Learn Hardcore Greek: Στο παιχνίδι αυτό κερδίζω συχνά, αλλά σήμερα έχασα. - In this game I often win, but today I lost.

σε αυτό το παιχνίδι – more neutral, very common word order (demonstrative before the article + noun).
στο παιχνίδι αυτό – a bit more formal/literary or slightly more emphatic on αυτό (this particular game).

Greek allows demonstratives (like αυτός / αυτή / αυτό) either:

before the article and noun: αυτό το παιχνίδι
after the noun: το παιχνίδι αυτό

In everyday speech, αυτό το παιχνίδι is more frequent, but το παιχνίδι αυτό is absolutely standard.

What case is παιχνίδι in, and why?

παιχνίδι is in the accusative singular.

The preposition σε (contracted here as στο) always takes the accusative.
The noun παιχνίδι is neuter, so:
- nominative: το παιχνίδι
- accusative: το παιχνίδι (same form as nominative, but we know it’s accusative because of σε/στο).

So στο παιχνίδι = σε + το παιχνίδι in the accusative.

Why is κερδίζω (present tense) used to mean I often win? Shouldn’t it be something like a “habitual” tense?

Greek does not have a separate “simple present” vs “present continuous” like English.

The present tense (ενεστώτας) κερδίζω can mean:

I win (generally / habitually) – Στο παιχνίδι αυτό κερδίζω συχνά = In this game I often win.
I am winning (right now) in other contexts.

The adverb συχνά (often) makes it clear that this is a habitual action here. You do not need a special tense for “I often win”; the plain present covers that meaning.

Could συχνά go somewhere else in the sentence?

Yes. Common positions include:

Στο παιχνίδι αυτό συχνά κερδίζω, αλλά σήμερα έχασα.
Συχνά κερδίζω σε αυτό το παιχνίδι, αλλά σήμερα έχασα.

συχνά usually goes near the verb, and both κερδίζω συχνά and συχνά κερδίζω are natural. Placing it before the whole clause (Συχνά κερδίζω…) can sound slightly more emphatic.

Why is αλλά used here? Is it like English but?

Yes, αλλά is the standard conjunction for but, introducing a contrast:

…κερδίζω συχνά, αλλά σήμερα έχασα.
→ …I often win, but today I lost.

Other contrast words exist (e.g. όμως, μα), but αλλά is the neutral, most common equivalent of English but in writing and speech.

Why is the comma before αλλά used here? Is that normal in Greek?

Yes. Greek punctuation is similar to English here: a comma is usually placed before coordinating conjunctions like αλλά when they link two full clauses:

(Clause 1), αλλά (Clause 2).

In this sentence, both parts have their own verb (κερδίζω and έχασα), so the comma before αλλά is standard.

Why is the past tense έχασα used and not something like έχανα?

Έχασα is the aorist (simple past), which describes a single, completed event:

σήμερα έχασα = today I lost (once, completed).

Έχανα is the imperfect (past continuous / repeated):

σήμερα έχανα would suggest I was losing (for a while / repeatedly) today, which doesn’t fit the simple “today I lost” idea.

So έχασα matches the idea of one specific result today, contrasting with the usual habit κερδίζω συχνά.

Where is the subject I? Why is there no εγώ?

In Greek, subject pronouns (like εγώ = I, εσύ = you) are usually omitted because the verb ending shows the person:

κερδίζω → I win
κερδίζεις → you win
κερδίζει → he/she/it wins

So κερδίζω and έχασα already show that the subject is I.
You would add εγώ only for emphasis or contrast, e.g.:

Εγώ κερδίζω συχνά, αλλά σήμερα έχασα.
→ I (as opposed to others) often win, but today I lost.

What is the difference between σήμερα έχασα and έχασα σήμερα?

Both are grammatical and understandable, but:

σήμερα έχασα (today I lost) sounds a bit more neutral and common in this context.
έχασα σήμερα puts slightly more focus on the verb έχασα (I lost), with σήμερα as an extra detail.

In everyday speech, adverbs like σήμερα can move around fairly freely, but the chosen order here is very natural.