Learn Hardcore Greek: Όταν θέλω πιο δυνατό ήχο, ρυθμίζω την ένταση στο ηχείο από τον υπολογιστή. - When I want louder sound, I adjust the volume on the speaker from the computer.

You can say εγώ θέλω or εγώ ρυθμίζω for emphasis (e.g. “I” want / “I” adjust), but the neutral, natural version leaves εγώ out, as in the sentence given.

What exactly does Όταν mean here? Is it “when” or “whenever”?

Όταν means “when” in the sense of “whenever / every time that” when it’s used with the present tense like this.

In English:

Όταν θέλω πιο δυνατό ήχο, ρυθμίζω...
= When(ever) I want louder sound, I adjust...
= Whenever I want louder sound, I adjust...

So here it doesn’t refer to one specific time in the future, but to something that happens regularly / habitually. That’s why the present simple is used in Greek with όταν to mean “whenever” in this kind of sentence.

How does πιο δυνατό mean “louder”? Why use πιο instead of an ending?

In Greek, comparatives are often formed with πιο + adjective:

δυνατός = loud / strong
πιο δυνατός = louder / stronger

So:

πιο δυνατό ήχο literally = “more loud sound” → “louder sound”

There is also an older / more formal comparative form:

δυνατότερος = louder/stronger

So in theory, you could say:

όταν θέλω δυνατότερο ήχο = when I want louder sound

But in modern everyday Greek, πιο δυνατό is much more common and sounds more natural in speech than δυνατότερο.

Why is it πιο δυνατό ήχο and not πιο δυνατός ήχος?

The adjective must agree with the noun in case, number, and gender.

ήχος (sound) is masculine:
- nominative: ο ήχος (subject)
- accusative: τον ήχο (object)

In the sentence, ήχο is the direct object of θέλω (I want sound), so it’s in the accusative: (τον) ήχο.

The adjective δυνατός must match that:

nominative: δυνατός ήχος
accusative: δυνατό ήχο

So:

πιο δυνατό ήχο (accusative, masculine, singular) = correct here
πιο δυνατός ήχος would make it nominative, but ήχος is not the subject, it’s the object, so that would be wrong in this sentence.

Why isn’t there an article before ήχο? Why not πιο δυνατό τον ήχο?

In Greek, the article is often used more than in English, but it can be omitted in some cases, especially with indefinite or “non-specific” objects.

Compare:

θέλω πιο δυνατό ήχο
= I want louder sound / I want the sound to be louder (in general)

If you say:

θέλω πιο δυνατό τον ήχο
that sounds more like you’re talking about a specific, already mentioned sound, and you want that sound louder. It’s possible, but more marked.

In this general, habitual statement, πιο δυνατό ήχο (without the article) feels more natural, like English “louder sound” rather than “the sound louder”.

What exactly does ρυθμίζω mean here? Is it just “adjust”?

ρυθμίζω means “to adjust, regulate, set, tune”, depending on context. It comes from ρυθμός (rhythm, regulation).

Some common uses:

ρυθμίζω την ένταση = adjust/set the volume
ρυθμίζω τη θερμοκρασία = adjust/set the temperature
ρυθμίζω το ρολόι = set the clock
ρυθμίζω τις ρυθμίσεις = adjust the settings

In this sentence, ρυθμίζω την ένταση is exactly “I adjust the volume” (e.g. slider, knob, control).

Why is it την ένταση? What gender and case is ένταση?

ένταση (volume, intensity) is feminine.

Its forms:

nominative: η ένταση (subject)
accusative: την ένταση (object)

Here, την ένταση is the direct object of ρυθμίζω (I adjust the volume), so it’s in the accusative feminine singular:

ρυθμίζω την ένταση = I adjust the volume

The article την agrees with ένταση in gender (feminine), number (singular), and case (accusative).

Why is it στο ηχείο and not στον ηχείο?

The form of the article depends on the gender of the noun.

ηχείο (speaker) is neuter:
- nominative: το ηχείο
- accusative: το ηχείο (same form)
στο = σε + το (to/on/at + the, neuter)

So:

στο ηχείο = on the speaker / at the speaker

If the noun were masculine, like υπολογιστής (computer), you’d get:

στον υπολογιστή = σε + τον (to/on/at the, masculine)

But since ηχείο is neuter, στο ηχείο is the correct form.

What does από τον υπολογιστή mean exactly here? “From the computer” or “on the computer”?

Literally, από means “from”. In this context, it has the sense of “using / via / from the side of”:

από τον υπολογιστή = from the computer
→ understood as using the computer’s controls / software.

So the full idea is:

When I want louder sound, I adjust the volume on the speaker, from the computer (i.e. I control the speaker’s volume through the computer, not by touching a knob on the speaker itself).

So it’s not “on the computer” (that would be στον υπολογιστή) but “from / via the computer” (από τον υπολογιστή).

Can the word order be changed? For example, can I say Από τον υπολογιστή ρυθμίζω την ένταση στο ηχείο?

Yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English, especially for elements of place, time, and manner.

All of these are grammatically correct, with slightly different emphasis:

Όταν θέλω πιο δυνατό ήχο, ρυθμίζω την ένταση στο ηχείο από τον υπολογιστή.
(neutral order; “from the computer” comes last)
Όταν θέλω πιο δυνατό ήχο, από τον υπολογιστή ρυθμίζω την ένταση στο ηχείο.
(emphasis that it is from the computer that you do this)
Όταν θέλω πιο δυνατό ήχο, ρυθμίζω από τον υπολογιστή την ένταση στο ηχείο.
(focuses a bit on the “from the computer” part, placed right after the verb)

Meaning stays the same; the differences are mostly in focus / emphasis, not in basic meaning.

Why is the present tense used? Could you say Όταν θέλω... θα ρυθμίζω?

In Greek, using present tense with όταν like this expresses a general, habitual action:

Όταν θέλω πιο δυνατό ήχο, ρυθμίζω την ένταση...
= Whenever I want louder sound, I adjust the volume...

If you say:

Όταν θέλω... θα ρυθμίζω...,
that sounds odd here. θα ρυθμίζω (future continuous) would suggest a repeated or ongoing future process, but with όταν θέλω in the present, it doesn’t fit well in this habitual, general statement.

If you were talking about a specific future situation, you might use:

Όταν θα θέλω πιο δυνατό ήχο, θα ρυθμίζω...
but even then, Greek usually drops the θα after όταν and just uses the future in the main clause:
Όταν θέλω πιο δυνατό ήχο, θα ρυθμίζω την ένταση... (still a bit unusual here)

For a general rule or habit, the natural pattern is:

Όταν + present, present (as in the sentence given).

Is the comma after ήχο necessary? How are commas used with Όταν clauses?

Yes, in this kind of sentence, the comma is standard.

Structure:

Όταν θέλω πιο δυνατό ήχο, = dependent clause (condition / time)
ρυθμίζω την ένταση... = main clause

In Greek, when a subordinate clause (starting with όταν, αν, επειδή, όταν, αφού, etc.) comes first, it’s normally followed by a comma, just like in English:

Όταν έχω χρόνο, διαβάζω. = When I have time, I read.
Αν βρέξει, δεν θα πάμε. = If it rains, we won’t go.

If you reverse the order:

Ρυθμίζω την ένταση στο ηχείο από τον υπολογιστή όταν θέλω πιο δυνατό ήχο.

then the comma is usually omitted, again similar to English.