Προσπαθώ να δέχομαι την ευθύνη όταν κάνω λάθος, προκειμένου να δείχνω σεβασμό στους άλλους.

I try to accept responsibility when I make a mistake, in order to show respect to others.

Breakdown of Προσπαθώ να δέχομαι την ευθύνη όταν κάνω λάθος, προκειμένου να δείχνω σεβασμό στους άλλους.

• να: to
• σε: to
• όταν: when
• προσπαθώ: to try
• κάνω: to make
• το λάθος: the mistake
• δέχομαι: to accept
• δείχνω: to show
• προκειμένου να: in order to
• η ευθύνη: the responsibility
• ο σεβασμός: the respect
• οι άλλοι: others

Questions & Answers about Προσπαθώ να δέχομαι την ευθύνη όταν κάνω λάθος, προκειμένου να δείχνω σεβασμό στους άλλους.

Why is there no separate word for “I” in the Greek sentence?

In Greek, subject pronouns (like εγώ = I) are usually dropped because the verb ending already shows the subject.

• Προσπαθώ means I try (1st person singular).
• Because that ending -ώ already tells us the subject is I, adding εγώ would sound emphasized:
  Εγώ προσπαθώ… = I (as opposed to others) try…

So the sentence leaves εγώ out because it’s the normal, unemphasized way to speak.

What does να do after Προσπαθώ, and why is it needed?

Modern Greek has no infinitive (to do, to accept, to show etc.). Instead, it uses να + verb (subjunctive) for many of those functions.

• Προσπαθώ να δέχομαι… ≈ I try *to accept…*
• να δέχομαι is the “to accept” part.

So:

• Προσπαθώ = I try
• να δέχομαι = to accept
  Together: Προσπαθώ να δέχομαι = I try to accept.

After verbs of desire, effort, intention, etc. (θέλω, προσπαθώ, πρέπει, μπορώ), Greek very often uses να + verb.

Why is it να δέχομαι and not να δεχτώ / να δεχθώ?

The choice is about aspect (imperfective vs perfective), not tense in the English sense.

• να δέχομαι → imperfective: focuses on an ongoing / repeated / habitual action.
  Here it means: to accept (as a general habit/principle).
• να δεχτώ / να δεχθώ → perfective: focuses on one complete action, to accept (once / in a specific case).

In this sentence:

Προσπαθώ να δέχομαι την ευθύνη όταν κάνω λάθος…

the idea is: As a rule, whenever I’m wrong, I try to be the kind of person who accepts responsibility.
That’s a habitual behavior, so Greek uses the imperfective form να δέχομαι, not the “one-time” perfective να δεχτώ.

Why is it να δείχνω and not να δείξω?

It’s the same aspect difference as with δέχομαι / δεχτώ:

• να δείχνω (from δείχνω) – imperfective: to be showing / to show habitually
• να δείξω – perfective: to show (once, in a single act)

Here the meaning is general and continuous:

…in order to show respect to others (as an ongoing attitude, not just once).

So να δείχνω σεβασμό fits better than να δείξω σεβασμό, which would sound more like “in order to (once) show respect” in some specific situation.

What exactly does δέχομαι την ευθύνη mean? Is it different from αναλαμβάνω την ευθύνη?

Both can translate as “accept responsibility”, but they differ a bit:

• δέχομαι την ευθύνη
  
  • Literally: I accept the responsibility
  • Nuance: you accept / admit that the responsibility is yours (often moral/psychological).
• αναλαμβάνω την ευθύνη
  
  • Literally: I undertake the responsibility
  • Nuance: you take on / assume responsibility, often with the idea that you will handle the consequences or the task.

In this personal, ethical context (when I make a mistake, I try to accept responsibility), δέχομαι την ευθύνη is very natural, emphasizing owning up to what you did.
Αναλαμβάνω την ευθύνη might sound a bit more formal or “public-statement-like”: I assume responsibility (for this issue).

Why is it την ευθύνη (singular, with the definite article) and not μια ευθύνη or plural τις ευθύνες?

In Greek, abstract or general concepts often use the definite article where English would use no article at all:

• την ευθύνη = literally the responsibility, but here it means responsibility in general.

So:

• να δέχομαι την ευθύνη ≈ to accept responsibility (in such cases).

If you said:

• μια ευθύνη – a responsibility: some specific individual responsibility among others.
• τις ευθύνες – the responsibilities: several concrete responsibilities.

In this ethical rule, we’re talking about the general idea of responsibility for one’s mistakes, so την ευθύνη in the singular with a definite article is natural.

Why do we say κάνω λάθος and not use a verb “to be wrong” like in English?

Greek typically uses the expression κάνω λάθος:

• κάνω λάθος = I make a mistake / I’m wrong
  (literally: I do/make a mistake)

You can hear είμαι λάθος (I am wrong) in some contexts, but:

• κάνω λάθος is the standard, neutral expression.
• It works both for being factually wrong and making a mistake.

