Δεν κοιμάμαι καλά όταν έχει θόρυβο στη γειτονιά.

I don’t sleep well when there is noise in the neighborhood.

Breakdown of Δεν κοιμάμαι καλά όταν έχει θόρυβο στη γειτονιά.

• καλά: well
• δεν: not
• σε: in
• όταν: when
• ο θόρυβος: the noise
• η γειτονιά: the neighborhood
• κοιμάμαι: to sleep / to go to sleep
• έχω: to have (there is)

Questions & Answers about Δεν κοιμάμαι καλά όταν έχει θόρυβο στη γειτονιά.

Why does the sentence start with Δεν and where does it go in Greek?

Δεν is the standard negation for the indicative mood (statements/facts) in Modern Greek. It normally comes right before the verb it negates: Δεν κοιμάμαι = I don’t sleep / I’m not sleeping.
If there are other elements (like object pronouns), Δεν still stays immediately before the verb (e.g., Δεν το ξέρω).

What form is κοιμάμαι? Is it present tense?

Yes. κοιμάμαι is 1st person singular, present tense, middle/passive-form verb meaning I sleep / I’m sleeping.
Greek often uses the present for general/habitual statements, so here it naturally means something like I don’t sleep well (in general) when….

Why isn’t εγώ (I) included?

Greek is a pro-drop language: the subject pronoun is usually omitted because the verb ending shows the person/number.
You can add εγώ (Εγώ δεν κοιμάμαι καλά…) for emphasis/contrast (e.g., I don’t sleep well, but others do).

What exactly does καλά mean here, and why is it καλά and not an adjective?

καλά is an adverb meaning well. It modifies the verb κοιμάμαι (sleep), so Greek uses the adverb form: κοιμάμαι καλά = sleep well.
The adjective καλός/καλή/καλό would describe a noun (e.g., καλός ύπνος = a good sleep, more like good-quality sleep).

How does όταν work? Does it always mean “when”?

όταν introduces a time clause meaning when/whenever. In sentences like this, it commonly describes a repeated situation:
Δεν κοιμάμαι καλά όταν… = I don’t sleep well whenever/when…
Greek can use όταν + present for general time situations (not necessarily one single event).

Why does the clause use έχει (“has”)? Who “has” the noise?

In Greek, έχει is often used impersonally to mean there is/there’s (especially about weather, conditions, or situations):
όταν έχει θόρυβο = when it’s noisy / when there is noise.
No specific “owner” of the noise is implied.

Could I also say όταν υπάρχει θόρυβος? What’s the difference?

Yes: όταν υπάρχει θόρυβος στη γειτονιά is also correct and means the same thing.
A common nuance:

• έχει θόρυβο sounds very natural and everyday, like it’s noisy.
• υπάρχει θόρυβος can sound a bit more neutral/formal, like there exists noise / there is noise.

Why is it θόρυβο and not θόρυβος?

Because θόρυβο is the accusative form, used as the object of έχει in the impersonal expression έχει θόρυβο.
Dictionary form (nominative): ο θόρυβος (noise)
Accusative singular: (τον) θόρυβο

Why is there no article before θόρυβο? Shouldn’t it be τον θόρυβο?

Both can be grammatical, but they feel different:

• έχει θόρυβο = there’s noise / it’s noisy (general, indefinite amount)
• έχει τον θόρυβο would usually mean it has the specific noise (more definite/specific), which is less natural in this “it’s noisy” sense.
  So the article is often omitted in this idiomatic use.

What does στη γειτονιά mean exactly, and why στη?

στη γειτονιά means in the neighborhood.
στη is a contraction of σε + τη(ν):

• σε = in/to/at
• τη(ν) = the (feminine singular accusative)
  So σε τη(ν) γειτονιά → στη γειτονιά.

When do I see στη vs στην?

You’ll often see both in writing:

• στη γειτονιά (common spelling)
• στην γειτονιά (also common)

The -ν (nu) in την/στην is often kept before certain sounds (especially vowels and some consonants) and dropped in other contexts, but in practice spelling varies. In speech, many people will pronounce it lightly or drop it depending on flow.

Is the word order fixed? Could I move parts around?

Greek word order is flexible, but some placements are more natural:

• Δεν κοιμάμαι καλά όταν έχει θόρυβο στη γειτονιά. (very natural) You could also say:
• Όταν έχει θόρυβο στη γειτονιά, δεν κοιμάμαι καλά. (same meaning; foregrounds the condition) Moving καλά is possible but can sound marked/emphatic depending on placement.

How is this sentence pronounced (roughly) and where is the stress?

Stress is marked with the accent in Greek:

• Δεν (DEN)
• κοιμάμαι (koi-MA-me)
• καλά (ka-LA)
• όταν (O-tan)
• έχει (E-khi; the χ is like the German Bach, not like English “ch”)
• θόρυβο (THO-ri-vo; θ like English th in think)
• γειτονιά (yi-to-NYA; γ before ει sounds like a soft y-type sound)