Breakdown of Μου αρέσει όταν το φως είναι απαλό και το δωμάτιο φαίνεται πιο ζεστό.
Questions & Answers about Μου αρέσει όταν το φως είναι απαλό και το δωμάτιο φαίνεται πιο ζεστό.
In the structure Μου αρέσει …, the subject is not the person who likes something.
- αρέσει is the 3rd person singular of the verb αρέσω.
- μου is in the genitive and means to me.
So Μου αρέσει όταν το φως είναι απαλό… is literally:
- It pleases me when the light is soft…
Grammatically:
- Subject of αρέσει = the thing that pleases (here, the whole όταν… clause).
- μου = indirect object (to me, for me).
You do not say εγώ αρέσω το φως for I like the light. Instead you say, for example:
- Μου αρέσει το φως. = The light pleases me / I like the light.
Modern Greek often uses the genitive weak pronouns (μου, σου, του…) for an experiencer – the person who feels something, is affected, or is missing something.
- Μου αρέσει = It pleases me (to‑me pleases).
- Μου λείπεις. = I miss you. (You are missing from me.)
- Μου πονάει το κεφάλι. = My head hurts. (The head hurts to me.)
The accusative weak pronoun με is used more as a direct object:
- Με βλέπεις; = Do you see me?
- Με αγαπάς; = Do you love me?
With αρέσει, Greek always uses the genitive: μου αρέσει, σου αρέσει, του αρέσει, etc., never με αρέσει.
Yes, Αρέσει μου is possible, but:
- Μου αρέσει is the normal, neutral everyday order.
- Αρέσει μου sounds more marked: poetic, old-fashioned, or used with special emphasis in speech.
In modern everyday Greek, you should strongly prefer:
- Μου αρέσει όταν το φως είναι απαλό…
You might see Αρέσει μου in songs, poetry, or sometimes in spoken Greek when someone wants to stress the verb in a particular rhythm, but it is not the default.
No, that is ungrammatical. You need όταν to introduce the subordinate clause.
- Μου αρέσει όταν το φως είναι απαλό…
= I like it when the light is soft…
Without όταν, you are placing two finite verbs (αρέσει, είναι) side by side with no connector, which Greek does not allow here.
If you want two separate statements, you must separate them clearly, for example:
- Μου αρέσει το φως. Είναι απαλό.
= I like the light. It is soft.
But that is a different structure and a different meaning from the original sentence.
In this sentence:
- όταν means when (whenever) and introduces a time clause.
Όταν is used:
- for general, repeated or timeless situations:
Μου αρέσει όταν το φως είναι απαλό.
I like it when the light is soft (whenever that happens). - also for specific events in the past or future, depending on tense:
Όταν ήμουν μικρός… = When I was little…
Contrast with:
αν = if (condition, not time)
Μου αρέσει αν το φως είναι απαλό.
This is odd; it would sound like: I like it, if (under the condition that) the light is soft. Not natural here.πότε = when? (question word)
Πότε θα έρθεις; = When will you come?
So here όταν is the only correct choice to express when(ever) the light is soft.
In Greek, each noun usually keeps its own article, even when linked with και.
- το φως = the light (neuter singular)
- το δωμάτιο = the room (neuter singular)
So:
- …όταν το φως είναι απαλό και το δωμάτιο φαίνεται πιο ζεστό.
If you drop the article before δωμάτιο, it sounds wrong here:
- ✗ …και δωμάτιο φαίνεται πιο ζεστό
This is ungrammatical in standard Greek.
In general, when you have article + noun … και … noun, you repeat the article before the second noun, unless they clearly form a single unit (like one fixed expression). Here, το φως and το δωμάτιο are two separate things, so each gets its own το.
Adjectives in Greek must agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case.
- το φως is neuter, singular, nominative.
- Therefore, the predicate adjective must also be neuter singular nominative: απαλό.
