Learn Hardcore Greek: Πάντα ζητάω συγγνώμη όταν κάνω λάθος. - I always apologize when I make a mistake.

In this sentence: Πάντα ζητάω συγγνώμη όταν κάνω λάθος = I always apologize when I make a mistake.
It modifies the verb ζητάω (I ask / I request), so it tells you how often the action happens.

You can move πάντα around without changing the basic meaning:

Πάντα ζητάω συγγνώμη όταν κάνω λάθος.
Ζητάω πάντα συγγνώμη όταν κάνω λάθος.
Όταν κάνω λάθος, πάντα ζητάω συγγνώμη.

All are natural. The word order is flexible; πάντα just needs to be close to the verb it modifies, and Greek listeners will understand it as “always.”

What is the difference between ζητάω and ζητώ? Are both correct?

Yes, both are correct; they are two forms of the same verb.

ζητάω (zi-TA-o) – more informal / everyday spoken Greek.
ζητώ (zi-TO) – a bit more formal or written style.

They mean the same thing: to ask (for), to request.

So you could say:

Πάντα ζητάω συγγνώμη όταν κάνω λάθος.
Πάντα ζητώ συγγνώμη όταν κάνω λάθος.

Both mean I always ask for forgiveness / I always apologize when I make a mistake.
In colloquial speech, ζητάω is more common.

Why do we say ζητάω συγγνώμη and not just λέω συγγνώμη? What is συγγνώμη here?

συγγνώμη is originally a noun meaning forgiveness.

ζητάω συγγνώμη literally = I ask for forgiveness.
In natural English, that’s I apologize / I say sorry.

You can also hear:

λέω συγγνώμη = I say “sorry”.

Both exist, but:

ζητάω συγγνώμη focuses on requesting forgiveness (stronger, more like “I apologize”).
λέω συγγνώμη focuses on uttering the word “sorry” (more like “I say sorry”).

In this sentence, ζητάω συγγνώμη is the more idiomatic and slightly stronger expression for “apologize.”

Why is the subject “I” not expressed? Why don’t we say Εγώ πάντα ζητάω…?

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

ζητάω = I ask
κάνω = I do / I make

So Πάντα ζητάω συγγνώμη όταν κάνω λάθος is already clearly “I always apologize when I make a mistake.”

You can add εγώ for emphasis or contrast:

Εγώ πάντα ζητάω συγγνώμη όταν κάνω λάθος.
= I always apologize when I make a mistake (implying others maybe don’t).

But in neutral, everyday speech, you normally omit εγώ here.

Why is όταν used here? What is the difference between όταν, αν, and όποτε?

In this sentence, όταν introduces a time clause: when I make a mistake.

όταν = when (refers to time, usually for repeated / general situations or specific ones in the past)
αν = if (condition, not time)
όποτε = whenever (every time that / any time that)

So:

Πάντα ζητάω συγγνώμη όταν κάνω λάθος.
= I always apologize when I make a mistake. (every time that happens)

If you used:

αν κάνω λάθος = if I make a mistake (conditional, possibility) – grammatically possible, but the nuance changes toward condition rather than a habitual time.
όποτε κάνω λάθος = whenever I make a mistake – very close in meaning; slightly more explicit about “every time that it happens.”

όταν is the most natural, neutral choice here.

Why do we say κάνω λάθος instead of something like είμαι λάθος?

κάνω λάθος is a fixed expression meaning “to make a mistake”.

κάνω = I do / I make
λάθος = mistake, error; wrong

So literally: I make a mistake.

You don’t normally say είμαι λάθος for I’m wrong in this context. Instead you say:

Κάνω λάθος. = I’m mistaken / I’m making a mistake / I’m wrong (about this).

Other structures:

Έκανα λάθος. = I made a mistake. (past)
Έκανες λάθος. = You were wrong / you made a mistake.

You can sometimes hear είμαι λάθος, but it’s less standard and more context‑dependent; κάνω λάθος is the idiomatic choice for to be wrong / to make a mistake.

Why is there no article before λάθος? Could I say κάνω ένα λάθος?

Both are possible, with a slight nuance difference:

κάνω λάθος (no article)
→ very general: I am mistaken / I’m wrong / I make a mistake (in general).
κάνω ένα λάθος (with ένα)
→ I make a mistake / one mistake – sounds more like a specific, countable mistake.

In this sentence:

όταν κάνω λάθος = whenever I’m wrong / whenever I make a mistake (in general).

If you said:

όταν κάνω ένα λάθος
it would still be understandable, but it sounds more like on any particular occasion when I happen to make a (single) mistake.
The version without the article is the most natural here.

Is the present tense ζητάω and κάνω here really present, or does it mean something habitual like in English?

It is present tense, but in both Greek and English the simple present often expresses habitual actions.

Πάντα ζητάω συγγνώμη = I always apologize (habitual).
όταν κάνω λάθος = when I make a mistake (any time this happens).

So the Greek present here corresponds exactly to the English simple present: it describes a habit / regular behavior, not just something happening right now.

For a single, completed event in the past, Greek would use the aorist:

Πάντα ζητούσα συγγνώμη όταν έκανα λάθος. = I always apologized when I made a mistake. (past habit)

How flexible is the word order? Can I say Όταν κάνω λάθος, πάντα ζητάω συγγνώμη instead?

Yes, Greek word order is quite flexible, especially with adverbs like πάντα and clauses like όταν κάνω λάθος.

All of these are natural:

Πάντα ζητάω συγγνώμη όταν κάνω λάθος.
Ζητάω πάντα συγγνώμη όταν κάνω λάθος.
Όταν κάνω λάθος, πάντα ζητάω συγγνώμη.
Όταν κάνω λάθος, ζητάω πάντα συγγνώμη.

Small shifts in emphasis can occur (for example, starting with Όταν κάνω λάθος foregrounds the condition “when I make a mistake”), but the basic meaning remains the same: I always apologize when I make a mistake.

How do you pronounce the tricky parts, especially ζητάω and συγγνώμη?

Approximate pronunciation (stressed syllables in caps):

Πάντα → PAN-da
- Π = p, α = a as in “father,” ντ = d, final α = a.
ζητάω → zi-TA-o
- ζ = z, η = i (like “ee”), τά is stressed, ω here sounds like “o” in “or” but short; in fast speech, ζητάω often sounds like ζητάω / ζητάου.
συγγνώμη → si-GNO-mi (more precisely: sing-GNO-mi)
- συ = si (the υ after σ is like i/ee in this word),
- γγν is pronounced like ngn: the first γ nasalizes (like the “ng” in “sing”), and then you get a hard g sound: syng-NO-mi,
- ω = o, stressed on γνώ,
- η = i (ee).
λάθος → LA-thos
- λ = l, ά stressed a, θ is like English “th” in “think.”

Greek spelling doesn’t always map transparently to sounds for learners, so paying attention to the stress marks (ά, έ, ή, etc.) is crucial.

Is Πάντα ζητάω συγγνώμη a formal way to say “I apologize,” or is it more casual? Are there more formal options?

Πάντα ζητάω συγγνώμη όταν κάνω λάθος is neutral in register: perfectly fine in everyday speech and in most written contexts.

To sound more formal / polite, especially in a specific apology, you might hear or use:

Ζητώ συγγνώμη για το λάθος μου.
= I apologize for my mistake.

Or stronger / more elaborate:

Θα ήθελα να ζητήσω συγγνώμη για το λάθος μου.
= I would like to apologize for my mistake.

But as a general statement about your habit or character, Πάντα ζητάω συγγνώμη όταν κάνω λάθος is exactly what you’d use, and it doesn’t sound either slangy or stiff.