Learn Hardcore Greek: Αύριο δεν κάνω μάθημα, οπότε μένω σπίτι. - Tomorrow I don't have class, so I stay at home.

In Greek, the present tense is often used with a future time expression like Αύριο (tomorrow) to talk about planned or scheduled future actions.

Αύριο δεν κάνω μάθημα.
Literally: Tomorrow I don’t do lesson.
Meaning: Tomorrow I don’t have class / I’m not having class.

This is similar to English:

Tomorrow I have class.
Tomorrow I’m not working.

You can also use the future tense:

Αύριο δεν θα κάνω μάθημα. – Tomorrow I will not have a lesson.
Αύριο θα μείνω σπίτι. – Tomorrow I will stay at home.

Both are correct.

Using the present (as in the original sentence) sounds a bit more like a fixed plan or schedule.
Using θα + verb is the “normal” future form and can sound slightly more neutral or more like a simple prediction/decision.

Why is it δεν κάνω μάθημα and not δεν έχω μάθημα for “I don’t have class”?

Both exist in Greek, but they are used slightly differently:

Δεν κάνω μάθημα
Literally: I don’t do lesson.
Commonly used by teachers and students to mean:
- I’m not teaching (a class). (teacher)
- I’m not having a lesson / I don’t do class. (student)
Δεν έχω μάθημα
Literally: I don’t have a lesson.
Very common for students:
- I don’t have class (on my schedule / that day).

In everyday speech:

A student might naturally say:
Αύριο δεν έχω μάθημα. – I don’t have class tomorrow.
A teacher might say:
Αύριο δεν κάνω μάθημα. – Tomorrow I’m not teaching.

But in practice you will hear both forms from both sides, and context clarifies the meaning. In your sentence, δεν κάνω μάθημα is perfectly natural as “I don’t have class / I’m not doing class.”

What exactly does μάθημα mean here, and why is there no article (το)?

Μάθημα can mean:

Lesson / class (a specific event):
- Έχω μάθημα στις 8. – I have class at 8.
School subject:
- Το μάθημα των μαθηματικών. – The math class / the subject of mathematics.

In Αύριο δεν κάνω μάθημα, μάθημα is used in a general, habitual or unspecified way, like English:

I don’t have class tomorrow. (not “the class”, just “class” in general)

That’s why no article is needed. Compare:

Δεν κάνω μάθημα. – I don’t have class / I’m not teaching. (general)
Δεν κάνω το μάθημα. – I’m not doing the lesson / that specific lesson. (more specific, particular lesson)

So the lack of το makes it feel more like “class in general” rather than “the particular lesson.”

Can I also say Δεν κάνω μάθημα αύριο instead of Αύριο δεν κάνω μάθημα? Is there any difference?

Yes, both word orders are correct:

Αύριο δεν κάνω μάθημα.
Δεν κάνω μάθημα αύριο.

The difference is emphasis:

Putting Αύριο first slightly emphasizes the time:
As for tomorrow, I don’t have class.
Putting δεν κάνω μάθημα first emphasizes more the fact of not having class:
I don’t have class tomorrow (but maybe I do other days).

In normal conversation, both sound natural; the difference is subtle. Greek word order is relatively flexible, and fronting Αύριο is very common when you want to set the time frame first.

What does οπότε mean, and how is it different from άρα or γι’ αυτό?

Οπότε here means roughly “so / so then / and so”, introducing a result or a natural consequence:

Αύριο δεν κάνω μάθημα, οπότε μένω σπίτι.
Tomorrow I don’t have class, so I’m staying home.

Comparison:

οπότε – conversational, often like “so (then)”, “and so”. Very common in speech.
άρα – closer to logical “therefore / so”; can sound a bit more formal or logical, especially in clear reasoning.
γι’ αυτό (για αυτό) – “for that (reason)”, “that’s why”.

You could also say:

Αύριο δεν κάνω μάθημα, άρα μένω σπίτι.
Αύριο δεν κάνω μάθημα, γι’ αυτό μένω σπίτι.

All are grammatically correct. Οπότε feels very natural and colloquial in everyday speech.

