Σιγά σιγά νιώθω πιο άνετα στα ελληνικά.

Slowly slowly I feel more comfortable in Greek.

Breakdown of Σιγά σιγά νιώθω πιο άνετα στα ελληνικά.

• πιο: more
• σε: in
• νιώθω: to feel
• τα ελληνικά: the Greek language
• άνετα: comfortably
• σιγά σιγά: little by little

Questions & Answers about Σιγά σιγά νιώθω πιο άνετα στα ελληνικά.

What does σιγά σιγά literally mean, and how is it used in Greek?

Literally, σιγά σιγά means “slowly slowly”. In this sentence it’s better understood as:

• gradually
• little by little
• bit by bit

It often describes a slow, gradual change over time, especially with feelings, habits, or learning:

• Σιγά σιγά μαθαίνω ελληνικά. – Little by little I’m learning Greek.
• Σιγά σιγά βελτιώνεται. – He/She is improving gradually.

It’s very common in spoken Greek and sounds natural and friendly.

Can I just say σιγά once, or do I need to repeat it as σιγά σιγά?

You can say σιγά alone, but the meaning changes slightly.

• σιγά σιγά = gradually, little by little (time, progress)
• σιγά alone often means slowly or take it easy / calm down, and can also be used as:
  • an instruction: Σιγά! – Hey, slowly! / Careful!
  • an expression of disbelief: Σιγά μην έρθει. – As if he’d come. / No way he’ll come.

In your sentence, to express gradual progress in a language, σιγά σιγά is the natural choice.

Why is νιώθω used here? Could I also say είμαι?

Νιώθω means I feel (emotionally or physically).
Είμαι means I am.

• Σιγά σιγά νιώθω πιο άνετα στα ελληνικά.
  = Little by little I feel more comfortable in Greek.

Using νιώθω emphasizes your subjective feeling and the process of that feeling changing.

If you said:

• Σιγά σιγά είμαι πιο άνετα στα ελληνικά.

this would sound wrong, because είμαι doesn’t combine with άνετα this way. To use είμαι, you’d need the adjective form:

• Σιγά σιγά είμαι πιο άνετος στα ελληνικά. (if you are male)
• Σιγά σιγά είμαι πιο άνετη στα ελληνικά. (if you are female)

Even then, Greeks still prefer νιώθω πιο άνετα in this context. It’s the most natural way to talk about feeling comfortable.

What’s the difference between νιώθω and αισθάνομαι?

Both can translate as “I feel”, and in many contexts they overlap.

• νιώθω: very common, neutral, everyday verb.

  • Νιώθω χαρούμενος/χαρούμενη. – I feel happy.
  • Νιώθω κούραση. – I feel tired.

• αισθάνομαι: a bit more formal or “bookish”, often used:

  • in more formal speech/writing
  • in psychological or more introspective contexts

In your sentence, both are possible:

• Σιγά σιγά νιώθω πιο άνετα στα ελληνικά. ✅ (most natural)
• Σιγά σιγά αισθάνομαι πιο άνετα στα ελληνικά. ✅ (sounds a bit more formal)

As a learner, default to νιώθω in everyday spoken Greek.

Why is it άνετα and not άνετος or άνετη?

Άνετος is the adjective “comfortable” (masculine form).
Greek adjectives change for gender and number:

• άνετος – comfortable (masculine)
• άνετη – comfortable (feminine)
• άνετο – comfortable (neuter singular)
• άνετοι / άνετες / άνετα – comfortable (plural forms)

However, Greek often uses the neuter plural form of adjectives as an adverb, meaning “in a … way”:

• καλός → καλά = well
• δύσκολος → δύσκολα = with difficulty
• άνετος → άνετα = comfortably

So νιώθω άνετα literally is “I feel comfortably”, which we translate as “I feel comfortable”.

Άνετος / άνετη / άνετο would be used when directly describing a person or thing:

• Είμαι άνετος στα ελληνικά. (male speaker) – I am comfortable in Greek.
• Είμαι άνετη στα ελληνικά. (female speaker) – I am comfortable in Greek.

What does πιο mean in πιο άνετα?

Πιο means “more” and is used to form the comparative of most adjectives and adverbs.

• άνετα – comfortably
• πιο άνετα – more comfortably

So:

• νιώθω άνετα στα ελληνικά. – I feel comfortable in Greek.
• νιώθω πιο άνετα στα ελληνικά. – I feel more comfortable in Greek (than before, or than in another language).

You can think of πιο as the general tool for “-er” or “more” in Greek:

• πιο γρήγορα – faster / more quickly
• πιο εύκολα – more easily
• πιο καλός – better (in many colloquial cases, though καλύτερος also exists as an irregular form)

Could I say περισσότερο άνετα instead of πιο άνετα?

You can say περισσότερο άνετα, and it is grammatically correct, but in everyday speech:

• πιο άνετα is much more common and natural.

