Αν δεν ποτίζεις το λουλούδι συχνά, το χώμα μένει χωρίς νερό.

the water

Breakdown of Αν δεν ποτίζεις το λουλούδι συχνά, το χώμα μένει χωρίς νερό.

• δεν: not
• μένω: to stay
• αν: if

Questions & Answers about Αν δεν ποτίζεις το λουλούδι συχνά, το χώμα μένει χωρίς νερό.

Why does the sentence start with Αν? Is that just if?

Yes. Αν means if.

In this sentence, Αν δεν ποτίζεις το λουλούδι συχνά... introduces the condition: If you don’t water the flower often...

A useful point: Greek uses αν in many kinds of if clauses. Here it introduces a general, repeated situation, not a one-time future event.

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Why is the verb ποτίζεις in the present tense? Why not a future or subjunctive form?

Because this sentence describes a general truth / habitual situation:

• Αν δεν ποτίζεις το λουλούδι συχνά, το χώμα μένει χωρίς νερό.
• If you don’t water the flower often, the soil remains without water.

Greek often uses the present tense in both parts of the sentence for things that happen regularly or are generally true.

Here ποτίζεις is:

• 2nd person singular
• present tense
• active voice

So it means you water / you are watering, but in this sentence the natural sense is you water (habitually).

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What exactly does ποτίζεις mean grammatically?