Breakdown of Του χρωστάω ακόμα δέκα ευρώ, αλλά είπε ότι η πληρωμή μπορεί να γίνει και αύριο.
Questions & Answers about Του χρωστάω ακόμα δέκα ευρώ, αλλά είπε ότι η πληρωμή μπορεί να γίνει και αύριο.
What does του mean here, and why is it not his?
Here του means to him.
With verbs like χρωστάω (to owe), Greek uses the weak genitive pronoun for the person who receives/is owed something:
- Του χρωστάω δέκα ευρώ. = I owe him ten euros.
So in this sentence, του is not possessive (his). It is the indirect object: to him.
Why does του come before χρωστάω?
Because weak object pronouns in Greek normally come before the finite verb in ordinary statements.
So:
- Του χρωστάω = I owe him
- Της μίλησα = I spoke to her
- Μου είπε = He/She told me
This is very normal Greek word order. English puts the object after the verb (I owe him), but Greek often puts these short pronouns before it.
What does χρωστάω mean, and is χρωστώ also correct?
χρωστάω means I owe.
Yes, χρωστώ is also correct. Both forms are used in Modern Greek:
- χρωστάω
- χρωστώ
In everyday speech, χρωστάω is extremely common. The meaning is the same here.
So:
- Του χρωστάω δέκα ευρώ.
- Του χρωστώ δέκα ευρώ.
Both mean I owe him ten euros.
Why is there no subject pronoun for I or he?
Greek usually drops subject pronouns when they are not needed, because the verb ending already shows the person and number.
- χρωστάω = I owe
- είπε = he/she said
So Greek does not need to say εγώ (I) or αυτός/αυτή (he/she) unless there is emphasis or contrast.
For example:
- Εγώ του χρωστάω, όχι εσύ. = I owe him, not you.
In your sentence, the subjects are understood from the verbs.
What does ακόμα mean here?
Here ακόμα means still.
So:
- Του χρωστάω ακόμα δέκα ευρώ = I still owe him ten euros
It shows that the debt has not been settled yet.
Also, ακόμα can sometimes mean yet, even, or any more, depending on context. In this sentence, still is the right idea.
Could ακόμα go in a different place?
Yes, but the meaning or emphasis can change.
In your sentence:
- Του χρωστάω ακόμα δέκα ευρώ = I still owe him ten euros
If you say:
- Του χρωστάω δέκα ευρώ ακόμα
that can sound more like I owe him ten euros more / another ten euros.
So placement matters. In this sentence, ακόμα before δέκα ευρώ is understood as still rather than an additional amount.
Why is it δέκα ευρώ and not a different plural form?
Because ευρώ is normally indeclinable in Modern Greek in this kind of expression.
So you say:
- ένα ευρώ
- δύο ευρώ
- δέκα ευρώ
The form ευρώ stays the same.
This is completely normal for money amounts.
What tense is είπε, and why is it used instead of έλεγε?
είπε is the aorist of λέω and means he/she said.
The aorist is used here because it refers to a single completed act of saying:
- είπε ότι... = he/she said that...
By contrast, έλεγε is the imperfect and would suggest something like:
- was saying
- used to say
- kept saying
So είπε is the natural choice if the speaker is referring to one statement made at one point in time.
What does ότι mean here? Is it the same as πως?
Here ότι means that and introduces reported speech:
- είπε ότι... = said that...
In many cases, ότι and πως are interchangeable:
- Είπε ότι θα έρθει.
- Είπε πως θα έρθει.
Both mean He/She said that he/she will come.
A useful warning: do not confuse ότι (that) with ό,τι (whatever / anything that). In writing, ό,τι has a comma.
Why does Greek say η πληρωμή with the article?
Greek uses the definite article much more often than English, including with abstract nouns and event nouns.
So η πληρωμή literally means the payment, but in English we might simply say payment.
This phrase sounds natural and slightly impersonal/formal:
- η πληρωμή μπορεί να γίνει = the payment can be made
Greek often prefers this kind of noun phrase where English might choose a verb phrase.
What does μπορεί να γίνει literally mean?
Literally, it means can happen / can take place / can be done.
The verb γίνομαι has a broad meaning range, including:
- happen
- become
- take place
- be done (in certain contexts)
So:
- η πληρωμή μπορεί να γίνει
means something like - the payment can be made
- the payment can take place
In natural English, can be made is the best fit here.
Why is it να γίνει and not να γίνεται?
This is about aspect.
After μπορεί να, Greek uses a subjunctive form. Then you choose between:
- να γίνει = perfective / aorist aspect
- να γίνεται = imperfective aspect
Here να γίνει is used because the payment is seen as one complete event:
- η πληρωμή μπορεί να γίνει αύριο = the payment can be made tomorrow
If you used να γίνεται, it would suggest something more repeated, ongoing, or habitual, which does not fit this context well.
So να γίνει is the natural form for a single payment.
What does και αύριο mean exactly here?
Here και αύριο means something like:
- tomorrow too
- even tomorrow
- tomorrow is also possible
So the idea is not simply tomorrow, but tomorrow would also be acceptable.
Compare:
- Η πληρωμή μπορεί να γίνει αύριο. = The payment can be made tomorrow.
- Η πληρωμή μπορεί να γίνει και αύριο. = The payment can be made tomorrow too / even tomorrow.
The και adds a sense of extra allowance or flexibility.
Is the word order fixed in this sentence?
Not completely. Greek word order is fairly flexible, but different orders change the focus or emphasis.
Your sentence:
- Του χρωστάω ακόμα δέκα ευρώ, αλλά είπε ότι η πληρωμή μπορεί να γίνει και αύριο.
is very natural.
But Greek could also say things like:
- Ακόμα του χρωστάω δέκα ευρώ...
- Δέκα ευρώ του χρωστάω ακόμα...
These versions are possible, but they highlight different parts of the message.
So the sentence is not rigidly fixed, but the given order sounds smooth and neutral.
Why does the sentence use η πληρωμή μπορεί να γίνει instead of a more direct verb like μπορώ να πληρώσω?
Because Greek often uses a noun + γίνομαι structure to sound a bit more neutral, formal, or impersonal.
Compare:
- Μπορώ να πληρώσω και αύριο. = I can pay tomorrow too.
- Η πληρωμή μπορεί να γίνει και αύριο. = The payment can be made tomorrow too.
The sentence you have sounds less personal and slightly more detached, as if talking about the payment as a matter to be arranged rather than focusing on I pay.
Both are possible, but they do not sound exactly the same.
Does είπε definitely mean he said, because earlier we have του?
Not by itself. είπε only tells you that the subject is third person singular:
- he said
- she said
- sometimes it said, depending on context
Greek does not mark gender in that verb form.
So strictly speaking, είπε could mean he said or she said. In context, learners often translate it as he said because earlier του suggests a male person being talked about, but the verb itself does not force that reading.
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