Learn Hardcore Greek: Αύριο κάνω βάρδια το βράδυ, οπότε δεν θα έρθω στο πάρτι. - Tomorrow I am working the night shift, so I won’t come to the party.

You could also say Αύριο θα κάνω βάρδια το βράδυ, which is perfectly correct, but the simple present κάνω sounds very natural when you’re talking about a scheduled or arranged future event (work shifts, timetables, etc.).

What exactly does κάνω βάρδια mean? Is it the same as “I work”?

Κάνω βάρδια literally means “I do a shift” and idiomatically “I’m on shift / I’m on duty”.

Common alternatives:

Έχω βάρδια – I have a shift (very common)
Δουλεύω βράδυ – I work in the evening / I’m working the night shift

So you could also say:

Αύριο έχω βάρδια το βράδυ.
Αύριο δουλεύω βράδυ.

All of these would be understood as “Tomorrow I’m working the evening/night shift.”

Why is it το βράδυ and not something like “στο βράδυ” for “in the evening”?

Greek often uses the accusative without a preposition to express time:

το βράδυ – in the evening / at night
την Κυριακή – on Sunday
κάθε μέρα – every day

So βάρδια το βράδυ is literally “shift the evening” but functions as “the evening shift” / “a shift in the evening.” You don’t need a preposition like σε here.

If you just say το βράδυ on its own, it means “in the evening / tonight” depending on context:

Θα διαβάσω το βράδυ. – I’ll study in the evening.

What does οπότε mean here, and how is it different from other words like γι’ αυτό or άρα?

Οπότε is a conjunction meaning “so / so then / therefore” in a fairly neutral, conversational way.

In this sentence:

..., οπότε δεν θα έρθω στο πάρτι.
“…, so I won’t come to the party.”

Roughly similar options:

γι’ αυτό δεν θα έρθω στο πάρτι – for that reason, so I won’t come
άρα δεν θα έρθω στο πάρτι – therefore I won’t come (sounds a bit more logical/formal)

Οπότε is extremely common in everyday speech when you connect a reason with its consequence.

Why is it δεν θα έρθω and not something like θα δεν έρθω?

In Greek, the negative particle δεν comes before the particle θα:

δεν θα έρθω – I will not come

You cannot say ✗ θα δεν έρθω; that order is always wrong.

Pattern to remember:
δεν + θα + verb

Also, in fast speech and informal writing, you will often see δε θα έρθω (dropping the final -ν in δεν before a consonant).

Why is the verb έρθω and not έρχομαι after θα?

Greek has two future types, and the choice of stem matters:

θα έρθω – simple future (“I will come” – one-time event)
θα έρχομαι – future continuous (“I will be coming (regularly / repeatedly)”)

Here, you’re talking about one specific party on one specific occasion, so Greek uses the aorist stem in the future:

θα έρθω στο πάρτι – I will come to the party (once)

Using θα έρχομαι would suggest a repeated or ongoing action in the future, which doesn’t fit this context.

Can I say δεν θα πάω στο πάρτι instead of δεν θα έρθω στο πάρτι? Is there a difference?

Both are correct, but there is a nuance:

πάω – go
έρθω – come

In practice, Greek speakers use both, and often choose based on point of view:

If you imagine yourself from the host’s point of view, you may say
Δεν θα έρθω στο πάρτι. – I won’t come (to your party).
If you think of your own movement away from where you are now, you may say
Δεν θα πάω στο πάρτι. – I won’t go to the party.

In everyday speech, the difference is usually small and both are very common.

Why is it στο πάρτι and not just σε πάρτι?

Στο = σε + το (“to the / at the”).

Πάρτι is an indeclinable neuter noun borrowed from English (party), so its article is το:

το πάρτι – the party
στο πάρτι – to the party / at the party

The definite article (το) here suggests a specific party that both speakers know about.

If you said:

σε ένα πάρτι – to a party (unspecified)
σε πάρτι – to parties / at parties (in general, less common in this context)

So στο πάρτι fits perfectly for “the (specific) party” we’re talking about.

Can I change the word order, for example to Αύριο το βράδυ κάνω βάρδια?

Yes. Greek word order is fairly flexible, especially with adverbs of time.

All of these are natural, with small differences in emphasis:

Αύριο κάνω βάρδια το βράδυ.
Αύριο το βράδυ κάνω βάρδια.
Κάνω βάρδια το βράδυ αύριο. (less common, but possible)

Putting Αύριο first is very normal and keeps the sentence clear.
Αύριο το βράδυ κάνω βάρδια slightly emphasizes tomorrow evening as a time unit.

How do you pronounce the tricky words Αύριο, βάρδια, έρθω, and πάρτι?

Approximate pronunciations:

Αύριο – AV-rio
- αυ before a voiced consonant → sounds like av
- stress on ΑΥ: Ávrio
βάρδια – VAR-thia (or VAR-dhia, depending on accent)
- ρδ can sound like rð (r + th) or rdh
- stress on ΒΑΡ: VÁR-thia
έρθω – ER-tho
- ρθ = rth
- stress on ΕΡ: ÉR-tho
πάρτι – PAR-ti
- stress on ΠΑΡ: PÁR-ti

Stressed syllables are always marked with the accent in Greek spelling: Αύριο, βάρδια, έρθω, πάρτι.

Is there any difference between Αύριο κάνω βάρδια το βράδυ and Αύριο θα κάνω βάρδια το βράδυ?

Both are grammatically correct and both refer to the future.

Subtle nuance:

Αύριο κάνω βάρδια το βράδυ.
– sounds a bit more like a fixed schedule / roster (similar to “Tomorrow I work the evening shift”).
Αύριο θα κάνω βάρδια το βράδυ.
– neutral future statement (“Tomorrow I will work the evening shift”), slightly more “future-focused” and not as schedule-flavored.

In everyday conversation, both are natural, and the difference is small.