Ξέρω ότι, όσο κι αν κουράζομαι, έχω να κάνω ακόμα ένα μικρό βήμα στα ελληνικά κάθε μέρα.

I know that, however tired I get, I still have to take one more small step in Greek every day.

Breakdown of Ξέρω ότι, όσο κι αν κουράζομαι, έχω να κάνω ακόμα ένα μικρό βήμα στα ελληνικά κάθε μέρα.

• έχω: to have
• να: to
• ένα: one
• ξέρω: to know

Questions & Answers about Ξέρω ότι, όσο κι αν κουράζομαι, έχω να κάνω ακόμα ένα μικρό βήμα στα ελληνικά κάθε μέρα.

What does «όσο κι αν» mean here, and how does this structure work?

«Όσο κι αν» literally combines:

• όσο = as much as / as … as
• και (here κι) = and / even
• αν = if

Together «όσο κι αν + verb» means “no matter how much / however much + verb”.

In the sentence:

• «όσο κι αν κουράζομαι» = no matter how tired I get / however tired I get.

Other examples:

• Όσο κι αν προσπαθώ, δεν τα καταφέρνω.
  No matter how much I try, I don’t succeed.

• Όσο κι αν φωνάζεις, δεν θα σε ακούσουν.
  No matter how much you shout, they won’t hear you.

It introduces a concessive clause: it admits some difficulty (getting tired) but says the main action (taking a step in Greek) still happens.

Why is it «κι» and not «και»?

«Κι» is just a short form of «και», used mainly:

• before a word starting with a vowel
• to make pronunciation smoother

So:

• όσο και αν → όσο κι αν
  (because αν starts with a vowel)

There is no change in meaning: both «και» and «κι» mean “and” (and in structures like this, they can add a sense of “even”).

You’ll often see:

• κι εγώ instead of και εγώ
• κι εσύ instead of και εσύ
• κι όμως instead of και όμως