Περισσότερο also means more, but it tends to sound:

• a bit more formal, or
• used when you want to emphasize quantity or extent more strongly.

In this specific sentence, πιο άνετα is the standard, idiomatic choice.

What does στα ελληνικά mean literally, and why is it plural?

Στα ελληνικά literally is “in the Greek [things]”, but idiomatically it means “in Greek (the language)”.

Breakdown:

• σε = in / at / to
• τα = the (neuter plural)
• ελληνικά = Greek (neuter plural form, used to mean “the Greek language”)

σε + τα → στα (a common contraction in Greek)

Many languages in Greek are grammatically neuter plural when used this way:

• τα ελληνικά – Greek
• τα αγγλικά – English
• τα γαλλικά – French

Examples:

• Μιλάω ελληνικά. – I speak Greek. (no article)
• Διαβάζω στα ελληνικά. – I read in Greek.
• Νιώθω πιο άνετα στα ελληνικά. – I feel more comfortable in Greek.

So, στα ελληνικά is the normal way to say “in Greek (language)” after verbs like speak, write, read, feel comfortable in, etc.

Why do we need στα before ελληνικά? Could I just say νιώθω πιο άνετα ελληνικά?

You must use στα here; νιώθω πιο άνετα ελληνικά is incorrect.

• στα ελληνικά = in Greek (the medium or language used)

Without στα, ελληνικά would look like a direct object:

• Μαθαίνω ελληνικά. – I’m learning Greek. (Greek is the direct object)

But when you say you feel comfortable in a language (the context or medium you’re operating in), Greek uses σε + article:

• Νιώθω άνετα στα ελληνικά. – I feel comfortable in Greek.
• Γράφω στα ελληνικά. – I write in Greek.
• Συζητάμε στα αγγλικά. – We are talking in English.

So στα is required.

Could I say στην ελληνική instead of στα ελληνικά?

You could say:

• στην ελληνική γλώσσα – in the Greek language
• or shortened: στην ελληνική (understood: γλώσσα)

But this sounds formal or bookish, and is not what people usually say in everyday speech.

In normal conversation, Greeks overwhelmingly say:

• στα ελληνικά – in Greek
• στα αγγλικά – in English
• στα ισπανικά – in Spanish

For your sentence, στα ελληνικά is the natural, colloquial choice.

Why is there no word for “I”? Where is εγώ?

In Greek, subject pronouns (like εγώ = I, εσύ = you) are often dropped, because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• νιώθω means I feel (first person singular).
• So (Εγώ) νιώθω πιο άνετα. – (I) feel more comfortable.

You would include εγώ mainly to add emphasis or contrast:

• Εγώ νιώθω πιο άνετα στα ελληνικά, αλλά ο φίλος μου όχι.
  I feel more comfortable in Greek, but my friend doesn’t.

In your sentence, leaving out εγώ is completely normal and natural.

What tense is νιώθω here? Does it mean “I feel” or “I am feeling”?

Νιώθω is in the present tense (ενεστώτας).

Greek doesn’t have a separate continuous form like English “I am feeling”. The simple present νιώθω can cover both:

• I feel
• I am feeling

Context decides the nuance. In this sentence:

• Σιγά σιγά νιώθω πιο άνετα στα ελληνικά.

the idea is progressive (“I am gradually feeling more comfortable”), even though the verb form is just the simple present.

Can I change the word order? For example, can I say Νιώθω σιγά σιγά πιο άνετα στα ελληνικά?

Yes. Greek word order is fairly flexible, especially with adverbs like σιγά σιγά.

All of these are possible and natural, with slight differences in emphasis:

• Σιγά σιγά νιώθω πιο άνετα στα ελληνικά.
  Neutral; “Little by little, I feel more comfortable in Greek.”

• Νιώθω σιγά σιγά πιο άνετα στα ελληνικά.
  Also natural; emphasis slightly more on the feeling “I feel, little by little, more comfortable…”

• Νιώθω πιο άνετα στα ελληνικά σιγά σιγά.
  Possible, but sounds a bit less smooth in everyday speech; σιγά σιγά usually comes earlier.

The first two versions are the most natural.

How do you pronounce the sentence Σιγά σιγά νιώθω πιο άνετα στα ελληνικά?

Approximate pronunciation (stress in CAPS):

• Σιγά → see-GA
• σιγά → see-GA
• νιώθω → NYO-tho (the νι
  • ώ fuse into something like “nyo”)
• πιο → pyo (like “pyoh”)
• άνετα → A-ne-ta
• στα → sta
• ελληνικά → e-lee-nee-KA

So together:

see-GA see-GA NYO-tho pyo A-ne-ta sta e-lee-nee-KA

Notes:

• The letter γ before ά in σιγά is a soft “gh”, like a softer version of “g” in “go”.
• νιώ is pronounced like a single syllable “nyo”.
• Stress is important in Greek – make sure you stress the ά in σιγά, ά in άνετα, and κά in ελληνικά.