Pattern:
- το φως είναι απαλό (neuter)
- ο τοίχος είναι απαλός (masculine)
- η μουσική είναι απαλή (feminine)
You choose απαλό / απαλός / απαλή depending on the noun, not on any abstract meaning.
They are both correct but used differently:
το απαλό φως
- Adjective directly before the noun.
- Describes what kind of light, as a characteristic.
- Example: Μου αρέσει το απαλό φως. = I like soft light.
το φως είναι απαλό
- Full sentence with verb είναι.
- States something about the light in a particular situation:
Το φως είναι απαλό. = The light is soft.
In your sentence:
- Μου αρέσει όταν το φως είναι απαλό…
You are describing a situation that occurs (when the light is soft), so the full clause with είναι is the natural choice.
You could also say:
- Μου αρέσει όταν έχει απαλό φως.
I like it when there is soft light.
Different structure, but similar meaning.
You technically can say μαλακό φως, but it sounds unusual. For light:
- The standard, idiomatic collocation is απαλό φως = soft, gentle light.
- μαλακός literally means soft to the touch (a soft pillow, soft bread). Used metaphorically for people or music, but much less for light.
Common uses:
- απαλό φως = soft / gentle light
- απαλή μουσική = soft music
- μαλακό μαξιλάρι = soft pillow
So in this sentence απαλό is the natural word to describe low, gentle, non-harsh lighting.
φαίνεται is the 3rd person singular of the middle/passive verb φαίνομαι.
Its main meanings are:
- to appear / to seem / to look (from the viewer’s perspective)
- literally: to be visible, to be seen
In context:
- το δωμάτιο φαίνεται πιο ζεστό
= The room looks warmer / seems warmer.
In English, looks in this sense is a linking verb similar to seems, so looks warmer is a very natural translation.
You could also say:
- Το δωμάτιο δείχνει πιο ζεστό.
(also: The room looks warmer.)
But φαίνεται is extremely common and very natural here.
Yes, both are grammatically correct:
- πιο ζεστό = more warm / warmer
- ζεστότερο = warmer (synthetic comparative)
In modern spoken Greek:
- The πιο + adjective form is much more common:
πιο ζεστό, πιο όμορφο, πιο εύκολο. - The -τερος form (ζεστότερος, ομορφότερος) sounds more formal, bookish, or old-fashioned in many contexts.
So:
- Το δωμάτιο φαίνεται πιο ζεστό.
is the natural everyday way to say:
The room looks warmer.
Το δωμάτιο φαίνεται ζεστότερο. is correct, but feels more formal or literary.
ζεστός / ζεστή / ζεστό can mean:
- physically warm / hot (temperature)
- warm, cozy, welcoming (atmosphere, feeling)
So το δωμάτιο φαίνεται πιο ζεστό can mean:
- The room looks physically warmer (more heated, less cold).
- Or: The room looks cozier / more inviting (because of the soft light).
In the context of απαλό φως, most speakers will naturally understand a mixture of both: visually warmer and also cozier / more pleasant.
Yes, Greek word order is relatively flexible, and your alternative is grammatical:
- Μου αρέσει όταν είναι απαλό το φως και φαίνεται πιο ζεστό το δωμάτιο.
This version:
- Slightly emphasizes το φως and το δωμάτιο by moving them after the adjectives/verbs.
- Sounds a bit more formal or stylistic.
However, the original:
- Μου αρέσει όταν το φως είναι απαλό και το δωμάτιο φαίνεται πιο ζεστό.
is the most neutral and natural order. For everyday speech and writing, stick to something close to the original.
To emphasize I in Greek, you use the strong pronoun plus the weak one:
- Εμένα μου αρέσει όταν το φως είναι απαλό…
= I like it when the light is soft (as opposed to others).
Patterns:
- Εμένα μου αρέσει… = I like…
- Εσένα σου αρέσει… = You like…
- Σ’ εμάς μας αρέσει… = We like…
You normally do not say just Εγώ αρέσω here. You keep αρέσει with the weak genitive (μου) and add the stressed form (εμένα) for emphasis.