Learn Hardcore Greek: Μερικές φορές έχουμε διαφωνία για μικρά θέματα, αλλά βρίσκουμε έναν συμβιβασμό. - Sometimes we have a disagreement about small issues, but we find a compromise.

Μερικές φορές έχουμε διαφωνία για μικρά θέματα, αλλά βρίσκουμε έναν συμβιβασμό.

Sometimes we have a disagreement about small issues, but we find a compromise.

Breakdown of Μερικές φορές έχουμε διαφωνία για μικρά θέματα, αλλά βρίσκουμε έναν συμβιβασμό.

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Questions & Answers about Μερικές φορές έχουμε διαφωνία για μικρά θέματα, αλλά βρίσκουμε έναν συμβιβασμό.

What does Μερικές φορές literally mean, and is it the same as English “sometimes”?

Literally, Μερικές φορές means “some times” (as two words), just like in older or more formal English you might see “at some times”.

In normal, modern usage it corresponds directly to English “sometimes”:

Μερικές φορές τσακωνόμαστε. = Sometimes we argue.

It’s a very common, neutral way to say “sometimes / occasionally”.

Could I also say Κάποιες φορές instead of Μερικές φορές? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say Κάποιες φορές; it’s grammatically correct and often used.

Nuance:

Μερικές φορές – the standard, most neutral way to say “sometimes”.
Κάποιες φορές – also “sometimes”, but can feel slightly more vague or informal, like “at certain times”.

In your sentence, both are acceptable; Μερικές φορές is simply the most typical.

Why is there no word like “a” before διαφωνία? Could I say έχουμε μια διαφωνία?

Greek can use an indefinite article (ένας / μια / ένα) like English “a / an”, but it’s not always necessary.

Έχουμε διαφωνία = We have disagreement / we are in disagreement. (more general)
Έχουμε μια διαφωνία = We have a disagreement (one specific disagreement).

In your sentence:

Μερικές φορές έχουμε διαφωνία για μικρά θέματα…
This focuses on the state of being in disagreement, not counting individual disagreements.

If you wanted to emphasize separate, countable disagreements, you’d more often say:

Μερικές φορές έχουμε διαφωνίες για μικρά θέματα…
Sometimes we have disagreements about small issues…

Why is διαφωνία singular and not plural (διαφωνίες)? Does that change the meaning?

Yes, it slightly changes the nuance.

έχουμε διαφωνία (singular, uncountable-ish)
→ more like “we are in disagreement / we don’t see eye to eye” in a general sense.
έχουμε διαφωνίες (plural, countable)
→ “we have (several) disagreements”, suggesting repeated or multiple issues.

In the original sentence, singular διαφωνία makes the idea a bit more general:
sometimes there is disagreement between us about small things; not necessarily many big arguments.

What does για mean in διαφωνία για μικρά θέματα? Is it the same as “for” or “about”?

Here για is best translated as “about”:

διαφωνία για μικρά θέματα = disagreement about small issues.

για is a very flexible preposition and can mean for, about, regarding depending on context. In combinations like:

μιλάω για… = I talk about…
συζητάμε για… = we discuss about…
διαφωνία για… = disagreement about…

So in this sentence: για = “about / concerning”.

Why is it μικρά θέματα and not μικροί θέματα or μικρές θέματα?

Because adjectives in Greek must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

θέμα is a neuter noun.
- singular: το θέμα
- plural: τα θέματα

So an adjective modifying it must be neuter too:

μικρό θέμα = small issue (neuter singular)
μικρά θέματα = small issues (neuter plural)

μικροί is masculine plural, μικρές is feminine plural, so they cannot be used with θέματα (which is neuter plural).

Why is there no article before μικρά θέματα? Should it be για τα μικρά θέματα?

Both are possible, but they mean slightly different things:

για μικρά θέματα (no article)
→ “about small issues” in general; non‑specific, generic.
για τα μικρά θέματα (with τα)
→ “about the small issues”, referring to specific issues that have been mentioned or are clearly known from context.

In your sentence, we’re talking about small issues in general, so no article is natural.

What is the tense and aspect of έχουμε and βρίσκουμε here?

