Μην με ενοχλείς τώρα, σε παρακαλώ.

Don't bother me now, please.

Breakdown of Μην με ενοχλείς τώρα, σε παρακαλώ.

• τώρα: now
• μην: not
• με: me
• σε παρακαλώ: please
• ενοχλώ: to disturb

Questions & Answers about Μην με ενοχλείς τώρα, σε παρακαλώ.

Why do we use μην here instead of δεν?

Greek has two main negative particles:

• δεν: used with statements (indicative mood)
  
  • Δεν με ενοχλείς. = You are not bothering me.
• μη(ν): used with commands, wishes, and prohibitions (subjunctive / imperative-like uses)
  
  • Μην με ενοχλείς. = Don’t bother me.

In Μην με ενοχλείς τώρα, σε παρακαλώ, the speaker is giving a negative command / request, so Greek must use μην, not δεν.

Could it also be written Μη με ενοχλείς (without the final ν)? Is there any difference?

You will see both:

• Μη με ενοχλείς τώρα, σε παρακαλώ.
• Μην με ενοχλείς τώρα, σε παρακαλώ.

In modern Greek:

• The basic word is μη(ν), and the final ν can be dropped or kept depending on the next sound and on style.
• Traditional spelling rules say the ν is usually dropped before μ (so Μη με… is often preferred in grammar books).
• In real usage, many Greeks write and say μην almost all the time in front of verbs and pronouns.

For you as a learner, both versions are understood the same way. Follow the pattern your teacher or textbook uses.

Why is the verb ενοχλείς (same as you bother) instead of a special imperative form?

Greek forms the negative command in a special way:

• Positive command (imperative):
  
  • e.g. Γράψε! = Write!
• Negative command:
  
  • Instead of a true imperative, Greek uses μη(ν) + subjunctive, which looks like the present tense:
    • Μην γράφεις. = Don’t write.
    • Μην με ενοχλείς. = Don’t bother me.

So ενοχλείς here is actually the present subjunctive, but its form is identical to you bother in the present tense. The μην in front is what turns it into Don’t bother…

Is there a difference between Μην με ενοχλείς and Μη με ενοχλήσεις?

Yes, this is a subtle but important aspect difference:

• Μην με ενοχλείς (present / imperfective aspect)

  • Focus on ongoing or repeated action:
    
    • Don’t be bothering me / don’t keep bothering me.
  • Used when the person is already doing it, or you want to stop a repeated / continuous behavior.

• Μη με ενοχλήσεις (aorist / perfective aspect)

  • Focus on one event in the (near) future:
    
    • Don’t bother me (even once).
  • Often used as a warning about a future moment, e.g. Μη με ενοχλήσεις αύριο το πρωί. = Don’t bother me tomorrow morning.

In everyday speech, Μην με ενοχλείς τώρα is the natural choice when someone is disturbing you right now and you want them to stop.

Why is the object pronoun με placed before ενοχλείς? Could I say Μην ενοχλείς με?

With finite verbs (like ενοχλείς), object pronouns normally go before the verb:

• Με ενοχλείς. = You bother me.
• Μην με ενοχλείς. = Don’t bother me.

The version Μην ενοχλείς με is not natural in modern Greek and sounds wrong in this structure.

Compare:

• With positive imperatives, pronouns go after the verb and attach to it:
  • Πάρε με. = Take me / call me.
  • But: Μην με πάρεις. = Don’t take me / don’t call me.

So:

• Negative command: μην + pronoun + verb → Μην με ενοχλείς.
• Positive command: verb + pronoun → (with a different verb as an example) Πάρε με.

What is the difference between με, μου, and εμένα here? Could I say Μην εμένα ενοχλείς?

All three relate to me, but they have different uses:

1. με – unstressed object pronoun (accusative)

   • Used as the normal direct object:
     
     • Μην με ενοχλείς. = Don’t bother me.

2. μου – unstressed possessive / indirect object (genitive)

   • Το βιβλίο μου. = my book.
   • Μου μιλάει. = He/She is talking to me.

3. εμένα – stressed emphatic form of me (accusative)

   • Used for emphasis or contrast:
     
     • Μην ενοχλείς εμένα, ενοχλήσε τον αδερφό μου.
       = Don’t bother me, bother my brother.

So in your sentence, the normal choice is με:

• Μην με ενοχλείς τώρα, σε παρακαλώ.

