Learn Hardcore Greek: Σήμερα είμαι κουρασμένος, αλλά επιπλέον έχω λίγο άγχος. - Today I am tired, and in addition I have a bit of stress.

In Greek, adjectives agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun they describe. Here the adjective κουρασμένος (tired) agrees with the implied subject (εγώ), which is masculine singular.

If the speaker is a man, the sentence is correct:
Σήμερα είμαι κουρασμένος…
If the speaker is a woman, the adjective must be feminine:
Σήμερα είμαι κουρασμένη, αλλά επιπλέον έχω λίγο άγχος.

Basic forms of the adjective are:

κουρασμένος (masculine)
κουρασμένη (feminine)
κουρασμένο (neuter)

Why is there no “εγώ” in the sentence? Can I say «Εγώ σήμερα είμαι κουρασμένος…»?

Greek is a “pro-drop” language: the subject pronoun is usually omitted because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

είμαι can only mean “I am”, so εγώ is understood and not needed.

You can add εγώ for emphasis or contrast, for example:

Εγώ σήμερα είμαι κουρασμένος, όχι εσύ.
I am tired today, not you.

In neutral, everyday speech, you normally just say:

Σήμερα είμαι κουρασμένος…

What exactly does επιπλέον mean here, and how is it different from επίσης or και?

επιπλέον literally means “in addition / additionally / moreover.”
In this sentence it has the sense of “on top of that / besides that.”

Nuances:

και = and (simple addition, very neutral)
- Σήμερα είμαι κουρασμένος και έχω λίγο άγχος.
επίσης = also / too (often used to add another similar fact)
- Σήμερα είμαι κουρασμένος και επίσης έχω λίγο άγχος.
επιπλέον = in addition / moreover (slightly more emphatic, sometimes a bit more formal or “heavy”)
- Σήμερα είμαι κουρασμένος, αλλά επιπλέον έχω λίγο άγχος.
  → I’m tired today, but I also have some anxiety on top of that.

So επιπλέον highlights that the anxiety is an extra burden, not just another neutral fact.

Why do we say «έχω άγχος» (“I have anxiety”) instead of something like «είμαι άγχος» or «είμαι αγχωμένος»?

In Greek, many physical and emotional states are expressed with έχω + noun:

έχω άγχος = I have anxiety / I’m anxious
έχω πυρετό = I have a fever
έχω πονοκέφαλο = I have a headache

είμαι άγχος is incorrect, because άγχος is a noun, not an adjective.

You can say:

είμαι αγχωμένος / αγχωμένη = I am anxious / stressed

Difference in feel:

έχω άγχος – focuses on the feeling of anxiety as something you “have” at the moment.
είμαι αγχωμένος – focuses on your state or condition of being anxious.

Both are natural; έχω άγχος is slightly more common in everyday speech for “I’m feeling anxious.”

What does λίγο do in «έχω λίγο άγχος»? Could I put it somewhere else?

λίγο means “a little / a bit / some.” Here it modifies άγχος:

έχω λίγο άγχος = I have a bit of anxiety.

Normal and best position:

έχω λίγο άγχος (before the noun)

Possible but less natural or with a different feel:

έχω άγχος λίγο – can sound a bit odd or marked; you might use it only with a special emphasis in intonation.

You can also say:

έχω αρκετό άγχος – I have quite a lot of anxiety
έχω πολύ άγχος – I have a lot of anxiety

Why is there no article in «έχω λίγο άγχος»? Why not «έχω λίγο το άγχος» or «ένα άγχος»?

Here, άγχος is an uncountable, abstract noun, used in a general / indefinite sense (“some anxiety”).

In Greek, with abstract or mass nouns used in this kind of meaning, we often omit the article:

έχω άγχος – I’m anxious / I have anxiety
έχω δουλειά – I have work (to do)
έχω όρεξη – I feel like it / I have appetite

We do not say ένα άγχος in this sense (it would sound strange, like “one anxiety”).
το άγχος would refer to “the anxiety” as something more specific or already known:

Το άγχος μου μεγαλώνει. – My anxiety is growing.

So here, no article is the natural, correct choice.

How do you pronounce άγχος? The spelling with γ and χ is confusing.

άγχος is pronounced approximately as:

[Á-nghos] in a rough English approximation.

Details:

ά – stressed “a” as in “father” (shorter).
γ before χ makes the “ng” sound (like in “sing”).
χ is a strong “h” sound, like the “ch” in German “Bach” or Scottish “loch.”
Final -ος is like “os”, with an unstressed o.

So you get something like: Á-nghos (stress on the first syllable).

Why is there a comma before αλλά? Is that always required?

Yes, in modern standard Greek, we normally place a comma before “αλλά” when it joins two clauses (two parts that could be full sentences):

Σήμερα είμαι κουρασμένος, αλλά επιπλέον έχω λίγο άγχος.
- Clause 1: Σήμερα είμαι κουρασμένος.
- Clause 2: (Σήμερα) επιπλέον έχω λίγο άγχος.

When αλλά just links two single words or short phrases, we usually don’t put a comma:

κουρασμένος αλλά χαρούμενος – tired but happy
ήρεμος αλλά αγχωμένος – calm but anxious

Here, since it connects two full clauses, the comma is correct and standard.

Can I change the word order, for example: «Σήμερα είμαι κουρασμένος, αλλά έχω λίγο άγχος επιπλέον.»?

Yes, Greek word order is fairly flexible, and several versions are grammatical:

Σήμερα είμαι κουρασμένος, αλλά επιπλέον έχω λίγο άγχος.
– Focuses on “in addition” right after but.
Σήμερα είμαι κουρασμένος, αλλά έχω επιπλέον λίγο άγχος.
– Emphasizes that the extra is the little bit of anxiety.
Σήμερα είμαι κουρασμένος, αλλά έχω λίγο άγχος επιπλέον.
– Also possible, with επιπλέον sounding a bit like an afterthought (“a bit of anxiety as well”).

All are grammatically correct, but your original sentence (version 1) is very natural and clear.

What tense is είμαι and έχω here, and how would I say “I was tired, but I also had a bit of anxiety”?

είμαι (I am) and έχω (I have) are in the present tense.

To talk about the past, you use the imperfect or sometimes the aorist, depending on context. For a continuous state in the past, the imperfect is natural:

Ήμουν κουρασμένος, αλλά επιπλέον είχα λίγο άγχος.
- ήμουν = I was
- είχα = I had

So that means: “I was tired, but I also had a bit of anxiety.”

What does the accent mark on Σήμερα and άγχος do? Is it important where it goes?

In Greek, the accent mark (τόνος) shows which syllable is stressed. It is essential for correct spelling and pronunciation.

Σήμερα – stress on the first syllable: ΣΉ-με-ρα
άγχος – stress on the first syllable: Άγ-χος

Moving or omitting the accent can create:

a different word (e.g. other pairs in Greek), or
a misspelling that looks wrong to native speakers.

So yes, the position of the accent is important, and you should always write it on exactly one vowel in words of two or more syllables.

Is άγχος the same as “stress,” or is it more like “anxiety”?

άγχος can cover both “stress” and “anxiety”, depending on context:

Everyday “stress” from work, deadlines, etc.:
- Έχω πολύ άγχος στη δουλειά. – I’m really stressed at work.
More emotional anxiety or worry:
- Νιώθω άγχος πριν από τις εξετάσεις. – I feel anxiety before exams.

In many situations, “stress” or “anxiety” could both be good translations. Context decides which English word sounds more natural.