Αν προσπαθώ κάθε μέρα, τα καταφέρνω στα ελληνικά.

If I try every day, I manage in Greek.

Breakdown of Αν προσπαθώ κάθε μέρα, τα καταφέρνω στα ελληνικά.

• κάθε μέρα: every day
• σε: in
• αν: if
• προσπαθώ: to try
• τα ελληνικά: the Greek language
• τα καταφέρνω: to succeed

Questions & Answers about Αν προσπαθώ κάθε μέρα, τα καταφέρνω στα ελληνικά.

What does Αν mean here, and how is it different from Όταν?

Αν means if and introduces a condition: if this happens, then that happens.

So:

• Αν προσπαθώ κάθε μέρα, τα καταφέρνω στα ελληνικά.
  = If I try every day, I do well in Greek.

Όταν usually means when (in the sense of whenever / every time that), and focuses more on time than on condition:

• Όταν προσπαθώ κάθε μέρα, τα καταφέρνω στα ελληνικά.
  = When(ever) I try every day, I do well in Greek.

They often overlap in meaning in general truths, but:

• Αν emphasizes the condition.
• Όταν emphasizes the time / circumstance.

Why is προσπαθώ in the present tense and not something like θα προσπαθώ?

Προσπαθώ is present tense, imperfective aspect, and here it expresses a general, repeated habit:

• Αν προσπαθώ κάθε μέρα… = If I regularly / habitually try every day…

Using θα προσπαθώ (future continuous) would change the meaning to something like:

• Αν θα προσπαθώ κάθε μέρα – This is not natural Greek in this context.

For general conditional statements (things that are generally true or habitual), Greek normally uses:

• Αν
  • present → present
    e.g. Αν διαβάζω πολύ, γράφω καλύτερα.
    If I study a lot, I write better.

How is προσπαθώ conjugated, and what does it literally mean?

Προσπαθώ means I try / I make an effort.

Present tense (imperfective) conjugation:

• εγώ προσπαθώ – I try
• εσύ προσπαθείς – you try
• αυτός/αυτή/αυτό προσπαθεί – he/she/it tries
• εμείς προσπαθούμε – we try
• εσείς προσπαθείτε – you (pl./formal) try
• αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά προσπαθούν(ε) – they try

In this sentence, προσπαθώ expresses ongoing, repeated effort.

What does the expression τα καταφέρνω mean?

Τα καταφέρνω is an idiomatic expression meaning:

• I manage
• I cope
• I succeed / I do well

So:

• Τα καταφέρνω στα ελληνικά.
  = I manage in Greek / I do well in Greek / I can get by in Greek.

Literally, it is like saying “I succeed with them”, but in modern Greek it functions as a fixed phrase: τα καταφέρνω = I manage.

Why do we need the τα in τα καταφέρνω? What does it refer to?

In τα καταφέρνω, the τα is a neuter plural object pronoun, but in practice it’s part of a set phrase.

• You don’t usually ask “what exactly does τα refer to?”
• You normally keep it: τα καταφέρνω, τα κατάφερα, θα τα καταφέρω.

So:

• Τα καταφέρνω στα ελληνικά.
  Literally: I manage them in Greek.
  Idiomatically: I manage / I cope in Greek.

If you remove τα and say just καταφέρνω, it usually needs a direct object:

• Καταφέρνω πολλά. – I achieve a lot.
• Καταφέρνω τους στόχους μου. – I achieve my goals.

But τα καταφέρνω by itself already means I manage (in general).

What is the difference between τα καταφέρνω and μπορώ?

Both relate to ability, but they are not identical:

• Μπορώ = I can / am able to (possibility, ability, permission)

  • Μπορώ να μιλήσω ελληνικά. – I can speak Greek.

• Τα καταφέρνω = I manage / cope / get by / succeed (often despite difficulty)

  • Τα καταφέρνω στα ελληνικά. – I manage in Greek / I get by in Greek.

So:

• Μπορώ στα ελληνικά is not idiomatic. You’d use:
  • Μπορώ να μιλήσω ελληνικά. – I can speak Greek.
  • Τα καταφέρνω στα ελληνικά. – I manage (I cope) in Greek.

