Learn Hardcore Greek: Αυτός μου θυμίζει ότι οι σπουδές δεν είναι ο μόνος δρόμος για να κερδίσεις μια καλή ζωή. - He reminds me that studies are not the only way to earn a good life.

In Greek, subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb ending already shows the person (e.g. θυμίζει = “he/she/it reminds”).
Here, Αυτός is used if the speaker wants to:
- Emphasize “he” in contrast to others (e.g. This one, he reminds me…), or
- Simply make the subject explicit (often in spoken, narrative, or contrastive contexts).

You could also say Μου θυμίζει ότι… and it would still mean “He reminds me that…”, as long as context makes it clear who “he” is.

Why is it μου θυμίζει and not με θυμίζει?

Both μου and με are forms of “me”, but in different cases:

μου = genitive clitic, typically meaning “to me / of me”
με = accusative clitic, typically meaning “me” (direct object)

With θυμίζω in this meaning “to remind”, Greek uses a pattern like:

θυμίζω κάτι σε κάποιον = “I remind something to someone.”

So in Αυτός μου θυμίζει…:

Αυτός = subject (“he”)
θυμίζει = “reminds”
μου = to me (indirect object, hence genitive)

Using με would change the meaning to something closer to “he makes me resemble…” or “he reminds others of me” in some contexts, which is not what we want here.

Can I say με θυμίζει to mean “he reminds me (of something)”?

No.

Με θυμίζει normally means “(he) resembles me” or “he reminds others of me” – i.e., I am what comes to their mind.
To say “he reminds me (of something)”, Greek uses μου θυμίζει.

Think of it as:

μου θυμίζει X = “it/he reminds me of X.”
τον/την/με θυμίζει = “he/she/it resembles him/her/me / reminds you of him/her/me.”

What is the difference between θυμάμαι and θυμίζω?

θυμάμαι = “I remember” (reflexive / middle verb)
- Θυμάμαι αυτό. = “I remember this.”
θυμίζω = “I remind” / “I make someone remember”
- Μου θυμίζει αυτό. = “It reminds me of this.”

In your sentence:

Αυτός μου θυμίζει ότι… = “He reminds me that…”
You can’t use θυμάμαι there, because that would mean “I remember that the studies…”, without anyone doing the reminding.

Why is ότι used here? Can I use πως instead?

Yes, you can generally use πως instead of ότι in this clause, and it would still be natural Greek:

Αυτός μου θυμίζει ότι οι σπουδές…
Αυτός μου θυμίζει πως οι σπουδές…

Both introduce a content clause (“that the studies are not the only way…”).

Subtle points:

ότι is a bit more neutral/standard.
πως is very common in spoken Greek and slightly more informal in many contexts.

However, when πως means “how” or is part of other structures, you cannot always replace it with ότι, so they are not 100% interchangeable in every sentence, just in many “that…” clauses.

Why is οι σπουδές plural, and what does it literally mean?

Οι σπουδές is the plural of η σπουδή (feminine).

Literally, οι σπουδές means “the studies.”
In practice, it refers to one’s higher education: university studies, academic studies, etc.

Greek usually talks about education at this level in the plural, just like English sometimes says “his studies” instead of “his study.” So:

Κάνω σπουδές = “I do studies / I study (formally, e.g. at university).”
Οι σπουδές μου = “my studies.”

What does δεν είναι ο μόνος δρόμος literally mean, and why ο and not ένας?

Literally:

δεν είναι = “are not”
ο μόνος δρόμος = “the only road / path / way”

So δεν είναι ο μόνος δρόμος = “are not the only way.”

Why ο (the definite article) and not ένας (“a”)?

μόνος by itself already has the sense of “only”.
With the definite article, ο μόνος δρόμος = “the only way”, which matches English “the only way.”
ένας μόνος δρόμος would sound like “just one lone road”, more literal/physical, and not the idiomatic “the only way (option).”

What is the role of για να in για να κερδίσεις?

Για να introduces a purpose clause, similar to “in order to / to” in English.

για = “for”
να
- verb (subjunctive) = expresses purpose, result, or just a non-finite “to do” idea

So:

δρόμος για να κερδίσεις μια καλή ζωή
= “a way (in order) to earn a good life”
= “a way to earn a good life.”

After για να, the verb is in the subjunctive (here: κερδίσεις).

Why is κερδίσεις in the 2nd person singular? It’s not really “you” (a specific person), right?

Correct: it’s not necessarily addressing a particular “you.”

In Greek, as in English, the 2nd person singular can be used in a generic way, meaning “one / people in general / someone.”

So:

…δεν είναι ο μόνος δρόμος για να κερδίσεις μια καλή ζωή.
= “...is not the only way to earn a good life.” (general you)
≈ “...is not the only way for someone to earn a good life.”

This is parallel to English:

“Studying is not the only way to have a good life,” where “to have” also implies a generic “you/one.”

What tense and mood is κερδίσεις, and why that form?

κερδίσεις is:

Aorist subjunctive, 2nd person singular of κερδίζω (“to earn / win / gain”).

After να (or για να), Greek typically uses the subjunctive:

να κερδίσεις = (that you) earn / to earn

Why aorist rather than present?

Aorist subjunctive is usually used for a single, complete event or neutral aspect.
Present subjunctive would be να κερδίζεις, which emphasizes an ongoing/repeated process (“keep earning”).

Here, να κερδίσεις μια καλή ζωή is about achieving or attaining a good life, so the aorist is the natural choice.

What does κερδίζω mean here? Is it like “win” or “earn”?

Κερδίζω can mean:

“to win” (a prize, a game)
“to earn / gain” (money, advantages, time, etc.)

In να κερδίσεις μια καλή ζωή, the meaning is closer to “earn / gain”:

να κερδίσεις μια καλή ζωή ≈ “to earn (yourself) a good life / to secure a good life.”

It has the idea of achieving something positive through effort or opportunity.

Why is it μια καλή ζωή and not just καλή ζωή?

Μια is the indefinite article (feminine singular): “a / one.”

μια καλή ζωή = “a good life.”
Without the article (καλή ζωή) it would sound more like a general concept (good life in general, good living), less like one’s own personal good life.

In this sentence, we’re talking about someone’s life situation, so μια καλή ζωή fits the idea of “a (personal) good life.”

Why is the order μου θυμίζει instead of θυμίζει μου?

Greek clitic pronouns (like μου, σου, του, την, το, etc.) usually appear:

Before the verb in simple tenses (present, imperfect, simple future):
- Μου θυμίζει
- Σου λέω
- Τον βλέπω

They can go after the verb only in some specific cases, such as:

Imperative: Θυμήσου με!
Some infinitive-like or participial forms: για να μου θυμίσει / θέλω να του μιλήσω (still before the verb here, but the rules differ a bit with combinations).

So, in a normal present tense statement:

Μου θυμίζει is correct and natural.
Θυμίζει μου is ungrammatical in standard modern Greek.

Could I replace δρόμος with τρόπος here?

Yes, you could say:

…δεν είναι ο μόνος τρόπος για να κερδίσεις μια καλή ζωή.

δρόμος = literally “road, path”, used metaphorically as “way” (life path, route to something).
τρόπος = “way, manner, method.”

Nuance:

δρόμος emphasizes the idea of a path / journey.
τρόπος emphasizes the method or manner.

Both work, but δρόμος has a slightly more image-rich, metaphorical feel.