Learn Hardcore Greek: Σήμερα όμως έχω να γράψω μήνυμα σε εκείνον τον παλιό συμμαθητή και δεν θέλω να το αναβάλω άλλο. - Today, however, I have to write a message to that old male classmate and I don’t want to postpone it any longer.

γράφω μήνυμα = I am writing / I write a message (simple present description, no idea of obligation).
πρέπει να γράψω μήνυμα = I must / I have to write a message (strong, neutral obligation; closest to English “must / have to”).
έχω να γράψω μήνυμα = literally I have to write a message, but it often carries a sense of:
- this is something on my to‑do list
- it’s pending and I feel I should get it done

So in this sentence, έχω να γράψω μήνυμα sounds like: “Today, however, I’ve got this message I need to write” – a bit more informal and “task-like” than πρέπει να γράψω.

Why is it να γράψω and not να γράφω? What’s the difference?

Greek distinguishes between two aspects in the subjunctive:

να γράψω (aorist subjunctive) → single, complete action: to write (once, to finish writing).
να γράφω (present subjunctive) → ongoing / repeated action: to be writing / to keep writing / to write regularly.

Here, the speaker is talking about one concrete task: writing that specific message from start to finish. So Greek uses the aorist: να γράψω.

Why is there no article with μήνυμα? Why not ένα μήνυμα?

Both are possible, but there’s a subtle difference:

να γράψω μήνυμα (no article)
- Very common when talking about tasks or activities in general:
  - έχω να κάνω δουλειά – I have work to do
  - έχω να στείλω email – I have to send an email
- Feels a bit more generic / task‑like.
να γράψω ένα μήνυμα
- Emphasises one message, like counting: a single message.
- Slightly more specific or concrete.

In this context (a to‑do item), omitting the article (μήνυμα) is completely natural and very idiomatic.

Why is it σε εκείνον τον παλιό συμμαθητή and not just εκείνον τον παλιό συμμαθητή?

In Greek, recipients of an action (like “to someone”) are marked with σε:

γράφω μήνυμα σε κάποιον – I write a message to someone.

So σε εκείνον τον παλιό συμμαθητή literally is “to that old classmate”.

You cannot drop σε here; εκείνον τον παλιό συμμαθητή alone would just be “that old classmate” as a noun phrase, not as an indirect object “to that old classmate”.

What is the role of εκείνον? How is it different from just saying τον παλιό συμμαθητή?

ο παλιός συμμαθητής = the old classmate (neutral).
εκείνος ο παλιός συμμαθητής / εκείνον τον παλιό συμμαθητή = that old classmate.

εκείνος is a demonstrative (that), pointing to someone more distant in time, space, or context than αυτός (this).

So:

σε εκείνον τον παλιό συμμαθητή = to that old classmate (you know which one I mean, from back then)
It adds a feeling of: that one from the past / that particular one we’re mentally pointing at.

Without εκείνον, you’d have simply σε τον παλιό συμμαθητή → which contracts to στον παλιό συμμαθητή, but that would be understood as “to the old classmate” (not “that” one).

Why is εκείνον in that form? What is it agreeing with?

εκείνον is:

Masculine
Singular
Accusative

It agrees with τον παλιό συμμαθητή:

συμμαθητής is masculine.
Here it is σε εκείνον τον παλιό συμμαθητή → after σε, you normally use the accusative case.
So demonstrative (εκείνον), article (τον), adjective (παλιό) and noun (συμμαθητή) all match:
- masculine, singular, accusative.

Formally: σε + εκείνος (acc.) = σε εκείνον.

Why is it συμμαθητή and not συμμαθητής?

συμμαθητής is a masculine noun with this pattern:

Nominative (subject): ο συμμαθητής
Accusative (object / after prepositions): τον συμμαθητή

In σε εκείνον τον παλιό συμμαθητή, the noun is in the accusative because it is the object of the preposition σε (“to”).

So:

subject: Ο συμμαθητής ήρθε. – The classmate came.
object: Μιλάω στον συμμαθητή. – I’m talking to the classmate.

Hence συμμαθητή here.

What is the function of όμως in this position: Σήμερα όμως έχω…? Could it go somewhere else?

όμως means roughly “however / though / but”.

In Greek, it’s quite flexible in position. Common options:

Σήμερα όμως έχω να γράψω…
Όμως σήμερα έχω να γράψω…
Σήμερα, έχω όμως να γράψω… (less common, a bit marked).

Placing όμως after Σήμερα:

Highlights “Today, however…”
Contrasts today with other days when maybe this task was postponed.

