Δεν ακούω το ξυπνητήρι το πρωί.

I don’t hear the alarm clock in the morning.

Breakdown of Δεν ακούω το ξυπνητήρι το πρωί.

• δεν: not
• το πρωί: in the morning
• ακούω: to hear
• το ξυπνητήρι: the alarm clock

Questions & Answers about Δεν ακούω το ξυπνητήρι το πρωί.

Where is the word I in this Greek sentence?

Greek usually drops the subject pronoun (like εγώ = I) because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.
In ακούω, the ending -ω tells us the subject is I (first person singular).
So Δεν ακούω το ξυπνητήρι το πρωί literally is Not hear-1st-sing the alarm clock the morning, which naturally means I don’t hear the alarm clock in the morning.

What tense is ακούω, and does it mean I don’t hear or I’m not hearing?

Ακούω is in the present tense, indicative mood.
Modern Greek present covers both English I hear / I listen and I am hearing / I am listening, so context decides whether it’s a general habit or something happening right now.
In this sentence, with το πρωί (in the morning), it’s understood as a habitual action: I don’t (generally) hear the alarm clock in the morning.

Does ακούω mean hear or listen?

Ακούω can mean both to hear and to listen (to), depending on context.

• Δεν ακούω το ξυπνητήρι → I don’t hear the alarm clock.
• Ακούω μουσική → I listen to music.
  Greek doesn’t always make the same strict hear vs. listen distinction that English does; ακούω covers both.

Why do we use δεν here and not μη or μην?

Δεν is the normal negative word used with verbs in the indicative mood (statements of fact): Δεν ακούω, Δεν τρώω, Δεν πάω, etc.
Μη / μην is used mainly with the subjunctive and imperatives: να μην ακούς, μην πας.
So in a simple statement like this one, δεν is the only correct choice.

Can the word order change? For example, can I say Το πρωί δεν ακούω το ξυπνητήρι?

Yes, the word order in Greek is more flexible than in English. All of these are possible and natural:

• Δεν ακούω το ξυπνητήρι το πρωί.
• Το πρωί δεν ακούω το ξυπνητήρι. (focus on in the morning)
• Το ξυπνητήρι δεν ακούω το πρωί. (stronger focus on the alarm clock)

One thing that does not move is the negation: δεν must come directly before the verb it negates (δεν ακούω, not ακούω δεν).

Why do we have το before ξυπνητήρι? Could we say just Δεν ακούω ξυπνητήρι?

Greek uses the definite article (ο, η, το) much more than English.
Here, το ξυπνητήρι is the alarm clock – a specific, known alarm clock (usually my alarm).
You can say Δεν ακούω ξυπνητήρι without the article, but that sounds more like a general, idiomatic statement: I don’t hear any alarm (at all) / I’m not the type who wakes up from alarms.
With the article, the sense is concrete: I don’t hear the alarm clock (that is set).

What gender is ξυπνητήρι, and how do we know from το ξυπνητήρι?

Ξυπνητήρι is a neuter noun. The neuter singular definite article is το, and the noun keeps the same form in the nominative and accusative: το ξυπνητήρι (subject) / το ξυπνητήρι (object).
Here it is in the accusative as the direct object of ακούω, but because neuter singular nouns don’t change form between cases, you only see the case through the article το and the role in the sentence.

Why is it το πρωί and not some preposition like στο πρωί or just πρωί?

Το πρωί (literally the morning) is a very common time expression meaning in the morning. Greek often uses a bare noun with article to express time: το πρωί (in the morning), το βράδυ (in the evening), το μεσημέρι (at noon).
You sometimes hear το πρωί-πρωί (very early in the morning) as a variation.
You would not say στο πρωί in this meaning; στο with πρωί is not idiomatic for in the morning.

How do you pronounce Δεν ακούω το ξυπνητήρι το πρωί?

Approximate pronunciation for an English speaker:

• Δεν → /ðen/ (like then but with e as in bet)
• ακούω → /aˈku.o/ (a-KOO-o, three syllables: a–KO͟O–o)
• το → /to/ (like toh)
• ξυπνητήρι → /ksipniˈtiri/ (kseep-nee-TEE-ree, stress on -TEE-)
• το → /to/
• πρωί → /proˈi/ (pro-EE, two syllables, stress on EE)

Stress marks in writing (ακούω, ξυπνητήρι, πρωί) show which syllable is stressed; correct stress is very important in Greek.

Why is there another το before πρωί? Is that also an article?

Yes, το before πρωί is also the neuter definite article. Πρωί is a neuter noun meaning morning, so το πρωί is literally the morning.
In this common time expression, Greek keeps the article, even though English drops it and uses the preposition in: in the morning = το πρωί (no preposition).

How would I say I didn’t hear the alarm clock this morning?

You move to past tense using the aorist of ακούω, which is άκουσα:

• Δεν άκουσα το ξυπνητήρι σήμερα το πρωί.
  = I didn’t hear the alarm clock this morning.

Note the past tense marker άκουσα and the use of σήμερα το πρωί (this morning) for clarity.

How do I say I never hear the alarm clock in the morning in Greek?

You add ποτέ (never) together with δεν. The usual position for ποτέ is after the verb:

• Δεν ακούω ποτέ το ξυπνητήρι το πρωί.
  = I never hear the alarm clock in the morning.

You must keep both δεν and ποτέ; ποτέ alone does not negate the verb.

Can I also say Δεν το ακούω το πρωί instead of Δεν ακούω το ξυπνητήρι το πρωί?

Yes, if it’s clear from context what το refers to.
Δεν το ακούω το πρωί means I don’t hear it in the morning, with το being the object pronoun it referring to το ξυπνητήρι that was mentioned earlier.
Greek often uses both the pronoun and the full noun together (clitic doubling), so you might also hear: Δεν το ακούω το ξυπνητήρι το πρωί.