Note: In writing, it’s normal to put a comma before οπότε, just like before “so” in English when linking two clauses.

Why is the subject pronoun εγώ (“I”) missing? Could I say Εγώ αύριο δεν κάνω μάθημα?

In Greek, the verb ending tells you the person (I, you, he, etc.), so subject pronouns are usually omitted unless needed for emphasis or contrast.

κάνω = I do
μένω = I stay / I live

So Αύριο δεν κάνω μάθημα, οπότε μένω σπίτι. already clearly means I don’t have class, I stay home.

You can say:

Εγώ αύριο δεν κάνω μάθημα, οπότε μένω σπίτι.

But then εγώ is emphatic, like:

I don’t have class tomorrow (but maybe others do).
As for me, tomorrow I don’t have class, so I’m staying home.

So:

No pronoun = neutral, normal.
With εγώ = emphasis or contrast.

Why is it μένω σπίτι and not μένω στο σπίτι? What’s the difference?

Both are grammatical, but there is a nuance:

Μένω σπίτι.
= I’m staying home.
Very close to English “I’m staying home”, without the. It’s idiomatic, general, and sounds more like “at home (in general)”.
Μένω στο σπίτι.
Literally: I stay at the house.
This is more specific, pointing to a particular house (often “the house” we both know).

In practice:

For “staying at home (not going out)”, Greeks very often say:
- Μένω σπίτι.
- Or: Θα κάτσω σπίτι. – I’ll stay home.
Μένω στο σπίτι might be used more if you are contrasting with another place, e.g.:
- Οι άλλοι πάνε βόλτα, εγώ μένω στο σπίτι.
  The others are going for a walk, I’m staying at the house.

So in your sentence, μένω σπίτι is the most natural choice for “I stay home.”

Does μένω here mean “I live” (as in “I live in Athens”) or “I stay”?

Μένω has two main meanings:

To live / reside:
- Μένω στην Αθήνα. – I live in Athens.
To stay / remain:
- Σήμερα μένω σπίτι. – Today I’m staying at home.

In your sentence:

οπότε μένω σπίτι = so I’m staying home.

Context (mentioning αύριο and not having class) clearly indicates the temporary meaning “to stay,” not permanent residence. If you wanted to say “I live at home” (with parents), you’d add more context.

Why is the negative word δεν and not μην?

Greek has two main negative particles:

δεν – used with the indicative mood (normal statements, questions):
- Δεν κάνω μάθημα. – I don’t have class.
- Δεν μένω εδώ. – I don’t live/stay here.
μη(ν) – used with:
- Subjunctive (usually with να, θα, or some verbs like θέλω):
  - Να μην κάνω μάθημα; – Should I not teach?
  - Θα μην έρθει. (rare/marked; more natural: Δεν θα έρθει.)
- Negative imperatives (commands):
  - Μην μιλάς. – Don’t talk.

In Αύριο δεν κάνω μάθημα, this is a simple statement in the indicative, so the correct negative is δεν.

How do you pronounce Αύριο and μάθημα? Where is the stress?

Stress in Greek is shown by the accent mark (´) and falls on a single syllable.

Αύριο – tomorrow
Syllables: Αύ-ρι-ο
Stress: Αύ
Pronunciation: roughly AV-rio
- αυ before a consonant usually sounds like av (as in have).
μάθημα – lesson / class
Syllables: μά-θη-μα
Stress: μά
Pronunciation: MÁ-thi-ma
- θ = “th” as in think (voiceless).

Correct stress is very important in Greek; changing it can make words hard to understand or sound wrong.

Could I replace μένω σπίτι with κάθομαι σπίτι? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say:

Αύριο δεν κάνω μάθημα, οπότε κάθομαι σπίτι.

Κάθομαι literally means “I sit”, but in everyday speech it also means “I stay / I hang around / I don’t go out”, much like English “I’ll just stay in”.

Nuance:

μένω σπίτι – more neutral: I stay home.
κάθομαι σπίτι – can sound a bit more like I’m just staying in / I’m not going anywhere / I’m chilling at home.

Both are natural, with μένω σπίτι being slightly more neutral/formal and κάθομαι σπίτι more colloquial.