So όταν κάνω λάθος = when I make a mistake / when I’m wrong.

Why does λάθος have no article here? Why not ένα λάθος?

λάθος here is used in a generic, non-counting way:

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

If you say:

• όταν κάνω ένα λάθος = when I make one (specific) mistake.

Both are possible, but:

• όταν κάνω λάθος feels more like any time I’m wrong, as a type of situation.
• Adding ένα slightly narrows it to a particular mistake in a situation.

In a general rule about your behavior, the bare λάθος without article is very idiomatic.

What is the role of όταν in όταν κάνω λάθος? Why is the verb in the present tense?

όταν means “when” (for repeated / general situations).

• όταν κάνω λάθος = when(ever) I make a mistake.

The present tense (κάνω) in Greek often covers:

• general truths, habits, repeated situations.

So here:

• όταν κάνω λάθος = whenever I make a mistake
  (not just at this moment when I am making a mistake).

If you said όταν έκανα λάθος, you would be talking about past habitual situations: when I used to make mistakes, I (then) …

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

προκειμένου να introduces purpose, like “in order to”:

• προκειμένου να δείχνω σεβασμό στους άλλους
  = in order to show respect to others.

Comparison:

• για να
  
  • Very common, neutral: to, in order to
  • για να δείχνω σεβασμό – perfectly natural and slightly more colloquial.
• ώστε να
  
  • Also expresses purpose or result: so that / in order that.
  • ώστε να δείχνω σεβασμό – also possible; often used for “so that” / “so as to”.
• προκειμένου να
  
  • More formal / written; can sound a bit more sophisticated or official.

All three could work here; the choice of προκειμένου να makes the sentence sound a little more careful or formal.

Why is there a comma before προκειμένου να?

The comma separates the main clause from the purpose clause:

• Main clause: Προσπαθώ να δέχομαι την ευθύνη όταν κάνω λάθος
• Purpose clause: προκειμένου να δείχνω σεβασμό στους άλλους

It’s similar to English:

• I try to accept responsibility when I’m wrong, *in order to show respect to others.*

In Greek, purpose clauses with προκειμένου να, ώστε να, etc., are often preceded by a comma, especially when they come after the main clause, to make the structure clearer.

What does στους άλλους literally mean, and what case is it?

στους is a contraction of:

• σε + τους → στους

So:

• στους άλλους = to the others.

Grammatically:

• σε takes the accusative case in Modern Greek.
• τους άλλους is masculine plural accusative.

So στους άλλους literally is to the other (people) = to others.

How does σεβασμό work here, and is it related to the verb σέβομαι?

Yes, they’re closely related:

• σέβομαι = I respect (verb, deponent / middle-voice form)
• ο σεβασμός = respect (noun, masculine)
• τον σεβασμό (accusative) = the respect

In the sentence:

• να δείχνω σεβασμό στους άλλους
  = to show respect to others.

Literally:

• δείχνω – I show
• σεβασμό – respect (accusative; here without article, like English “respect” as a mass noun).

You could also say:

• να τους σέβομαι = to respect them
  but δείχνω σεβασμό στους άλλους emphasizes the outward, visible signs of respect.

Can the word order in this sentence be changed? For example, can προκειμένου να… come first?

Yes, Greek word order is quite flexible, and moving parts around usually changes emphasis, not core meaning.

Original:

• Προσπαθώ να δέχομαι την ευθύνη όταν κάνω λάθος, προκειμένου να δείχνω σεβασμό στους άλλους.

You could also say:

1. Προκειμένου να δείχνω σεβασμό στους άλλους, προσπαθώ να δέχομαι την ευθύνη όταν κάνω λάθος.

   • Emphasis first on the purpose (in order to show respect to others).

2. Όταν κάνω λάθος, προσπαθώ να δέχομαι την ευθύνη, προκειμένου να δείχνω σεβασμό στους άλλους.

   • Emphasis first on the condition (when I make a mistake).

3. Minor internal variations, like:

   • Προσπαθώ, όταν κάνω λάθος, να δέχομαι την ευθύνη… (inserting commas for rhythm/emphasis)

All of these are grammatical; Greek typically keeps the verb early, but clause order can be rearranged freely for style.

Is there any tense/aspect nuance in Προσπαθώ να δέχομαι…? Could we say Προσπάθησα να δεχτώ… instead?

Yes, there is a nuance:

• Προσπαθώ να δέχομαι…

  • Present + imperfective: describes a current, ongoing habit or principle.
  • I (generally) try to accept responsibility…

• Προσπάθησα να δεχτώ την ευθύνη…

  • Aorist: Προσπάθησα (I tried, once) + να δεχτώ (aorist subjunctive: to accept once)
  • This would describe a specific past situation:
    I tried to accept the responsibility (in that instance)…

So the original sentence talks about your character / behavior pattern now or in general.
Switching to aorist forms would shift it to one particular past attempt.