Learn Hardcore Greek: Και εγώ προσπαθώ να εκφράζω το πάθος μου για τα ελληνικά προκειμένου να μην τα παρατήσω. - And I also try to express my passion for Greek in order not to give it up.

Και here means “also / too” and connects this sentence to something previously said, e.g. “My friend studies Greek, and I also try to express my passion for Greek…”.

Και εγώ = I also / me too.
If you say only Εγώ προσπαθώ…, it’s grammatically fine but it means “I try…” with more emphasis on I (contrasting with someone else), not also.
In natural speech, if this is a standalone sentence, you might simply say Προσπαθώ να εκφράζω… (omitting both και and εγώ, because the verb ending already shows the subject).

So:

Και εγώ προσπαθώ… = “I also try…”
Εγώ προσπαθώ… = “I (as opposed to others) try…”
Προσπαθώ… = Neutral “I try…” with no contrast or “also” meaning.

What is the difference between προσπαθώ να εκφράζω and προσπαθώ να εκφράσω?

Both are correct but they differ in aspect and nuance:

Προσπαθώ να εκφράζω: present subjunctive
Implies trying to do something repeatedly / habitually / as an ongoing way of behaving.
→ “I try to be expressing / keep expressing my passion (as a habit, in general).”
Προσπαθώ να εκφράσω: aorist subjunctive
Implies trying to achieve a single, complete act of expression, or specific occasions.
→ “I’m trying to express my passion (this time, in this particular case / moment).”

In this sentence, να εκφράζω suggests an ongoing effort to keep expressing that passion regularly, so that you don’t give up on Greek altogether.

Why do we have να before εκφράζω and again before παρατήσω? What exactly does να do?

Να introduces the subjunctive in Modern Greek. It’s used:

After verbs of wanting, needing, trying, etc.:
προσπαθώ να εκφράζω – “I try to express”
After expressions of purpose/result:
προκειμένου να μην τα παρατήσω – “in order not to give them up”

So:

να εκφράζω = (that I) express (subjunctive)
να μην τα παρατήσω = (that I) not give them up (subjunctive)

English uses the bare infinitive “to …”; Greek uses να + verb (subjunctive) where English would normally use “to do” (after some verbs) or “so that / in order that I do” (for purpose).

Why is it εκφράζω (present) but παρατήσω (aorist)? Why not the same aspect in both?

Aspect in Greek is about how you view the action, not just when it happens.

εκφράζω (present subjunctive) = continuous / repeated action → “keep expressing”
παρατήσω (aorist subjunctive) = single, completed act → “give up (once and for all)”

So the sentence suggests:

You want to continuously express your passion.
You want to avoid one decisive act of giving up Greek.

If you said να μην τα παρατάω (present), it would mean “so that I don’t keep giving them up / keep quitting again and again”, which is a different nuance.

Why is it το πάθος μου and not something like η πάθος μου?

In Greek, πάθος is a neuter noun:

το πάθος – the passion
του πάθους – of the passion
Plural: τα πάθη – the passions

So you must use the neuter article:

το πάθος μου = “my passion”

Η πάθος would be wrong because η is the feminine article, and πάθος is not feminine; it’s neuter.

Why do we say το πάθος μου για τα ελληνικά? What does για do here?

Για literally means “for” and here it introduces what the passion is about / directed toward.

το πάθος μου για τα ελληνικά = “my passion for Greek (the Greek language)”

Other examples:

η αγάπη μου για τη μουσική – my love for music
ο ενθουσιασμός μου για το ταξίδι – my enthusiasm for the trip

So για + noun here expresses “for / about / regarding”.

Why is it για τα ελληνικά and not για τα ελληνική or για τα ελληνικό?

Here τα ελληνικά is the standard way to say “the Greek language”.

