Learn Hardcore Greek: Δεν μου αρέσει η ζέστη στο λεωφορείο, γι’ αυτό όποτε μπορώ περπατάω μέχρι το σπίτι. - I don’t like the heat on the bus, so whenever I can I walk home.

Greek often leaves out εγώ (I) because it’s clear from μου that we’re talking about me. You only add εγώ for emphasis, e.g. Εμένα δεν μου αρέσει η ζέστη. = I don’t like the heat (but maybe others do).

Why is it η ζέστη and not just ζέστη without the article?

Greek uses the definite article much more than English, even for things in general.

η ζέστη = the heat, but often understood as heat in general
In English you’d usually say I don’t like heat, without the.

If you say just ζέστη with no article, it tends to mean some heat / any heat / a bit of heat, or it sounds more like an exclamation (ζέστη! = it’s hot!). In this sentence we are talking about the heat as a general condition on the bus, so η ζέστη is natural.

What is the role of μου in Δεν μου αρέσει η ζέστη? Is it possessive like my?

Here μου is not possessive; it is an indirect object pronoun meaning to me.

Η ζέστη δεν μου αρέσει. = The heat does not please me.

When μου comes after a noun, it is usually possessive:

η ζέστη μου = my heat (this would sound odd, unless in a special context)
το σπίτι μου = my house

When μου is before the verb (μου αρέσει, μου δίνει, μου λέει), it usually acts as to me / for me rather than my.

What is the difference between ζέστη and ζεστός?

ζέστη is a noun = heat
- Δεν αντέχω τη ζέστη. = I can’t stand the heat.
ζεστός, -ή, -ό is an adjective = warm / hot
- Το λεωφορείο είναι ζεστό. = The bus is warm/hot.
- Ζεστός καφές. = hot coffee.

In the sentence, we need a thing we don’t like (the heat), so the noun η ζέστη is used.

Why is it στο λεωφορείο and not something like μέσα στο λεωφορείο?

στο is the contraction of σε + το, and here it means in/on the bus in a general way.

στο λεωφορείο = in the bus / on the bus
μέσα στο λεωφορείο = inside the bus (more explicitly “inside”)

Both are possible, but στο λεωφορείο is the normal, neutral way to say on the bus. You only add μέσα if you really want to stress being inside.

What exactly is γι’ αυτό? Is it the same as για αυτό?

γι’ αυτό is a contraction of για αυτό:

για = for
αυτό = this / that

Because για ends in a vowel and αυτό starts with one, in speech they run together. In writing this is shown as:

γι’ αυτό (the α of για is dropped, replaced by an apostrophe)

Functionally, in this sentence γι’ αυτό means so / that’s why (a conjunction linking cause and result):

Δεν μου αρέσει η ζέστη στο λεωφορείο, γι’ αυτό περπατάω.
= I don’t like the heat on the bus, so I walk.

You could also see για αυτό separated and meaning more literally for this, e.g. Το κάνω για αυτό το παιδί. = I do it for this child. In practice, in the meaning therefore / that’s why, people nearly always write γι’ αυτό.

Why is there a comma before γι’ αυτό?

The sentence has two main clauses:

Δεν μου αρέσει η ζέστη στο λεωφορείο
γι’ αυτό όποτε μπορώ περπατάω μέχρι το σπίτι

γι’ αυτό introduces a result clause (so / therefore), which is normally separated by a comma in Greek, just like so in English:

I don’t like the heat on the bus, so I walk home.

What is the difference between όποτε and όταν? Could we say όταν μπορώ?

Both relate to when, but:

όποτε = whenever (any time that, every time that)
όταν = when (a specific time or general, depending on context)

In this sentence:

όποτε μπορώ = whenever I can (every time I have the possibility)

You could say όταν μπορώ, but it sounds a bit less clearly repetitive/habitual. Όποτε μπορώ strongly suggests a repeated situation: every time the conditions allow it, I walk home.

Why is it just όποτε μπορώ and not όποτε μπορώ να περπατήσω?

Here όποτε μπορώ is a complete idea: whenever I can (manage / whenever it’s possible for me). The following verb περπατάω is in a separate main clause:

όποτε μπορώ, περπατάω μέχρι το σπίτι.
= whenever I can, I walk home.

If you say όποτε μπορώ να περπατήσω, you are making μπορώ directly govern the verb:

όποτε μπορώ να περπατήσω = whenever I’m able to walk (rather than, say, being forced to drive).

That would shift the focus to physical ability to walk, whereas the original focuses on whenever circumstances allow it, and then describes the action in a separate clause.

What is the nuance of περπατάω here? Why present tense instead of a future form?

In Greek, the present tense often expresses habitual or repeated actions, just like in English:

περπατάω μέχρι το σπίτι = I walk home / I (usually) walk home.

With όποτε μπορώ, the present tense περπατάω clearly means this is what I generally do whenever that condition is met.

A future form like θα περπατήσω would sound more like I will walk (that specific time), not a general habit.

What is the difference between περπατάω and περπατώ?

They are two present-tense forms of the same verb, both meaning I walk.

περπατάω is more common in everyday spoken Greek, slightly more colloquial.
περπατώ is a bit more formal / written sounding, but still perfectly correct.

You can say either περπατάω μέχρι το σπίτι or περπατώ μέχρι το σπίτι with the same meaning.

What does μέχρι mean in μέχρι το σπίτι? Could we use ως or έως instead?

μέχρι is a preposition meaning up to / until / as far as.

In space: μέχρι το σπίτι = as far as the house / up to the house → “to the house, to home”
In time: μέχρι τις πέντε = until five o’clock

You can say έως το σπίτι (or ως το σπίτι), which is a bit more formal or literary, but the meaning is essentially the same. In everyday speech, μέχρι is by far the most common.

Can the word order change? For example, can we say Η ζέστη στο λεωφορείο δεν μου αρέσει?

Yes, Greek word order is quite flexible, and different orders add emphasis:

Δεν μου αρέσει η ζέστη στο λεωφορείο.
Neutral: I don’t like the heat on the bus.
Η ζέστη στο λεωφορείο δεν μου αρέσει.
Slight emphasis on η ζέστη στο λεωφορείο as the topic: As for the heat on the bus, I don’t like it.
Στο λεωφορείο δεν μου αρέσει η ζέστη.
Emphasis on στο λεωφορείο: On the bus, I don’t like the heat (maybe elsewhere I don’t mind it).

All are grammatically correct; the original is the most neutral and common.

How is γι’ αυτό pronounced, and why is there an apostrophe?

γι’ αυτό comes from για αυτό. In natural speech:

για αυτό → the vowels α and α merge, and you effectively say [yaftó].

The apostrophe shows the dropped vowel:

γι’ αυτό is pronounced approximately [yaftó]:
- γι’ = [ya]
- αυτό = [ftó] (the αυ before a consonant here is pronounced [af] → [aftó])

So you say it as one unit: [yaftó], not slowly για αυτό.