Breakdown of Βάζω υπενθύμιση στο κινητό για να μην ξεχάσω το ραντεβού με τον οδοντίατρο.
Questions & Answers about Βάζω υπενθύμιση στο κινητό για να μην ξεχάσω το ραντεβού με τον οδοντίατρο.
In Greek, βάζω literally means “to put”, but it’s very commonly used in the sense of “set / schedule / put in place” for abstract things:
- βάζω υπενθύμιση – set a reminder
- βάζω ξυπνητήρι – set an alarm
- βάζω πλυντήριο – put on a load of laundry
- βάζω μουσική – put on some music
You can hear κάνω υπενθύμιση, but it’s less natural; βάζω is the default everyday verb here.
More formal alternatives exist (e.g. ρυθμίζω υπενθύμιση, ορίζω υπενθύμιση – “configure / set a reminder”), but in casual speech, βάζω υπενθύμιση is what most people say.
Both are possible:
- Βάζω υπενθύμιση στο κινητό…
- Βάζω μια υπενθύμιση στο κινητό…
The difference is small:
- Βάζω υπενθύμιση – sounds very generic / habitual, like describing what you do as a general strategy: “I (typically) set a reminder on my phone…”
- Βάζω μια υπενθύμιση – focuses a bit more on one specific reminder: “I’m setting a reminder (one reminder) on my phone…”
In practice, Greeks use both; the version without the article feels slightly more “formulaic” and common when describing a regular action or a practical step.
Υπενθύμιση is feminine. Basic forms:
- η υπενθύμιση – the reminder (nominative singular)
- της υπενθύμισης – of the reminder (genitive singular)
- την υπενθύμιση – the reminder (accusative singular)
- οι υπενθυμίσεις – the reminders (nominative plural)
- τις υπενθυμίσεις – the reminders (accusative plural)
So, in your sentence:
- Βάζω (τι;) υπενθύμιση → direct object in the accusative, but the form looks like the nominative because there’s no article.
If you add an article, it would be: Βάζω την υπενθύμιση or Βάζω μια υπενθύμιση.
Greek often leaves out possessives like μου / σου when it’s obvious from context that we’re talking about the subject’s own item, especially:
- body parts: Έπλυνα τα χέρια. – I washed (my) hands.
- personal devices: Μίλησα στο κινητό. – I talked on (my) mobile.
- close family: Πήρα τη μαμά. – I called (my) mom.
So:
- Βάζω υπενθύμιση στο κινητό… is understood as “on my phone”.
You can say στο κινητό μου if you want to emphasize whose phone (e.g. contrasting with someone else’s), but in most everyday contexts it’s not needed.
Κινητό in this context is shorthand for κινητό τηλέφωνο – mobile phone.
- το κινητό = mobile (phone), cell phone
- το τηλέφωνο = telephone, phone (more general; often landline; also used generically)
People often say simply:
- Πάρε με στο κινητό. – Call me on my mobile.
- Πάρε με τηλέφωνο. – Give me a call.
In your sentence, στο κινητό clearly means “on my mobile phone”.
Για να + subjunctive verb expresses purpose: “in order to / so that”.
Structure:
- για να
- (μήν)
- subjunctive (present or aorist)
- (μήν)
In your sentence:
- για να – in order to
- μην – not
- ξεχάσω – aorist subjunctive of ξεχνάω (to forget)
So για να μην ξεχάσω literally = “in order that I don’t forget”.
It’s the standard way to express “so (that) I don’t…” in Greek:
- Πίνω καφέ για να ξυπνήσω. – I drink coffee to wake up.
- Κλείνω το παράθυρο για να μην κρυώσουμε. – I close the window so that we don’t get cold.
Greek distinguishes two aspects in the subjunctive:
- Present subjunctive (e.g. να ξεχνάω) – ongoing / repeated action
- Aorist subjunctive (e.g. να ξεχάσω) – one complete event
Here, you’re talking about not forgetting the appointment once, a specific event. So the aorist subjunctive (να ξεχάσω) is the natural choice.
Compare:
Βάζω υπενθύμιση για να μην ξεχάσω το ραντεβού.
