Breakdown of Την επόμενη αργία θα βγούμε βόλτα, αρκεί να μην έχει πολλή κίνηση.
Questions & Answers about Την επόμενη αργία θα βγούμε βόλτα, αρκεί να μην έχει πολλή κίνηση.
Greek often uses the accusative with time expressions to mean when something happens (an “accusative of time”). So Την επόμενη αργία = Next holiday / On the next day off. You can also say Στην επόμενη αργία, which is more literally On/at the next holiday, but the bare accusative is very common and natural in this kind of “time-setting” position.
Αργία means a holiday / day off (often a public holiday, but it can be any day when you’re off work/school).
So την επόμενη αργία is “the next time we have a day off / the next holiday.”
Θα βγούμε is future in Modern Greek.
- θα = future particle
- βγούμε = 1st person plural form of βγαίνω (here: “go out”)
So it means we will go out.
Yes: the form after θα is historically the same set of forms used with να (often called “subjunctive forms” in Greek teaching).
- Present/continuous idea: θα βγαίνουμε (we’ll be going out / we’ll go out regularly)
- Simple/one-time idea: θα βγούμε (we’ll go out [once], we’ll head out)
Here the sentence is about a single occasion, so θα βγούμε fits.
βγαίνω βόλτα is a very common expression meaning go out for a walk / go out for a stroll / go out and about.
βόλτα is literally “a walk/stroll/round,” and Greek often uses it like this without a preposition.
You could also say:
- θα βγούμε για βόλτα (we’ll go out for a walk)
Both are correct; βγούμε βόλτα is especially idiomatic.
Sometimes, but it changes the feel:
- θα βγούμε βόλτα emphasizes going out (leaving home, going out in general).
- θα πάμε βόλτα emphasizes going somewhere (more destination-oriented).
In many everyday contexts they’re interchangeable, but βγαίνω βόλτα is a very common fixed-style phrase.
αρκεί να means as long as / provided that.
It introduces a condition, and it is followed by a να-clause.
So:
- αρκεί να μην έχει πολλή κίνηση = “as long as there isn’t much traffic.”
Because Greek uses different negation depending on the type of clause:
- δεν negates statements in the indicative (facts): δεν έχει κίνηση (there isn’t traffic)
- μη(ν) negates να / subjunctive, imperatives, wishes, etc.: να μην έχει κίνηση (for there not to be traffic)
Since αρκεί να requires a να-clause, you must use μη(ν) → να μην έχει.
Greek commonly uses 3rd person singular with weather/conditions and general situations, similar to English “it”:
- (να μην) έχει πολλή κίνηση = “(that there) not be much traffic.”
The subject is effectively the situation/area/roads, but it isn’t stated explicitly.
Because κίνηση is feminine singular, the adjective must agree:
- masculine: πολύς κόσμος (a lot of people)
- feminine: πολλή κίνηση (a lot of traffic)
- neuter: πολύ νερό (a lot of water)
So πολλή matches the gender/number/case of κίνηση.
It separates the main clause from the conditional clause:
- Main: Την επόμενη αργία θα βγούμε βόλτα
- Condition: αρκεί να μην έχει πολλή κίνηση
In Greek, it’s very common (and usually recommended) to use a comma before clauses introduced by αρκεί να, αν, όταν, etc., especially when the clause comes second.