Προσπαθώ να κάνω συγκεκριμένη προσπάθεια κάθε μέρα, προκειμένου να βελτιώσω τα ελληνικά μου.

I try to make a specific effort every day, in order to improve my Greek.

Breakdown of Προσπαθώ να κάνω συγκεκριμένη προσπάθεια κάθε μέρα, προκειμένου να βελτιώσω τα ελληνικά μου.

• να: to
• μου: my
• κάθε μέρα: every day
• προσπαθώ: to try
• βελτιώνω: to improve
• τα ελληνικά: the Greek language
• προκειμένου να: in order to
• κάνω προσπάθεια: to make an effort
• συγκεκριμένος: specific

Questions & Answers about Προσπαθώ να κάνω συγκεκριμένη προσπάθεια κάθε μέρα, προκειμένου να βελτιώσω τα ελληνικά μου.

Why do we have both προσπαθώ and να κάνω προσπάθεια? It feels like saying I try to make an effort, which sounds repetitive in English.

In Greek this kind of repetition is natural and quite common.

• προσπαθώ = I try / I make an effort (verb)
• κάνω προσπάθεια = I make an effort (verb phrase with a noun)

So προσπαθώ να κάνω συγκεκριμένη προσπάθεια literally is I try to make a specific effort.

In English this can sound redundant, but in Greek it often adds emphasis, especially with συγκεκριμένη:

• It underlines the intention (προσπαθώ)
• And the type/quality of the effort (συγκεκριμένη προσπάθεια)

You could also say more simply:

• Προσπαθώ κάθε μέρα, προκειμένου να βελτιώσω τα ελληνικά μου.
  (I try every day in order to improve my Greek.)

Both are correct; the original just sounds slightly more emphatic or formal.

What is the role of να in να κάνω and να βελτιώσω?

Modern Greek doesn’t really use an infinitive the way English does (there’s no direct to do, to improve form). Instead, Greek uses να + a finite verb form.

• να κάνω ≈ to do / to make
• να βελτιώσω ≈ to improve

Grammatically:

• να introduces the subjunctive mood.
• It’s used after verbs like προσπαθώ, θέλω, μπορώ, etc., and after expressions of purpose (like προκειμένου).

So:

• Προσπαθώ να κάνω… = I try to make…
• …προκειμένου να βελτιώσω… = in order to improve…

Why is it να βελτιώσω and not να βελτιώνω? What’s the difference?

The difference is aspect (kind of like “completed” vs “ongoing” view of an action):

• βελτιώνω → present stem → imperfective aspect
  (focus on the process: I am improving / I keep improving)
• βελτιώσω → aorist stem → perfective aspect
  (focus on the result: I improve / I manage to improve)

After purpose expressions like προκειμένου να, Greek usually prefers the aorist subjunctive (perfective), because the focus is on achieving a result:

• προκειμένου να βελτιώσω τα ελληνικά μου
  = in order to (successfully) improve my Greek

να βελτιώνω would sound odd here. You’d use it in contexts that emphasise an ongoing, repeated improvement, often with different syntax.

What does προκειμένου να mean exactly, and how is it different from για να?

προκειμένου να means in order to / so as to, expressing purpose.

• προκειμένου να βελτιώσω τα ελληνικά μου
  = in order to improve my Greek

Compared to για να:

• για να is more common and neutral in everyday speech.
• προκειμένου να is more formal or careful style (you see it a lot in writing, official documents, or more “careful” speech).

You could say:

• …κάθε μέρα, για να βελτιώσω τα ελληνικά μου.

This is perfectly correct and a bit more conversational.
The meaning is almost the same; the main difference is the level of formality.

Why is ελληνικά in the plural (τα ελληνικά μου) if it means my Greek (language)?

In Greek, names of languages are usually neuter plural with the definite article:

• τα ελληνικά = Greek (language)
• τα αγγλικά = English
• τα γαλλικά = French

So:

• βελτιώσω τα ελληνικά μου = improve my Greek (language)

Grammatically:

• τα – neuter plural definite article
• ελληνικά – neuter plural adjective used as a noun
• μου – my (unstressed possessive pronoun)

Even though it’s plural in form, in English we translate it as a singular uncountable noun: my Greek.

Why do we say τα ελληνικά μου instead of just ελληνικά μου? Is the article τα necessary?

Yes, the article is normally necessary.

Greek uses the definite article much more than English, especially with:

• languages: τα ελληνικά, τα αγγλικά
• body parts: το χέρι μου (my hand), not usually χέρι μου
• possessions: το σπίτι μου (my house)

So:

• τα ελληνικά μου = my Greek (language)
  Without τα, it sounds incomplete or ungrammatical in standard Greek.

Why does μου (my) come after ελληνικά instead of before, like in English?

