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
• κάθε μέρα: every day
• μικρός: small
• σε: in
• ότι: that
• ακόμα: still
• κάνω βήμα: to take a step
• τα ελληνικά: the Greek language
• κουράζομαι: to get tired
• όσο κι αν: no matter how much

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

Why is it «κουράζομαι» and not «κουράω» or «κουράζω»?

Greek has many verbs in -ομαι that are:

• middle/passive form in grammar, but
• often actively translated in English.

Here:

• κουράζω = I tire someone else
  
  • Με κουράζει η δουλειά. = Work tires me.
• κουράζομαι = I get tired / I become tired
  
  • Κουράζομαι εύκολα. = I get tired easily.

So:

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

Using «κουράζω» with εγώ would usually mean I make others tired, not that I myself am getting tired.

Why is «κουράζομαι» in the present tense when English says “get tired”?

Greek often uses the present tense to express:

• repeated / habitual situations
• general truths

Here, «όσο κι αν κουράζομαι» refers to something that happens again and again in general:

• whenever I get tired
• however tired I (may) get (on any day)

So Greek uses the present because this is a general, ongoing pattern, not a single event.

Other examples with present used this way:

• Όταν διαβάζω πολύ, κουράζομαι.
  When I study a lot, I (tend to) get tired.

• Αν πίνω καφέ αργά, δεν κοιμάμαι.
  If I drink coffee late, I don’t sleep.

What is the difference between «έχω να κάνω» and «πρέπει να κάνω»?

Both can mean “I have to do”, but there is a nuance.

1. «πρέπει να κάνω»

   • neutral, very common
   • general obligation / necessity
   • I must / I should / I have to do

   Example:

   • Πρέπει να διαβάσω. = I have to study.

2. «έχω να κάνω»

   • literally: I have to do / I have (something) to do
   • often implies a task on your schedule / on your list
   • can sound more personal or practical: “this is on my plate”

   Examples:

   • Έχω να τηλεφωνήσω στη μαμά μου.
     I have to call my mom / I have a call to make to my mom.
   • Σήμερα έχω να κάνω πολλές δουλειές.
     Today I have many things to do.

In the sentence:

• «έχω να κάνω ακόμα ένα μικρό βήμα»
  → I have to take one more small step
  It feels like a daily personal task/goal the speaker has set, not just an abstract obligation.

What exactly does «ακόμα» add in «ακόμα ένα μικρό βήμα»?

«Ακόμα» here means “another / one more / yet another”.

• «ακόμα ένα» = one more, another one (in addition to previous ones).

So:

• «ακόμα ένα μικρό βήμα»
  = yet another small step / one more small step.

Compare:

• ένα βήμα = one step
• ακόμα ένα βήμα = one more step
• άλλο ένα βήμα = also one more step (very common too)

«Ακόμα» often carries a sense of continuation:

• Θέλω ακόμα λίγο. = I want a bit more.
• Περίμενε ακόμα πέντε λεπτά. = Wait five more minutes.

Can I change the word order in «ακόμα ένα μικρό βήμα»?

Yes, Greek word order is fairly flexible, but not every option sounds equally natural.

Most natural here:

1. ακόμα ένα μικρό βήμα
2. άλλο ένα μικρό βήμα (very common alternative)

Also possible, though a bit more marked:

3. ένα ακόμα μικρό βήμα
   → still means one more small step, but the focus can slightly shift to “this step is an extra one”.

Less natural in everyday speech:

4. ένα μικρό ακόμα βήμα
   → grammatically possible, but sounds odd/heavy in this simple context.

So best choices in this sentence are:

• «ακόμα ένα μικρό βήμα»
• or «άλλο ένα μικρό βήμα»

Why is it «στα ελληνικά» and not something like «στην ελληνική»?

In Greek, when we talk about a language, we often:

• use the neuter plural of the adjective (with article τα), and
• add the preposition σε (in / in the field of).

So:

• τα ελληνικά = (the) Greek (language)
• στα ελληνικά = in Greek

In the sentence:

• «ένα μικρό βήμα στα ελληνικά»
  = a small step in Greek (language-wise).

Compare:

• Μιλάω ελληνικά. = I speak Greek.
• Το βιβλίο είναι στα ελληνικά. = The book is in Greek.
• Κάνω λάθη στα ελληνικά. = I make mistakes in Greek.

«στην ελληνική (γλώσσα)» is possible but sounds formal/technical; everyday speech prefers «στα ελληνικά» or just «ελληνικά».

Why is «ελληνικά» not capitalized, while “Greek” is in English?

Greek capitalization rules are different from English:

• Names of languages in Greek are NOT capitalized.

So you write:

• τα ελληνικά = Greek (language)
• τα αγγλικά = English
• τα γαλλικά = French

But:

• η Ελλάδα = Greece (capitalized, it’s a proper noun)
• ο Έλληνας, η Ελληνίδα, οι Έλληνες = Greek person/people (capitalized, as nationalities used as nouns)

So:

• στα ελληνικά (correct, lowercase)
• English: in Greek (capital G, English rule)

How is «στα» formed? What is the role of «σε» here?

«Σε» is a very common Greek preposition meaning:

• in, at, to, into, on (depending on context)

When «σε» comes before the definite article, they usually contract:

• σε + το → στο
• σε + τη(ν) → στη(ν)
• σε + τα → στα

So:

• στα ελληνικά = σε + τα ελληνικά = in the Greek (language)

Other examples:

• Στο σπίτι. = At home / in the house.
• Στη δουλειά. = At work.
• Στα παιδιά. = To the children / at the children.

Why doesn’t the sentence use «εγώ» for “I”? Why is the subject pronoun missing?

Greek is a “pro-drop” language: subject pronouns (εγώ, εσύ, αυτός, etc.) are usually omitted because the verb ending already shows the subject.

• Ξέρω = I know (ending -ω → 1st person singular)
• It’s clear that the subject is “I”, so you normally don’t need «εγώ».

You would add «εγώ» only for emphasis or contrast:

• Εγώ ξέρω ότι… = I (myself) know that…
  (as opposed to someone else who doesn’t)

In the given sentence, there is no such contrast, so simple «Ξέρω» is natural.

Could the sentence put «κάθε μέρα» somewhere else, or must it be at the end?

It can move; Greek word order is flexible. All of these are possible:

1. … έχω να κάνω ακόμα ένα μικρό βήμα στα ελληνικά κάθε μέρα.
2. … έχω να κάνω κάθε μέρα ακόμα ένα μικρό βήμα στα ελληνικά.
3. … κάθε μέρα έχω να κάνω ακόμα ένα μικρό βήμα στα ελληνικά.

They all mean essentially:

• every day I have to take one more small step in Greek.

Nuance:

• Position 1 (at the end) is very natural and neutral.
• Position 3 (at the beginning) can slightly emphasize the “every day” part:
  → Every day, I have to…

So the original choice (at the end) is completely standard and idiomatic.