Learn Hardcore Greek: Ρωτάω την υπάλληλο αν σήμερα έχουν έκπτωση στα παπούτσια. - I ask the employee if they have a discount on shoes today.

It is the 1st person singular, present tense of the verb ρωτάω / ρωτώ.
ρωτάω and ρωτώ are just two forms of the same verb.
- ρωτάω is more colloquial and very common in everyday speech.
- ρωτώ is a bit more formal or written, but still normal.

Some present-tense forms (you will see both variants):

εγώ ρωτάω / ρωτώ = I ask
εσύ ρωτάς = you ask
αυτός/αυτή/αυτό ρωτάει / ρωτά = he/she/it asks
εμείς ρωτάμε / ρωτούμε = we ask
εσείς ρωτάτε = you (pl/formal) ask
αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά ρωτάνε / ρωτούν(ε) = they ask

Meaning-wise, ρωτάω and ρωτώ are the same; the difference is mainly style/level of formality.

Why is it την υπάλληλο and not η υπάλληλος?

η υπάλληλος is the subject form (nominative case).
In this sentence, την υπάλληλο is the direct object of the verb ρωτάω, so it must be in the accusative case.

η υπάλληλος = the (female) employee – subject
- Η υπάλληλος δουλεύει εδώ. = The employee works here.
την υπάλληλο = the employee – direct object
- Ρωτάω την υπάλληλο. = I ask the employee.

So the pattern (feminine) is:

Nominative: η υπάλληλος
Accusative: την υπάλληλο

The article η changes to την in the accusative, and the noun υπάλληλος changes to υπάλληλο.

Why does υπάλληλο end in -ο if it refers to a woman? Isn’t -ο usually neuter?

Good observation. Υπάλληλος is one of those Greek nouns with common gender (κοινό γένος): it has the same form for male and female, and you show the gender mainly with the article.

ο υπάλληλος = the male employee
η υπάλληλος = the female employee

In the accusative singular:

τον υπάλληλο = the male employee (object)
την υπάλληλο = the female employee (object)

So the ending -ο in υπάλληλο here marks accusative singular, not neuter gender.
The gender is shown by the article:

τον = masculine
την = feminine

There is no standard form υπάλληλη; you normally just use η υπάλληλος / την υπάλληλο for a woman.

What is the role of αν in this sentence, and how is it different from εάν or να?

In Ρωτάω την υπάλληλο αν σήμερα έχουν έκπτωση στα παπούτσια, the word αν means if or whether. It introduces the indirect question:

αν σήμερα έχουν έκπτωση στα παπούτσια
= if they have a discount on shoes today / whether there is a discount today on shoes.

About the related words:

αν vs εάν:
- In modern everyday Greek, αν and εάν are usually interchangeable.
- εάν is more formal or emphatic; αν is the normal spoken form.
να is different: it introduces subjunctive (a type of dependent clause expressing wish, purpose, etc.), not an if/whether clause.
- Θέλω να ρωτήσω. = I want to ask.
- Ρωτάω αν έχουν έκπτωση. = I ask if they have a discount.

So here, αν = if/whether, not to (as in to ask).

Who does έχουν refer to? There is no subject written.

The verb έχουν is 3rd person plural present of έχω (they have).

In Greek, the subject pronoun is often omitted if it is clear from context. Here, έχουν refers to an understood “they”, usually:

the shop,
the store staff, or
the company.

English often uses they in this impersonal sense as well:

They have a discount on shoes today.

So:

έχουν έκπτωση = they have a discount
The subject is implicit, understood from the situation (you are presumably in a store).

Why is it αν σήμερα έχουν έκπτωση? Could I say αν έχουν σήμερα έκπτωση instead?

Yes, you can absolutely say:

Ρωτάω την υπάλληλο αν έχουν σήμερα έκπτωση στα παπούτσια.

Modern Greek allows quite flexible word order, especially with adverbs like σήμερα.

The positions:

αν σήμερα έχουν έκπτωση
αν έχουν σήμερα έκπτωση
αν έχουν έκπτωση σήμερα

are all grammatically correct. The differences are mainly in rhythm and slight emphasis, not in basic meaning. In neutral speech, all three are acceptable and natural.

What does έκπτωση mean, and how is it used with έχουν?

Έκπτωση means discount or reduction in price.

In this sentence:

έχουν έκπτωση = they have a discount

So:

έκπτωση is a noun, feminine:
- μία έκπτωση = one discount
- οι εκπτώσεις = discounts / sales

Common patterns:

έχουν έκπτωση στα παπούτσια. = They have a discount on shoes.
Είμαστε σε έκπτωση. (for a product) = We are on sale / discounted.
Υπάρχει έκπτωση; = Is there a discount?