Greek unstressed possessive pronouns normally follow the noun:

• τα ελληνικά μου = my Greek
• το βιβλίο μου = my book
• η φίλη μου = my (female) friend

Structure:

• [article] + [noun/adjective] + [possessive pronoun]

You can place stressed forms before the noun for emphasis, but that’s different:

• τα ελληνικά μου = my Greek (neutral)
• τα ελληνικά τα δικά μου = my Greek (as opposed to someone else’s), more emphatic

What is συγκεκριμένη doing here, and why is it in that form?

συγκεκριμένη is an adjective meaning specific, concrete, particular.

• Noun: η προσπάθεια (effort) – feminine singular
• Adjective: συγκεκριμένος, συγκεκριμένη, συγκεκριμένο

The adjective must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun:

• feminine
• singular
• accusative (because it’s the direct object of κάνω)

So we get:

• συγκεκριμένη προσπάθεια = a specific effort / a concrete effort

The form συγκεκριμένη is the feminine accusative singular, matching προσπάθεια.

Could we leave out συγκεκριμένη and just say να κάνω προσπάθεια? Does that change the meaning?

Yes, you can leave it out:

• Προσπαθώ να κάνω προσπάθεια κάθε μέρα…

This would still be grammatically correct, but:

• να κάνω προσπάθεια = to make an effort (in general)
• να κάνω συγκεκριμένη προσπάθεια = to make a focused / deliberate / concrete effort

So συγκεκριμένη adds the idea of:

• being systematic, targeted
• not just vaguely “trying”, but doing something clearly defined

In natural English we might translate it more freely as:

• I’m trying to put in real / focused effort every day…

Why is it κάθε μέρα and not κάθε ημέρα? Is there a difference?

μέρα and ημέρα are essentially the same word:

• η μέρα – everyday / informal
• η ημέρα – more formal, often written language, set phrases

In this sentence, κάθε μέρα is the normal, natural choice.

You could say κάθε ημέρα, but it would sound more formal or stiff in most spoken contexts. In most everyday speech and writing, μέρα is preferred.

Why isn’t there an explicit I (εγώ) in the sentence? How do we know who the subject is?

In Greek, the verb ending usually shows who the subject is, so subject pronouns are often dropped:

• προσπαθώ = I try
  (-ώ ending → 1st person singular)

Because the subject is clear from προσπαθώ, you don’t need εγώ.

You only add εγώ for emphasis or contrast:

• Εγώ προσπαθώ κάθε μέρα, αλλά εσύ όχι.
  = I try every day, but you don’t.

Could the word order change, for example putting κάθε μέρα at the beginning? Would that sound natural?

Yes, Greek word order is relatively flexible, and several options are natural:

• Προσπαθώ να κάνω συγκεκριμένη προσπάθεια κάθε μέρα… (original)
• Κάθε μέρα προσπαθώ να κάνω συγκεκριμένη προσπάθεια…
• Προσπαθώ κάθε μέρα να κάνω συγκεκριμένη προσπάθεια…

All are acceptable. Very roughly:

• Putting κάθε μέρα at the beginning can slightly emphasise the frequency (every day).
• Keeping it near the verb keeps the flow closer to English word order.

There’s no big meaning change here; it’s more about rhythm and emphasis.

Why is there a comma before προκειμένου? Is that required?

The comma is standard and recommended here.

• προκειμένου να… introduces a subordinate clause of purpose:
  …, προκειμένου να βελτιώσω τα ελληνικά μου.
  = …, in order to improve my Greek.

In Greek punctuation, subordinate clauses of purpose, cause, condition, etc. are usually separated by a comma when they follow the main clause.

So the pattern is:

• [Main clause], προκειμένου να [subordinate clause].

You would normally keep the comma in careful writing.

How is προσπαθώ pronounced compared to προσπάθεια? The stress moves; is that normal?

Yes, that’s normal and systematic.

• προσπαθώ: pros-pa-THÓ (stress on the last syllable)
• προσπάθεια: pros-PÁ-thi-a (stress on the second syllable)

They are related forms:

• Verb: προσπαθώ (I try)
• Noun: η προσπάθεια (effort)

In Greek, stress can shift between different forms of the same root (verb vs noun, different tenses, etc.). This isn’t irregular; it’s just part of how Greek morphology works.

You just need to learn the stress with each word form:

• προσπαθώ (verb)
• προσπάθεια (noun)

Is there a more natural or simpler version of this sentence in everyday Greek that keeps the same meaning?

A slightly simpler, more conversational version could be:

• Προσπαθώ κάθε μέρα για να βελτιώσω τα ελληνικά μου.

Differences:

• Drops να κάνω συγκεκριμένη προσπάθεια and just keeps προσπαθώ.
• Uses για να instead of the more formal προκειμένου να.

Meaning remains essentially:

• I try every day in order to improve my Greek.