→ So that I don’t (end up) forgetting the appointment (this one time).Φοβάμαι μήπως σε ξεχνάω.
→ I’m afraid I might keep forgetting you / forget you repeatedly.
For a single instance, Greek usually prefers the aorist (να ξεχάσω).
Μη and μην are basically the same word (the negative for subjunctive/imperative).
Rule of thumb: you usually see μην before vowels and voiced consonants (like β, γ, δ, μ, ν, λ, ρ, ζ), and μη elsewhere. In modern speech, people often just use μην almost everywhere in this structure.
So:
- για να μην ξεχάσω is the usual spelling and pronunciation.
- για να μη ξεχάσω is also possible and understood, but less common in writing nowadays.
Ραντεβού is:
- neuter,
- indeclinable (its form does not change).
So you always see ραντεβού, regardless of case or number:
- το ραντεβού – the appointment (nom./acc. singular)
- του ραντεβού – of the appointment (gen. singular)
- τα ραντεβού – the appointments (nom./acc. plural)
- των ραντεβού – of the appointments (gen. plural)
In your sentence, το ραντεβού is accusative (object of ξεχάσω), but it looks the same as nominative because the noun doesn’t change. Only the article tells you the case and number.
No, that would sound incorrect or at least very unnatural in standard Greek in this context.
With ραντεβού, when you talk about a specific, known appointment, you normally use the article:
- το ραντεβού – that appointment (e.g. already arranged with your dentist)
Omitting the article (να μην ξεχάσω ραντεβού) feels either very telegraphic or like a title/note, not normal spoken Greek.
So here you should use:
- το ραντεβού με τον οδοντίατρο.
The prepositions change the meaning:
- με τον οδοντίατρο – with the dentist
→ emphasizes the person you have the appointment with. - στον οδοντίατρο – to/at the dentist’s (place)
→ emphasizes the location you are going to.
In English, we often say “appointment with the dentist”, which matches με τον οδοντίατρο.
Both can appear, but with slightly different focus:
- Έχω ραντεβού με τον οδοντίατρο. – I have an appointment with the dentist.
- Πάω στον οδοντίατρο. – I’m going to the dentist’s (clinic).
In your sentence, the idea is clearly “appointment with the dentist”, so με is appropriate.
Τον οδοντίατρο is accusative singular masculine:
- ο οδοντίατρος – the dentist (nom.)
- τον οδοντίατρο – the dentist (acc.)
The preposition με always takes the accusative, so:
- με + τον οδοντίατρο – with the dentist
- με + τη φίλη μου – with my friend (f.)
- με + τους γονείς μου – with my parents
That’s why the sentence has με τον οδοντίατρο.
Yes, that word order is perfectly natural and often used:
- Για να μην ξεχάσω το ραντεβού με τον οδοντίατρο, βάζω υπενθύμιση στο κινητό.
This sounds a bit more like English (“So that I don’t forget the appointment…, I set a reminder…”), and it’s common whenever you want to highlight the reason first.
Greek word order is quite flexible. The original:
- Βάζω υπενθύμιση στο κινητό για να μην ξεχάσω το ραντεβού…
simply puts the action first and the purpose after. Both versions are grammatical and natural.
Both are possible; they differ in time reference and nuance:
Βάζω υπενθύμιση στο κινητό…
→ Present tense; can mean “I’m (now) putting / I generally put reminders”.
In context, it often works like an immediate intention or a description of a regular habit.Θα βάλω υπενθύμιση στο κινητό…
→ Future; “I will set a reminder on my phone…”
More clearly a future action, often in response to a decision just made or something planned.
If you’re describing your general habit:
- Πάντα βάζω υπενθύμιση στο κινητό για να μην ξεχάσω…
If you’re talking about a specific future action you’re planning:
- Θα βάλω υπενθύμιση στο κινητό για να μην ξεχάσω…
The correct standard form is ο οδοντίατρος (dentist).
In informal speech, some people may drop the first ο and say something that sounds like δοντίατρος, but this is colloquial / non-standard and usually avoided in writing.
So you should always learn and use:
- ο οδοντίατρος – the dentist
- τον οδοντίατρο – the dentist (accusative)
In your sentence, με τον οδοντίατρο is the correct standard form.