Here, έχουν έκπτωση is literally they have a discount, but in English we often say there is a discount.

What does στα in στα παπούτσια stand for, and why is it used here?

Στα is the contraction of the preposition σε plus the article τα:

σε + τα = στα

Σε is a very common preposition that can often translate as in, on, at, for depending on context.
Here:

στα παπούτσια = on the shoes / for the shoes

So έκπτωση στα παπούτσια = discount on shoes.

Other contractions of σε with the definite article:

σε + το = στο
σε + τον = στον
σε + την = στη(ν)
σε + τους = στους
σε + τις = στις
σε + τα = στα

In this case, παπούτσια is neuter plural, so the article is τα, giving στα.

Why is παπούτσια in the plural? Could I say στο παπούτσι instead?

Παπούτσια = shoes (plural).
In Greek, as in English, we usually talk about shoes in the plural when we mean the type/category in general:

έκπτωση στα παπούτσια = discount on shoes (as a category of products)

If you said:

έκπτωση στο παπούτσι

it would sound like a discount on one shoe, which is strange unless you mean a very specific, single item. For general discounts on footwear, the plural στα παπούτσια is the normal and natural choice.

Is ρωτάω the present tense? How would I say I asked in the past?

Yes, ρωτάω is present tense: I ask / I am asking.

To say I asked, you use the aorist (simple past):

ρώτησα = I asked

Compare:

Ρωτάω την υπάλληλο αν σήμερα έχουν έκπτωση.
= I ask / am asking the employee if they have a discount today.
Ρώτησα την υπάλληλο αν σήμερα έχουν έκπτωση.
= I asked the employee if they have a discount today.

So the verb pair is:

Present: ρωτάω / ρωτώ = I ask
Aorist (simple past): ρώτησα = I asked

Is ρωτάω always the right verb for to ask, or is there a difference between ρωτάω and ζητάω?

Greek distinguishes between:

ρωτάω = to ask a question
ζητάω = to ask for something / request / demand

Examples:

Ρωτάω την υπάλληλο αν έχουν έκπτωση.
= I ask the employee if they have a discount. (I ask a question.)
Ζητάω από την υπάλληλο μία απόδειξη.
= I ask the employee for a receipt. (I request something.)

So in your sentence, ρωτάω is the correct verb, because you are asking a question, not requesting an item.

Is ρωτάω την υπάλληλο… polite enough in Greek, or should I use a more polite form?

Ρωτάω την υπάλληλο αν σήμερα έχουν έκπτωση… is grammatically fine and not rude, but in a real-life shop situation, Greeks often prefer something a bit softer/politer, for example:

Θα ήθελα να ρωτήσω κάτι. = I would like to ask something.
Μπορώ να ρωτήσω αν σήμερα έχετε έκπτωση στα παπούτσια;
= Can I ask if you have a discount on shoes today?

So:

Ρωτάω την υπάλληλο… is good as a neutral narration (telling a story, describing what you do).
For direct speech to the employee, you might say:
- Ήθελα να ρωτήσω αν σήμερα έχετε έκπτωση στα παπούτσια.

How is ρωτάω pronounced and why is there an extra -ω at the end?

Spelling: ρωτάω
Pronunciation: usually [roˈtao] or more smoothly [roˈtao̯] (often sounding like ρωτάω with one blended syllable).

Historically, verbs of this type had two parallel forms:

ρωτώ and ρωτάω.

In modern speech, many people still say ρωτάω (two written vowels) but pronounce it as a single syllable at the end. Both ρωτάω and ρωτώ are standard spellings; the meaning is identical.

Can I move σήμερα to the end of the sentence, like …στα παπούτσια σήμερα?

Yes, that is possible and natural:

Ρωτάω την υπάλληλο αν έχουν έκπτωση στα παπούτσια σήμερα.

Word order with adverbs in Greek is flexible. All of these are grammatically correct:

αν σήμερα έχουν έκπτωση στα παπούτσια
αν έχουν σήμερα έκπτωση στα παπούτσια
αν έχουν έκπτωση στα παπούτσια σήμερα

In spoken Greek, the last one (…στα παπούτσια σήμερα) is very common and sounds completely natural.

Could I also say αν σήμερα υπάρχει έκπτωση στα παπούτσια instead of αν σήμερα έχουν έκπτωση στα παπούτσια?

Yes, you can. Both are natural, with a small nuance:

αν σήμερα έχουν έκπτωση στα παπούτσια
= if they have a discount on shoes today
(focus on the people/shop as “having” the discount)
αν σήμερα υπάρχει έκπτωση στα παπούτσια
= if there is a discount on shoes today
(focus on the existence of a discount)

In everyday conversation, both are used. The original έχουν έκπτωση is very typical in shop contexts, but υπάρχει έκπτωση is equally correct and clear.