Learn Hardcore Greek: Δύσκολα κοιμάμαι όταν έχω άγχος.

So εγώ (I) is understood from -μαι and -ω and normally omitted unless you want to emphasize I (as in Εγώ δύσκολα κοιμάμαι… = I, in particular, have trouble sleeping…).

What exactly is Δύσκολα grammatically? Is it an adjective or an adverb?

In this sentence, δύσκολα is an adverb derived from the adjective δύσκολος (difficult).

δύσκολος (adjective) = difficult
δύσκολα (adverb) = with difficulty, with difficulty / not easily

So:

Δύσκολα κοιμάμαι = I sleep with difficulty / I don’t sleep easily.

It describes how you sleep, so it functions as an adverb modifying the verb κοιμάμαι.

Could you also say Είναι δύσκολο να κοιμηθώ όταν έχω άγχος? What is the difference?

Yes, that’s a very natural alternative, and the meaning is close but not identical in structure:

Δύσκολα κοιμάμαι όταν έχω άγχος.
Literally: I sleep with difficulty when I have anxiety.
Focus: on your manner of sleeping (it’s not easy for you to fall asleep).
Είναι δύσκολο να κοιμηθώ όταν έχω άγχος.
Literally: It is difficult (for me) to sleep when I have anxiety.
Focus: on the situation being difficult.

Both express that you have trouble sleeping when you’re anxious. The first is slightly more direct and personal; the second sounds a bit more “neutral” or descriptive.

Is there a difference between Δύσκολα κοιμάμαι and Κοιμάμαι δύσκολα?

Both are grammatically correct and can mean the same thing. The difference is mainly in emphasis and style:

Δύσκολα κοιμάμαι
Putting the adverb first gives it more emphasis:
With difficulty I sleep → “It’s hard for me to sleep.”
Κοιμάμαι δύσκολα
More neutral order: I sleep with difficulty.

In everyday speech, both are used. Fronting δύσκολα to the beginning sounds a bit more emphatic or stylistic, which matches the idea of complaining or describing a problem.

Does Δύσκολα κοιμάμαι mean “I hardly ever sleep” or “I have trouble sleeping”?

In this context, it means “I have trouble sleeping / It’s hard for me to fall asleep”, not “I hardly ever sleep.”

δύσκολα here = with difficulty, not easily (manner)
For hardly ever (frequency), Greek more often uses adverbs like σπάνια (rarely), or a negative:
- Δεν κοιμάμαι σχεδόν ποτέ. = I almost never sleep.

Because it’s followed by όταν έχω άγχος, the natural interpretation is about difficulty, not frequency.

What form of the verb is κοιμάμαι? Why not something like κοιμώ or κοιμάω?

κοιμάμαι is the present tense, 1st person singular, middle/passive form of the verb κοιμάμαι (to sleep). It’s a deponent verb: it uses the middle/passive endings but has an active meaning.

κοιμάμαι = I sleep / I am sleeping
There is no commonly used active form like κοιμάω or κοιμώ in standard modern Greek for this meaning.

So you should learn it as:

εγώ κοιμάμαι – I sleep
εσύ κοιμάσαι – you sleep
αυτός/αυτή/αυτό κοιμάται – he/she/it sleeps

In modern Greek, this middle form is the normal one for the meaning to sleep.

What does the present tense κοιμάμαι and έχω express here? Is it about now or in general?

In this sentence, the present tense expresses a general, habitual situation, not a one-time event:

Δύσκολα κοιμάμαι όταν έχω άγχος.
= I (generally) have trouble sleeping when I’m anxious.

So:

κοιμάμαι here = I (tend to) sleep / I usually sleep (with difficulty)
έχω άγχος = I have anxiety / I’m anxious (whenever that happens)

If you wanted to talk about one specific night in the past, you’d switch to past tense:

Δύσκολα κοιμήθηκα χθες γιατί είχα άγχος.
= I had trouble sleeping last night because I was anxious.

What does όταν mean here, and how is it different from αν?

όταν means “when / whenever” in a time sense:

Δύσκολα κοιμάμαι όταν έχω άγχος.
= I have trouble sleeping when(ever) I’m anxious.

αν means “if” in a conditional sense:

Δύσκολα κοιμάμαι αν έχω άγχος.
= I have trouble sleeping if I’m anxious.

In everyday speech, you might occasionally hear αν where όταν is expected, but the standard and clearer choice for time (“whenever I have anxiety”) is όταν. After όταν in general statements, Greek normally uses the present tense (as in this sentence).

What is the difference between έχω άγχος and είμαι αγχωμένος?

Both can express that you’re anxious, but there is a nuance:

έχω άγχος
Literally: I have anxiety.
Very common, can mean:
- I’m stressed / I’m under stress right now, or
- I’m generally an anxious person (depending on context).
είμαι αγχωμένος
Literally: I am anxious / stressed (right now).
Sounds a bit more like describing your current state.

In the sentence:

Δύσκολα κοιμάμαι όταν έχω άγχος.
It’s like saying: I have trouble sleeping when I’m under stress / when I’m feeling anxious.

You could also say:

Δύσκολα κοιμάμαι όταν είμαι αγχωμένος.
Very similar meaning; it feels more like “when I am (in an anxious state).”

Both are natural.

How do you pronounce άγχος and δύσκολα, especially the γχ in άγχος?

Pronunciation tips:

δύσκολα: [THEES-ko-la]
- δ = like English th in this
- Stress is on the first syllable: ΔΎ-σκο-λα
άγχος: roughly [Á-nghos]
- Stress on the first syllable: Άγ-χος
- ά = a as in father
- γχ is pronounced as [ŋx]:
  - ν-like sound [ŋ] (as in sing)
  - followed by a χ sound , like the German ch in Bach or the Spanish j in jamón.

So άγχος sounds like ANGH-oss, with that back-of-the-throat χ sound.