You could use εμένα to emphasize me (often changing the word order), e.g.:

• Μην ενοχλείς εμένα τώρα, σε παρακαλώ.
  = Don’t bother me (specifically) now, please.

But Μην εμένα ενοχλείς is not a natural word order.

What does τώρα add here? Can it go in a different place in the sentence?

τώρα means now, and here it limits the request in time:

• Μην με ενοχλείς τώρα, σε παρακαλώ.
  = Don’t bother me now, please. (implying maybe later is OK)

Other possible word orders:

• Τώρα μην με ενοχλείς, σε παρακαλώ.
  
  • Slight emphasis on now: Right now, don’t bother me, please.
• Μην με ενοχλείς, σε παρακαλώ, τώρα.
  
  • Possible but less usual; sounds a bit more marked, as if you’re adding now almost as an afterthought.

The most neutral and common is the original: … ενοχλείς τώρα, σε παρακαλώ.

What does σε παρακαλώ literally mean, and is it exactly the same as English please?

Literally:

• σε = you (object form, singular)
• παρακαλώ = I beg / I request

So σε παρακαλώ literally is I beg you or I’m asking you, but in everyday Greek it functions as please.

Usage notes:

• It’s used very often, just like please in English.
• It can sound:
  • Polite and soft: Μην με ενοχλείς τώρα, σε παρακαλώ.
  • Or quite firm / annoyed, depending on tone of voice and context.

It’s the default, natural way to say please when addressing one person informally.

Can σε παρακαλώ appear at the beginning instead of the end? Does the meaning change?

Yes, you can move it:

• Σε παρακαλώ, μην με ενοχλείς τώρα.
• Μην με ενοχλείς τώρα, σε παρακαλώ.

Both mean the same thing: Please don’t bother me now.

Nuance (very small):

• Σε παρακαλώ, μην…
  
  • Starts with the polite please, feels like a softer, more formally polite request.
• Μην… , σε παρακαλώ.
  
  • Starts with the actual prohibition, then softens it with please at the end. In spoken Greek, this can sometimes sound slightly more emotional / urgent.

But in practice, both are perfectly normal and interchangeable.

How would I say this more formally or politely, when talking to more than one person or to a stranger?

Use the plural / formal forms:

• Μην με ενοχλείτε τώρα, σας παρακαλώ.

Changes:

• ενοχλείς (you bother – singular) → ενοχλείτε (you bother – plural / polite)
• σε παρακαλώ (I beg you – singular) → σας παρακαλώ (I beg you – plural / polite)

This is what you would say to:

• Several people (e.g. a group of colleagues).
• One person you want to address politely (e.g. someone you don’t know well, or in a formal setting).

Can I drop σε παρακαλώ or τώρα? How does that affect the tone?

Yes, you can:

1. Μην με ενοχλείς τώρα.

   • Still normal. A clear request/command. Tone depends on voice, but it’s neutral to slightly firm.

2. Μην με ενοχλείς, σε παρακαλώ.

   • Polite, but not limited in time; more like Please don’t bother me (in general / at this period).

3. Μην με ενοχλείς.

   • Bare command. This can sound:
     • perfectly fine between close friends (when context is playful), or
     • quite sharp / annoyed if said with a serious or angry tone.

Adding σε παρακαλώ almost always makes it sound more polite, and τώρα makes it sound more limited and reasonable (just for now).

How should I pronounce Μην με ενοχλείς τώρα, σε παρακαλώ?

Approximate pronunciation (stress in CAPS):

• Μην → [min] (like meen)
• με → [me] (like meh)
• ενοχλείς → [enoHLIS]
  
  • ε like e in bet
  • ο like o in lot
  • η / ει both sound like ee in see
• τώρα → [TO-ra] (TO-ra)
• σε → [se] (seh)
• παρακαλώ → [parakaLO]

Spoken smoothly, it flows like:

Min me enoHLIS TO-ra, se para-kaLO.

Notice that η, ι, ει, οι, υ can all sound like the ee sound, so ενοχλείς has the lees sound at the end.

Why is there a comma before σε παρακαλώ?

In Greek punctuation, σε παρακαλώ often works like a separate parenthetical phrase, similar to English please when it’s set off by a pause:

• Μην με ενοχλείς τώρα, σε παρακαλώ.

The comma reflects a natural pause in speech. You can also write:

• Μην με ενοχλείς τώρα σε παρακαλώ. (without a comma)

Both are readable, but the version with the comma is more common and better reflects the spoken rhythm.