Breakdown of Σήμερα περιμένω περισσότερο στη στάση από ό,τι χτες.
σήμερα
today
σε
at
περιμένω
to wait
χτες
yesterday
Questions & Answers about Σήμερα περιμένω περισσότερο στη στάση από ό,τι χτες.
Why does Greek use περιμένω (present simple) here, instead of a special form like “I am waiting” in English?
Modern Greek has only one present tense form for both:
- I wait and
- I am waiting
So περιμένω can mean either, depending on context.
In this sentence, Σήμερα περιμένω… most naturally means “Today I am waiting…”, because of the time word σήμερα (today) and the whole situation being “right now / these days”. There is no separate continuous form; simple present covers both uses.
What exactly is περισσότερο doing in this sentence? Is it an adjective or an adverb, and why isn’t there a word like “time” after it?
Here περισσότερο is an adverb meaning “more” / “for longer” / “to a greater extent”.
- As an adverb, it modifies the verb περιμένω (I wait / I am waiting).
- Greek doesn’t need to say “περισσότερο χρόνο” (more time) here, because it’s clear from context that we’re comparing how long the waiting lasts.
So:
- περιμένω περισσότερο ≈ “I wait more / I’m waiting for longer”
- If you wanted to be explicit: περιμένω περισσότερο χρόνο = “I wait more time / longer (time)”, but that sounds a bit heavier and is not necessary.
Could I use πιο πολύ instead of περισσότερο? Is there a difference?