Learn Hardcore Greek: Στη συζήτηση προσπαθώ να κρατάω ουδέτερη στάση, ούτε πολύ θετική ούτε πολύ αρνητική. - In the discussion I try to keep a neutral position, neither very positive nor very negative.

In speech and writing, you almost always use the contracted form (στο, στη, στην, στους, στις, στα etc.), not σε + article separately, unless you want a very marked, almost poetic or super-emphatic style.

Why is it Στη and not Στην before συζήτηση? I thought it should be "στην" for feminine words.

Both στη and στην are forms of σε + την (to the / in the, feminine). The -ν at the end can drop depending on the sound that follows.

The usual rule in modern Greek:

Keep the -ν (write στην) before:
- vowels: στην Αθήνα
- consonants π, τ, κ, μπ, ντ, γκ, ξ, ψ: στην πόλη, στην τάξη, στην ξηρασία
Drop the -ν (write στη) before most other consonants, including σ:
- στη συζήτηση
- στη δουλειά

So στη συζήτηση is the standard spelling and pronunciation today, even though you will also occasionally see or hear στην συζήτηση, especially in more careful or older speech.

What case is συζήτηση in, and why?

συζήτηση (discussion) is in the accusative singular feminine:

Nominative: η συζήτηση (the discussion – subject)
Accusative: τη(ν) συζήτηση (the discussion – object or after σε)

Here it appears after the preposition σε (in), and prepositions in Greek normally take the accusative. So:

σε + τη συζήτηση → στη συζήτηση (in the discussion)

That’s why the form is συζήτηση, not συζήτησης or συζητήσεις.

What is the exact meaning and use of συζήτηση here? Is it conversation or debate?

συζήτηση is a fairly neutral word that can mean:

discussion
conversation
talk
sometimes debate, depending on context

In this sentence, Στη συζήτηση προσπαθώ…, it just means in the discussion (i.e., during that exchange of views). It doesn’t necessarily imply something formal like a political debate; context decides how intense or formal it is.

A more casual/colloquial word for chat would be κουβέντα, but συζήτηση is more general and slightly more formal.

What does προσπαθώ mean grammatically? Is it like “I’m trying” or “I try”?

προσπαθώ is:

1st person singular
present tense
active voice
indicative mood
of the verb προσπαθώ = to try, to attempt.

In Greek, the present tense usually covers both:

English “I try” (habitual, general)
English “I’m trying” (right now / ongoing)

So προσπαθώ can mean:

I try
I’m trying

Context tells you which is more natural in English. Here, it probably means something like:
“In discussions I try to keep a neutral stance…” (a general habit).

Why do we say προσπαθώ να κρατάω and not just προσπαθώ κρατάω? What is να doing here?

Modern Greek no longer uses an infinitive (to keep). Instead, it uses να + verb as the basic “to do something” form.

Here:

προσπαθώ = I try
να κρατάω = to keep / to be keeping

So προσπαθώ να κρατάω literally is I try that I keep, functionally I try to keep.

Grammar-wise, να introduces the subjunctive:

να κρατάω is the present (imperfective) subjunctive of κρατάω.
You will see να used after many verbs of wanting, trying, ordering, etc.:
θέλω να φύγω – I want to leave
πρέπει να μιλήσεις – you must speak
προσπαθώ να κρατάω – I try to keep

What’s the difference between κρατάω and κρατήσω? Why is it να κρατάω here?

Greek verbs usually have two aspects:

Imperfective: ongoing, repeated, or open-ended action
- κρατάω / κρατώ – I hold / keep (habitually or continuously)
- Subjunctive: να κρατάω
Perfective: single, completed, or one-off action
- κρατήσω – I hold/keep (once, to completion)
- Subjunctive: να κρατήσω

In this sentence, the idea is a general, ongoing attitude:

I try to maintain / keep a neutral stance (as a habit / throughout the discussion)

So the imperfective να κρατάω is appropriate, because it suggests continuous / overall behavior.