Grammatically, ελληνικά is a neuter plural adjective used as a noun.
Languages in Greek are very often expressed as neuter plural adjectives with τα:
- τα ελληνικά – Greek
- τα ιταλικά – Italian
- τα αγγλικά – English
- τα γαλλικά – French

So:

ελληνικό (neuter singular) = “Greek” (singular, e.g. a Greek dish: ελληνικό φαγητό).
ελληνική (feminine singular) = “Greek” (e.g. ελληνική γλώσσα – Greek language).
ελληνικά (neuter plural) with τα = “Greek (the language)” in everyday speech.

Thus, για τα ελληνικά is the natural phrase for “for Greek (as a language)”.

What does προκειμένου να mean exactly? Can I replace it with για να?

Προκειμένου να introduces purpose: “in order to / in order that / so as to”.

In this sentence:

προκειμένου να μην τα παρατήσω ≈ “in order not to give them up”

You can often replace it with για να:

…για να μην τα παρατήσω – “so that I don’t give them up / in order not to give them up”

Differences:

για να is more common and more informal.
προκειμένου να is more formal / careful, sometimes a bit “written” or “bookish”.

Both are grammatical; the choice is about tone and register.

Why is there a comma before προκειμένου να in some versions of this sentence? Is it necessary?

In your exact version there is no comma, but it’s useful to know:

Προκειμένου να… introduces a purpose clause.
Many speakers put a comma before it:
…το πάθος μου για τα ελληνικά, προκειμένου να μην τα παρατήσω.

This comma:

Reflects a natural pause in speech.
Makes the sentence clearer by separating the main action from its purpose.

It is not strictly required by rigid grammar rules, but it is very common and often recommended for clarity, especially in longer sentences.

Why is the object pronoun τα in να μην τα παρατήσω? What does it refer to?

Τα is the unstressed neuter plural object pronoun and it refers back to τα ελληνικά.

τα ελληνικά (the Greek language) → neuter plural
So the corresponding object pronoun is τα.

Thus:

να μην τα παρατήσω = “so that I don’t give them (up)” → “so that I don’t give up Greek.”

If the noun were singular neuter, e.g. το μάθημα (the lesson), you’d use το:

να μην το παρατήσω – so that I don’t give it up (the lesson).

Why is it παρατήσω and not παρατάω here?

You’re seeing two different aspects of the same verb:

παρατάω / παρατάω (present) – imperfective aspect:
να μην τα παρατάω → “so that I don’t keep giving them up (repeatedly)”
παρατήσω (aorist) – perfective aspect:
να μην τα παρατήσω → “so that I don’t (once and for all) give them up”

In this sentence, παρατήσω (aorist subjunctive) suggests a single, decisive act of quitting Greek. That fits well with the idea of preventing yourself from ever giving it up.

Why is εγώ explicitly used? Could we omit it?

Yes, you could omit εγώ:

Και εγώ προσπαθώ… – I also try… (with explicit I, adding emphasis).
Κι εγώ προσπαθώ… – same, just spoken contraction of και.
Προσπαθώ να εκφράζω… – just “I try to express…”, subject understood from the verb ending.

In Greek, subject pronouns (εγώ, εσύ, αυτός, etc.) are often dropped because the verb ending shows the person/number. Including εγώ:

Adds emphasis or contrast: I in particular do this.
Works well when you’re saying “me too” compared to someone else.

What is the nuance of using the present tense προσπαθώ here, instead of something like προσπάθησα?

Προσπαθώ (present) = “I am trying / I try” → ongoing, current effort, possibly habitual.
Προσπάθησα (aorist) = “I tried” → a specific effort in the past, completed.

In the sentence, προσπαθώ shows that:

This is something you currently, continuously do.
It’s part of your ongoing strategy to stay motivated and not give up Greek.

So the combination:

Προσπαθώ (ongoing effort)
να εκφράζω (ongoing expression)
να μην τα παρατήσω (avoid a final act of quitting)

creates a consistent picture of continuous effort now, to prevent a one-time quitting in the future.