So Σήμερα όμως sounds very natural and emphasises the contrast on “today”.

Why is it δεν θέλω να το αναβάλω άλλο and not δεν θέλω να αναβάλω το μήνυμα άλλο? What does το refer to?

In Greek, it’s very normal to replace a repeated object with a clitic pronoun:

Full: δεν θέλω να αναβάλω το μήνυμα άλλο (clunky; we wouldn’t really say this).
Natural: δεν θέλω να το αναβάλω άλλο.

το is a neuter singular pronoun:

It refers back to the whole task / action of writing that message, not to the physical “message” object.
Greek often uses το to refer to an action or situation just mentioned:
- Έχω δουλειά και δεν θέλω να την αφήσω. – I have work and I don’t want to leave it.
- Έχω να γράψω μήνυμα και δεν θέλω να το αναβάλω.

So το here = “that (thing), that task”.

Why is the pronoun το placed before αναβάλω even though it’s inside a να clause?

Object pronouns in Greek (like το, τον, την, τους) normally come before the verb in standard speech:

το αναβάλω – I postpone it
δεν το θέλω – I don’t want it
να το κάνω; – Shall I do it?

So in δεν θέλω να το αναβάλω άλλο:

δεν θέλω – I don’t want
να το αναβάλω – to postpone it
άλλο – any longer

The rule still applies inside the να‑clause: the clitic goes before the verb (το αναβάλω), not after (αναβάλω το).

What does άλλο mean here? Is it “other” or “anymore / any longer”?

άλλο literally means “other / another”, but in this kind of structure:

δεν θέλω να το αναβάλω άλλο

it is best translated as:

“I don’t want to postpone it any longer / anymore.”

So:

άλλο here = “further / any more (time)”.
Similar everyday use:
- δεν αντέχω άλλο – I can’t stand it anymore.
- δεν θέλω να περιμένω άλλο – I don’t want to wait any longer.

Why is it αναβάλω with one λ here, when I often see αναβάλλω with two λ?

This verb has two different stems:

Present: αναβάλλω (with double λ) – I am postponing / I postpone.
Aorist stem: ανέβαλα, να αναβάλω, θα αναβάλω (with single λ).

So:

(τώρα) αναβάλλω – I am postponing (present).
να αναβάλω – (so that I) postpone (once, complete) → aorist subjunctive.

In δεν θέλω να το αναβάλω άλλο, you need the aorist form to express “postpone it (again, one more time, as a complete act)”, hence αναβάλω with one λ.

How would the meaning change if it were δεν θέλω να το αναβάλλω άλλο (with double λ, present)?

Native speakers do sometimes say that, but strictly speaking:

να το αναβάλω (aorist) = not to postpone it (even one more time / as another full act of postponing).
να το αναβάλλω (present) would suggest not to be postponing it (as an ongoing behaviour).

In practice, in this particular sentence, να το αναβάλω is the standard, correct, and idiomatic choice; it clearly means I don’t want to postpone it again / anymore.
Using να το αναβάλλω would sound less standard and may be felt as a slight mistake in careful writing.

Is the word order Σήμερα όμως έχω να γράψω μήνυμα… fixed, or could I say something like Έχω να γράψω μήνυμα σήμερα όμως?

Greek word order is relatively flexible, but each version changes the rhythm and emphasis.

Most natural options here:

Σήμερα όμως έχω να γράψω μήνυμα… (as given – very natural).
Όμως σήμερα έχω να γράψω μήνυμα… (also natural, slightly different emphasis).
Έχω να γράψω μήνυμα σήμερα, όμως… (more like “I have to write a message today, though…” – with a pause before όμως).

Έχω να γράψω μήνυμα σήμερα όμως (all at the end, no comma) is possible in casual speech but sounds a bit cluttered; usually we place όμως earlier, around second position in the clause.

The original word order is among the most idiomatic and clear.

Can this whole sentence be split into two sentences in Greek, or is και necessary?

You could do it either way:

Single sentence (as given):
- Σήμερα όμως έχω να γράψω μήνυμα σε εκείνον τον παλιό συμμαθητή και δεν θέλω να το αναβάλω άλλο.
  This ties the task and the decision not to postpone together tightly.
Two sentences:
- Σήμερα όμως έχω να γράψω μήνυμα σε εκείνον τον παλιό συμμαθητή. Δεν θέλω να το αναβάλω άλλο.
  This slightly emphasises the second part as a separate, firm statement: I don’t want to put it off any longer.

Both are grammatically correct; the choice is mostly about style and emphasis.