If you said προσπαθώ να κρατήσω ουδέτερη στάση, it could sound more like:

I’m trying (this time) to keep a neutral stance (a more specific or one-off effort). Both are grammatically correct, but να κρατάω suits a habitual or general statement.

Is there any difference between κρατάω and κρατώ?

They are two forms of the same verb:

κρατάω – more colloquial, very common in everyday speech and writing
κρατώ – a bit more formal or concise, common in writing, headlines, or formal contexts

They are both present tense, 1st person singular, imperfective:

(εγώ) κρατάω / κρατώ – I hold / I keep

In this sentence you could say either:

προσπαθώ να κρατάω ουδέτερη στάση
προσπαθώ να κρατώ ουδέτερη στάση

Meaning is the same; κρατάω sounds slightly more conversational.

What exactly does ουδέτερη στάση mean? Is it literally a “neutral posture”?

Literally:

ουδέτερη = neutral (feminine form of the adjective ουδέτερος)
στάση = stance, posture, position; also “bus stop” in other contexts

In everyday language, ουδέτερη στάση means:

a neutral attitude / position / stance on an issue
neither strongly for nor strongly against

So in this sentence, να κρατάω ουδέτερη στάση means to maintain a neutral attitude in the discussion. The body-posture meaning isn’t intended here; it’s metaphorical, as in English “stance”.

Why is it ουδέτερη and not ουδέτερος or ουδέτερο?

Greek adjectives agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe.

Noun: η στάση – feminine, singular, accusative (τη στάση)
So the adjective must also be:
feminine, singular, accusative: ουδέτερη

Forms of the adjective ουδέτερος (neutral):

Masculine: ουδέτερος (nom.), ουδέτερο (acc.)
Feminine: ουδέτερη (nom./acc.)
Neuter: ουδέτερο (nom./acc.)

Because στάση is feminine, we use the feminine form: ουδέτερη στάση.

How does the structure ούτε πολύ θετική ούτε πολύ αρνητική work? Why no verb like “είναι”?

ούτε … ούτε … means “neither … nor …”.

Here we have:

ούτε πολύ θετική ούτε πολύ αρνητική = neither very positive nor very negative

This phrase is directly qualifying ουδέτερη στάση, and Greek often omits a repeated verb when it’s understood from context. Fully expanded, it would be something like:

ουδέτερη στάση, που δεν είναι ούτε πολύ θετική ούτε πολύ αρνητική
= a neutral stance, which is neither very positive nor very negative

The είναι (is) is understood and doesn’t need to be repeated; it’s common in Greek to just line up adjectives like this after ούτε … ούτε ….

Why are θετική and αρνητική feminine?

They agree with the understood feminine noun στάση (stance).

(η) στάση – feminine
So:
θετική (στάση) – positive (stance) – feminine
αρνητική (στάση) – negative (stance) – feminine

Even though στάση is not repeated, its gender controls the form of the adjectives:

ούτε πολύ θετική ούτε πολύ αρνητική (στάση)

Could we put the phrase Στη συζήτηση later in the sentence? Would it change the meaning?

Yes, Greek word order is quite flexible. You could say:

Προσπαθώ στη συζήτηση να κρατάω ουδέτερη στάση…
Προσπαθώ να κρατάω στη συζήτηση ουδέτερη στάση…

All of these are grammatical and keep essentially the same meaning.

Subtle differences:

Στη συζήτηση προσπαθώ…
– Slight emphasis on in the discussion (in that context), that’s where you’re trying.
Προσπαθώ να κρατάω ουδέτερη στάση στη συζήτηση.
– Slightly more neutral/prototypical order: try → keep → stance → in the discussion.

But overall, the change is about rhythm and emphasis, not basic meaning.

How would this sentence sound in very natural, conversational English?

A natural rendering could be:

“In discussions, I try to keep a neutral stance, neither too positive nor too negative.”

Other options:

“In conversations, I try to stay neutral—not too positive and not too negative.”
“When I’m in a discussion, I try to keep a neutral attitude, neither very positive nor very negative.”

All of these capture the meaning and nuance of the Greek sentence.