Why is there a comma in the middle: Αν προσπαθώ κάθε μέρα, τα καταφέρνω στα ελληνικά?

Greek normally separates a conditional clause from the main clause with a comma, especially when the αν-clause comes first:

• Αν προσπαθώ κάθε μέρα, τα καταφέρνω στα ελληνικά.
  If I try every day, I manage in Greek.

If you reverse the order, the comma is often omitted:

• Τα καταφέρνω στα ελληνικά αν προσπαθώ κάθε μέρα.
  (No comma needed here.)

So the comma helps show the structure:
[Condition] , [Result]

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

Στα ελληνικά literally = “in the Greek (language)”, but:

• στα = σε
  • τα (in + the, neuter plural)
• ελληνικά = Greek (language), used in the neuter plural form to mean “Greek (as a language)”

Greek names of languages are usually neuter plural:

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

With the preposition σε:

• σε + τα ελληνικά → στα ελληνικά = in Greek

So στα ελληνικά = in Greek (language).

Could we say στην ελληνική instead of στα ελληνικά?

Not with the same meaning.

• στα ελληνικά = in Greek (language) – this is the normal, idiomatic way to say it.
• στην ελληνική would usually need a noun:
  • στην ελληνική γλώσσα – in the Greek language
  • στην ελληνική αγορά – in the Greek market
  • στην ελληνική κοινωνία – in Greek society

So in your sentence, you want:

• …τα καταφέρνω στα ελληνικά. ✅
  (I manage in Greek.)

Not:

• …τα καταφέρνω στην ελληνική. ❌ (incomplete / unnatural)

Why is it κάθε μέρα and not something like η κάθε μέρα or κάθε την μέρα?

With κάθε (every/each), Greek does not use an article:

• κάθε μέρα – every day
• κάθε εβδομάδα – every week
• κάθε άνθρωπος – every person

Forms like η κάθε μέρα are possible but have a different, more emphatic meaning, closer to:

• η κάθε μέρα – each and every day / every single day (with emphasis, in specific contexts)

For a simple habitual statement, κάθε μέρα is the standard form.

What is the difference between μέρα and ημέρα?

Both mean day, but:

• μέρα – more colloquial, everyday word.
• ημέρα – more formal / written or used in certain fixed expressions.

In everyday speech:

• κάθε μέρα – every day ✅ (most natural)
• κάθε ημέρα – correct but sounds more formal or written.

In official or set phrases you often see ημέρα:

• εθνική ημέρα – national day
• ημερομηνία (from ημέρα) – date

Can we change the word order? For example: Τα καταφέρνω στα ελληνικά αν προσπαθώ κάθε μέρα?

Yes. Greek word order is relatively flexible, and both are correct:

1. Αν προσπαθώ κάθε μέρα, τα καταφέρνω στα ελληνικά.
2. Τα καταφέρνω στα ελληνικά αν προσπαθώ κάθε μέρα.

The meaning is the same.
The first puts more emphasis on the condition (“If I try every day…”);
the second states the result first and then adds the condition.

How would the meaning change with αν προσπαθήσω, θα τα καταφέρω instead?

Compare:

• Αν προσπαθώ κάθε μέρα, τα καταφέρνω στα ελληνικά.
  Present–present: general, habitual truth.
  If I regularly try every day, I generally manage in Greek.

• Αν προσπαθήσω, θα τα καταφέρω στα ελληνικά.
  Aorist subjunctive + future: specific future situation.
  If I make an effort (on some occasion / starting now), I will manage in Greek.

So:

• προσπαθώ → ongoing / habitual effort.
• προσπαθήσω → a single, concrete attempt (or decision to try).
• τα καταφέρνω → general ability / usual outcome.
• θα τα καταφέρω → predicted future success in a specific case.

How is the whole sentence pronounced, and where is the stress?

Phonetic-style transcription (approximate):

• Αν προσπαθώ κάθε μέρα, τα καταφέρνω στα ελληνικά.

Stress marks (in caps):

• an prospaTHÓ káthe MÉra, ta kataFÉRno sta ellinikÁ.

Every Greek word has one stressed syllable, shown by the written accent:

• προσπαθώ
• κάθε
• μέρα
• καταφέρνω
• ελληνικά