech.
Since δουλειά starts with δ, many speakers say and write στη δουλειά.
Στην δουλειά is also heard/seen and is not "wrong"; it’s a matter of style and preference.
Greek is a “pro-drop” language: subject pronouns are often omitted when the verb ending makes the subject clear.
- είχα = I had
- θα μπορούσα = I would be able / I could
- να κάνω = (for) me to do
From these verb forms, a native speaker immediately knows the subject is 1st person singular (I), so εγώ is not needed unless you want to emphasize it:
- Αν εγώ δεν είχα τόση πίεση… (emphasis: if I, in particular, didn’t have…)
Εξάσκηση (practice) is feminine.
The adjective περισσότερος, -η, -ο (more) agrees in gender, number, and case with the noun:
- περισσότερος χρόνος (masc.) = more time
- περισσότερη δουλειά (fem.) = more work
- περισσότερη εξάσκηση (fem.) = more practice
- περισσότερο νερό (neut.) = more water
So we use the feminine form περισσότερη to match εξάσκηση.
Both are correct, but they differ slightly in style and nuance:
να κάνω περισσότερη εξάσκηση
Very common, everyday phrasing. Literally “to do more practice”.
Uses the verb κάνω with the noun εξάσκηση.να εξασκούμαι περισσότερο
Uses the verb εξασκούμαι = I practice (reflexive/middle).
Sounds a bit more formal or "bookish" in some contexts, but it is fine.
In speech, κάνω εξάσκηση is extremely frequent and natural.
No, να cannot be omitted here.
In Greek, after verbs like μπορώ / θα μπορούσα, when they are followed by another verb in a subordinate clause, you generally need να:
- μπορώ να κάνω = I can do
- θα μπορούσα να κάνω = I could do
So θα μπορούσα να κάνω περισσότερη εξάσκηση is correct;
θα μπορούσα κάνω περισσότερη εξάσκηση is ungrammatical.
Yes, you can freely reverse the order:
- Αν δεν είχα τόση πίεση στη δουλειά, θα μπορούσα να κάνω περισσότερη εξάσκηση.
- Θα μπορούσα να κάνω περισσότερη εξάσκηση, αν δεν είχα τόση πίεση στη δουλειά.
Both are natural and mean the same thing.
Starting with Αν… slightly highlights the condition, while starting with Θα μπορούσα… slightly highlights the result, but the difference is mainly stylistic.
In modern Greek:
- Αν and Εάν are practically equivalent in meaning: both mean if.
- Εάν is a bit more formal or literary.
- In everyday speech and informal writing, αν is far more common.
So:
- Αν δεν είχα τόση πίεση… (very natural, neutral)
- Εάν δεν είχα τόση πίεση… (slightly more formal / written style)
In this meaning ("practice" as an activity), εξάσκηση usually behaves like uncountable:
- κάνω πολλή εξάσκηση = I do a lot of practice
- χρειάζομαι περισσότερη εξάσκηση = I need more practice
You can see plural forms like εξασκήσεις in some contexts, but that usually refers to specific exercises (for example, on a worksheet or in a textbook), more like "exercises" than "practice" in general.
In your sentence, we mean general practice, so the singular περισσότερη εξάσκηση is the natural choice.