Εφόσον δεν έχει πολλή κίνηση, θα προλάβουμε το τρένο.

As long as there isn’t much traffic, we’ll catch the train.

Breakdown of Εφόσον δεν έχει πολλή κίνηση, θα προλάβουμε το τρένο.

• έχω: to have
• δεν: not
• θα: will
• το τρένο: the train
• η κίνηση: the traffic
• πολύς: much / a lot of
• εφόσον: since / as long as
• προλαβαίνω: to catch / to make it in time

Questions & Answers about Εφόσον δεν έχει πολλή κίνηση, θα προλάβουμε το τρένο.

What does εφόσον mean here, and how is it different from επειδή or αν?

Εφόσον usually means provided that / as long as / given that. It often presents a condition that is expected to be true (or is being assumed for the sake of the statement).

• επειδή = because (more purely causal: “because there isn’t much traffic…”)
• αν = if (more open/neutral condition: “if there isn’t much traffic…”)
  So εφόσον sits in between: it feels like “since/assuming that (this condition holds).”

Why is it δεν έχει πολλή κίνηση and not something like “it doesn’t have traffic” in the English sense?

In Greek, έχει (it has) is a very common way to express “there is” for things like traffic, noise, crowding, etc.
So δεν έχει πολλή κίνηση literally “it doesn’t have much movement/traffic,” meaning there isn’t much traffic.

What exactly does κίνηση mean? Is it only “traffic”?

κίνηση literally means movement. Depending on context it can mean:

• traffic (very common: πολλή κίνηση = heavy traffic)
• activity/bustle (e.g., a shop has κίνηση = lots of customers) Here it clearly means road traffic.

Why is it πολλή and not πολύ?

Because κίνηση is a feminine singular noun, and πολλή is the feminine singular form of πολύς/πολλή/πολύ (“much/many”).

• πολλή κίνηση = much traffic (feminine singular)
  You’d use πολύ with neuter singular nouns or as an adverb:
• πολύ νερό (neuter noun) = a lot of water
• τρέχει πολύ (adverb) = he runs a lot

What tense/mood is θα προλάβουμε? Why isn’t it a “normal” future form?

Greek forms the future with θα + subjunctive. So θα προλάβουμε is future meaning “we will manage to / we will catch.”
The verb form προλάβουμε is a subjunctive perfective form (often looks like the simple past/aorist stem). Greek doesn’t have a separate “future conjugation” like English; θα signals the future.

What does προλάβουμε mean exactly? Is it “catch” or “arrive”?

προλαβαίνω means to manage in time / to make it / to catch (something you might miss).
So θα προλάβουμε το τρένο is we’ll catch the train / we’ll make the train (i.e., not miss it). It’s about being in time, not just arriving at the station.

Why is it το τρένο with the article το?

Greek normally uses the definite article in places where English often drops it. With transport you’ll typically say:

• θα πάρω το λεωφορείο = I’ll take the bus
• θα προλάβουμε το τρένο = we’ll catch the train
  Even if English might say “catch a train,” Greek commonly uses το unless you specifically mean “some train, any train” (which would be expressed differently).

What does the comma do here? Is it required?

The comma separates the introductory clause (Εφόσον δεν έχει πολλή κίνηση) from the main clause (θα προλάβουμε το τρένο).
It’s very common (and generally recommended) to use a comma after a long or fronted subordinate clause like this for readability.

Could I also say εφόσον δεν έχει πολλή κίνηση θα προλάβουμε το τρένο without a comma in casual writing?

You might see it without a comma in informal contexts, but standard punctuation normally includes it. With the comma, the structure is clearer, especially in longer sentences.

How would the sentence change if I wanted “we’ll be catching the train” (ongoing/habitual future) rather than “we’ll manage to catch it (this time)”?

You’d often switch to an imperfective verb form after θα to express an ongoing/repeated sense. For example:

• Εφόσον δεν έχει πολλή κίνηση, θα προλαβαίνουμε το τρένο.
  This sounds more like we’ll be able to catch the train (in general / repeatedly).
  The original θα προλάβουμε is more natural for a single upcoming situation: we’ll make it (this time).