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Δεν προλαβαίνω να περάσω από το φαρμακείο σήμερα, οπότε θα πάω αύριο.

Δεν προλαβαίνω να περάσω από το φαρμακείο σήμερα, οπότε θα πάω αύριο.
I don’t have time to stop by the pharmacy today, so I’ll go tomorrow.

Breakdown of Δεν προλαβαίνω να περάσω από το φαρμακείο σήμερα, οπότε θα πάω αύριο.

πάω
to go
δεν
not
να
to
σήμερα
today
αύριο
tomorrow
θα
will
το φαρμακείο
the pharmacy
οπότε
so
περνάω από
to stop by
προλαβαίνω
to catch / to make it in time
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Questions & Answers about Δεν προλαβαίνω να περάσω από το φαρμακείο σήμερα, οπότε θα πάω αύριο.

What does Δεν προλαβαίνω literally mean, and how is it used in everyday Greek?

Προλαβαίνω literally relates to managing to do something in time (to “make it”, “have time for it”, “catch it before it’s too late”).
So Δεν προλαβαίνω is a very common way to say I don’t have time / I can’t make it in time (often implying you’re busy or time is tight), not that you are “unable” in general.

Why is there a να after Δεν προλαβαίνω?

In Greek, many verbs (including προλαβαίνω) are followed by να + verb to introduce what you (don’t) manage to do.
So the structure is: (Δεν) προλαβαίνω να + verb = (I don’t) have time to + verb / (I don’t) manage to + verb.
This να clause uses the “subjunctive-type” form (even though English just uses to + verb).

Why is it να περάσω and not να περνάω/περάσω—what’s the difference?

να περάσω is typically the perfective/aorist form, focusing on a single, complete action: “to pop by / to stop by (once)”.
να περνάω / να περνώ would be more imperfective, suggesting something more ongoing/habitual: “to be passing by / to go by regularly.”
Here, a one-time errand is meant, so να περάσω fits best.

What exactly does περάσω από mean here?

περνάω/περνώ από + place commonly means to pass by / to stop by a place (often briefly).
So να περάσω από το φαρμακείο is very natural for to swing by the pharmacy.

Why does Greek use από (from/by) with the pharmacy instead of something like “to the pharmacy”?

With περνάω/περνώ, Greek often uses από to express the idea of passing via or stopping by a place, not necessarily making it your main destination.
If you said να πάω στο φαρμακείο, that’s more directly to go to the pharmacy (destination-focused).
να περάσω από το φαρμακείο = “to drop in / swing by.”

Is φαρμακείο always “pharmacy”? What about “drugstore”?

το φαρμακείο is the standard word for pharmacy in Greece (the place where you get medicines).
In English, depending on context, it can map to pharmacy or drugstore, but Greek φαρμακείο is specifically the pharmacy (even if it may sell a few other items).

What does οπότε mean, and how is it different from άρα or λοιπόν?

οπότε here means so / therefore / as a result, linking the first clause to the consequence.

  • οπότε often feels like “given that…, so…” and is very common in speech.
  • άρα is more “therefore” and can sound a bit more formal/logical.
  • λοιπόν is more like “well/so then” and can introduce a decision or next step, but it’s more discourse-y.
Why is there a comma before οπότε?

The comma separates two independent parts:
1) Δεν προλαβαίνω να περάσω από το φαρμακείο σήμερα
2) οπότε θα πάω αύριο
It’s similar to writing in English: “..., so I’ll go tomorrow.”

How does θα πάω work—what tense is it?

θα is the particle used to form the future in Modern Greek.
πάω is the verb “I go” (perfective sense here in the future).
So θα πάω αύριο = I will go tomorrow / I’m going tomorrow (future).

What’s the difference between πάω and πηγαίνω? Could I say θα πηγαίνω αύριο?

Both relate to “go,” but they often differ in aspect:

  • πάω is commonly used for a single trip (especially with future): θα πάω αύριο = “I’ll go tomorrow (once).”
  • πηγαίνω often suggests ongoing/repeated going: θα πηγαίνω αύριο would usually mean “I will be going tomorrow” in a repeated/ongoing sense (often odd here).
    For this sentence, θα πάω αύριο is the natural choice.
Can the word order change? For example, could I say Σήμερα δεν προλαβαίνω...?

Yes. Greek word order is flexible, and moving σήμερα forward can add emphasis:

  • Δεν προλαβαίνω ... σήμερα = neutral
  • Σήμερα δεν προλαβαίνω ... = emphasis on “today (specifically today I can’t)”
How do I pronounce and stress the tricky words like προλαβαίνω, φαρμακείο, and αύριο?

Greek stress is marked with an accent, and you stress that syllable:

  • προλαβαίνω: stress on -βα- (pro-la-va-Í-no)
  • φαρμακείο: stress on -εί- (far-ma-KEE-o)
  • αύριο: stress on αύ- (Áv-rio / Áf-rio depending on the next sound; in practice many learners can start with Áv-rio)