Κύριε διαχειριστή, μπορείτε να μας πείτε πότε ανάβει η θέρμανση στην πολυκατοικία;

Because this is direct address: the speaker is talking to the building manager.

In Greek, direct address uses the vocative case:

• ο κύριος → Κύριε
• ο διαχειριστής → διαχειριστή

So Κύριε διαχειριστή means something like Mr. Manager / Sir, building manager.

If you said ο κύριος διαχειριστής, that would be nominative, used for talking about him, not to him.

For example:

• Ο κύριος διαχειριστής είναι εδώ. = The building manager is here.
• Κύριε διαχειριστή, ... = Mr. Manager, ...

In this context, διαχειριστής is the person responsible for the administration of the apartment building.

In a Greek πολυκατοικία, the διαχειριστής often handles things like:

• shared expenses
• maintenance issues
• heating schedules
• building notices
• payments for common services

So although διαχειριστής can mean manager or administrator in general, in this sentence it specifically means the person who manages the building’s common affairs.

This is a very common Greek way to make a polite request.

Breakdown:

• μπορείτε = you can / can you
• να = introduces the following verb
• μας = us
• πείτε = tell

So μπορείτε να μας πείτε literally means can you tell us.

A few important points:

1. μπορείτε is 2nd person plural, but Greek also uses the plural form as the polite singular, like French vous.
2. This makes the sentence respectful.
3. In English we often say Can you tell us...?; Greek uses the same pattern very naturally.

No. In this sentence, πείτε is not an imperative.

It is the aorist subjunctive form of λέω after να.

So:

• να πείτε = to say / to tell in this structure
• πείτε! by itself = tell! as an imperative

Why the aorist? Because Greek often uses the aorist subjunctive for a single complete action. Here, telling us is viewed as one complete act.

So:

• μπορείτε να μας πείτε... = can you tell us...
• Πείτε μας... = tell us... (command/request)

Same form, different function depending on whether it is used with να.

Because μας is a weak object pronoun (us), and in Greek these pronouns usually go before the verb in normal finite clauses and in να clauses.

So:

• να μας πείτε = to tell us

This is the normal order.

A very useful contrast is with the imperative:

• Να μας πείτε. = to tell us / that you tell us
• Πείτε μας. = Tell us.

So with an affirmative imperative, the pronoun usually comes after the verb.
With να + verb, it usually comes before.

Yes, and that is exactly why it is used here.

ανάβω can mean:

• light a fire/cigarette
• switch on a device
• come on / be turned on for systems like lights or heating

So ανάβει η θέρμανση means the heating comes on / the heating is turned on.

This is very natural Greek for a central heating system.

English learners sometimes expect something more like opens or starts, but Greek commonly uses ανάβει for heating.

Because Greek, like English, often uses the simple present for:

• regular events
• repeated actions
• schedules
• general arrangements

So πότε ανάβει η θέρμανση; means:

• When does the heating come on?
• At what time is the heating turned on?

This sounds like a question about the building’s usual schedule.

If you wanted to ask about one specific future occasion, Greek could use the future:

• Πότε θα ανάψει η θέρμανση; = When will the heating come on?

So the present here suggests a general routine rather than one single future event.

Because Greek uses the definite article very frequently, often more than English does.

Here η θέρμανση means the heating, referring to the known heating system in that building.

Greek strongly prefers the article in this kind of sentence because the speaker and listener both know which heating is being discussed: the building’s heating.

So:

• η θέρμανση = the heating
• not just heating in a general abstract sense

στην is a contraction of:

• σε
  • την → στην

So:

• σε = in / at / to
• την πολυκατοικία = the apartment building

Together:

• στην πολυκατοικία = in the apartment building

Also, πολυκατοικία is the usual Greek word for a multi-storey apartment building or block of flats.

So the phrase specifies that we are talking about the heating in this apartment building, not somewhere else.

Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

Both are possible, but ανάβει η θέρμανση sounds very natural in this kind of question. Greek often puts the verb first, especially in questions or when introducing the action before the subject.

So:

• πότε ανάβει η θέρμανση; = very natural
• πότε η θέρμανση ανάβει; = possible in theory, but sounds awkward or marked

In everyday Greek, the version in the sentence is the normal one.

Yes. This sentence is polite and appropriate.

It sounds respectful because of two things:

1. Κύριε διαχειριστή — respectful direct address
2. μπορείτε — plural form used as polite singular you

So even if you are speaking to one person, Greek often uses the plural verb form to be polite.

A less formal version might be:

• Μπορείτε να μας πείτε πότε ανάβει η θέρμανση;

A more formal version could be:

• Θα μπορούσατε να μας πείτε πότε ανάβει η θέρμανση στην πολυκατοικία;
  = Could you tell us when the heating comes on in the apartment building?

So the original sentence is polite without sounding overly stiff.