Both έχουμε and βρίσκουμε are in the present simple (ενεστώτας), imperfective aspect.

έχουμε = we have (habitually / generally)
βρίσκουμε = we find (habitually / generally)

So the sentence describes a repeated or typical situation:

Sometimes we have disagreement about small issues,
but (whenever that happens) we find a compromise.

It’s not about a single, one‑time event; it’s about a pattern.

There is no “we” in Greek. Where is the subject?

In Greek, the subject pronoun (εγώ, εσύ, αυτός, εμείς, etc.) is often dropped because the verb ending tells you who the subject is.

έχουμε → 1st person plural → we have
βρίσκουμε → 1st person plural → we find

So εμείς (we) is understood from the verb ending.

You can say:

Εμείς μερικές φορές έχουμε διαφωνία…

but that usually adds emphasis, like “WE sometimes have disagreement…”, perhaps contrasting with other people.

Why is it έναν συμβιβασμό and not ένα συμβιβασμό or just συμβιβασμό?

συμβιβασμός is a masculine noun:

nominative singular: ο συμβιβασμός (the compromise)
accusative singular: τον συμβιβασμό

The indefinite masculine article in the accusative is έναν:

ένας (nom.) → έναν (acc.)

So:

βρίσκουμε έναν συμβιβασμό = we find a compromise.
ένα is the neuter form; it doesn’t go with a masculine noun.
You could sometimes drop the article (βρίσκουμε συμβιβασμό) in a more abstract sense, but βρίσκουμε έναν συμβιβασμό is the most natural here, because you’re talking about a specific compromise the speakers reach each time.

Could you explain the phrase βρίσκουμε έναν συμβιβασμό? Why “find” a compromise and not “make” it?

Greek commonly uses βρίσκω (to find) with συμβιβασμός:

βρίσκουμε έναν συμβιβασμό = we find a compromise.

This is very close to English “reach a compromise” or “find a compromise”.

You can also say:

κάνουμε έναν συμβιβασμό = we make / do a compromise.

This emphasizes the act of making a concession rather than the result you came to. Both are correct, but:

βρίσκουμε έναν συμβιβασμό → more about arriving at an agreement.
κάνουμε έναν συμβιβασμό → more about each person giving up something.

In this context, βρίσκουμε έναν συμβιβασμό is the most idiomatic translation of “we find / reach a compromise.”

What is the role of αλλά in the sentence, and can I replace it with όμως or μα?

αλλά is the standard conjunction meaning “but”:

… αλλά βρίσκουμε έναν συμβιβασμό.
→ … but we find a compromise.

You can often replace it with:

μα (also “but”, a bit more informal / stylistic)
όμως (usually placed more freely in the clause)

For example:

Μερικές φορές έχουμε διαφωνία για μικρά θέματα, μα βρίσκουμε έναν συμβιβασμό.
Μερικές φορές έχουμε διαφωνία για μικρά θέματα· όμως βρίσκουμε έναν συμβιβασμό.

αλλά is the safest, most neutral choice here.

Could I say διαφωνούμε instead of έχουμε διαφωνία? Would that change the meaning?

Yes, you can say διαφωνούμε, and it’s very natural:

Μερικές φορές διαφωνούμε για μικρά θέματα, αλλά βρίσκουμε έναν συμβιβασμό.

Meaning-wise:

έχουμε διαφωνία = we have disagreement (noun)
διαφωνούμε = we disagree (verb)

They’re extremely close in meaning. Using the verb (διαφωνούμε) is slightly more direct and colloquial, but both are fully correct and idiomatic.

How do you pronounce διαφωνία and συμβιβασμό, and where is the stress?

Stress in Greek is marked by the accent (´) on the vowel.

διαφωνία → dia‑fo‑NI‑a
- Greek syllables: δια‑φο‑νί‑α
- The stress is on νί (the third syllable from the start).
συμβιβασμό → sim‑vi‑vas‑MO
- Greek syllables: συμ‑βι‑βασ‑μό
- The stress is on μό (last syllable).

Getting the stress right is important, because moving the stress can make the word sound wrong or like a different word.