Ρώτησα τη λογίστρια πότε να πληρώσω τον φόρο, για να μην έχω πάλι χρέος.

Ρώτησα is the aorist form of ρωτάω / ρωτώ (to ask). Here it means I asked.

Greek often uses the aorist for a single completed action in the past, so ρώτησα presents the asking as one whole event. In this sentence, the speaker is talking about one specific time they asked the accountant something.

Because λογίστρια is the direct object of ρώτησα.

• η λογίστρια = the accountant as the subject
• τη(ν) λογίστρια = the accountant as the object

So:

• Η λογίστρια ρώτησε... = The accountant asked...
• Ρώτησα τη λογίστρια... = I asked the accountant...

The article changes because Greek marks grammatical case more clearly than English does.

Τη is just the shortened form of την before a consonant.

So these are the same article here:

• την λογίστρια
• τη λογίστρια

In everyday Greek, dropping the final -ν is very common before many consonants. Before vowels, and in some other environments, the -ν is more likely to stay.

Because after verbs like ask, Greek often uses an indirect question with να when the meaning is when I should / when to do something.

So:

• Ρώτησα τη λογίστρια πότε να πληρώσω τον φόρο
  = I asked the accountant when to pay the tax / when I should pay the tax

This is not just a neutral future statement. It has the sense of seeking guidance or instruction.

If you said πότε θα πληρώσω, that would sound more like when I will pay, which is a different idea.

It is να + aorist subjunctive.

• πληρώσω is the aorist subjunctive form of πληρώνω (to pay)
• να is the particle that introduces the subjunctive

In this sentence, πότε να πληρώσω means something like:

• when to pay
• when I should pay

Greek uses this structure very naturally where English often uses an infinitive (to pay) or should.

Because πληρώσω is the aorist form, and it views the action as one complete event.

Paying a tax is usually seen as a single completed act, so the aorist is the natural choice:

• να πληρώσω = to pay / to make the payment
• να πληρώνω would suggest something more repeated, ongoing, or habitual

So here, πληρώσω fits the idea of making the payment at the right time.

Because φόρος (tax) is also a direct object, so it appears in the accusative:

• ο φόρος = the tax (subject form)
• τον φόρο = the tax (object form)

So:

• Ο φόρος είναι υψηλός = The tax is high
• Πληρώνω τον φόρο = I pay the tax

Again, Greek marks the role of the noun with case and article changes.

Για να means in order to.

It introduces a purpose clause, explaining why the speaker asked the accountant when to pay the tax:

• για να μην έχω πάλι χρέος = so that I won’t have debt again = in order not to owe again

So the structure is:

• main action: I asked the accountant
• purpose: so that I wouldn’t be in debt again

Because μη(ν) is used to negate subjunctive and similar non-indicative structures, while δεν negates the indicative.

Since για να is followed by the subjunctive, the negative must be μην:

• για να μην έχω = so that I won’t have
• not για να δεν έχω

A useful rule:

• δεν = negates statements of fact
• μη(ν) = negates subjunctive, commands, wishes, and purpose clauses

Because Greek often leaves out the article with abstract or general nouns when the meaning is debt in a broad sense.

So έχω χρέος here means:

• I have debt
• I’m in debt
• I owe money

If you added an article, it could sound more specific depending on context. Without the article, it feels more general and natural in this sentence.

Also, be aware that χρέος can sometimes mean duty or obligation, but here the context clearly points to debt.

Πάλι means again.

It tells you that this is not the first time the speaker has had this problem. So:

• να μην έχω πάλι χρέος = so that I won’t be in debt again

It adds an emotional or practical nuance: the speaker wants to avoid repeating the same mistake or situation.

Greek word order is more flexible than English word order, because case endings and articles show grammatical roles clearly.

This sentence is perfectly natural as written:

• Ρώτησα τη λογίστρια πότε να πληρώσω τον φόρο, για να μην έχω πάλι χρέος.

But some parts could move for emphasis, especially in speech. For example, πάλι could sometimes shift position depending on what the speaker wants to stress.

Still, the given order is very normal and easy to understand:

1. main verb
2. object
3. indirect question
4. purpose clause

The comma separates the main part of the sentence from the purpose clause.

Main part:

• Ρώτησα τη λογίστρια πότε να πληρώσω τον φόρο

Purpose:

• για να μην έχω πάλι χρέος

In Greek punctuation, commas are often used to make sentence structure clearer, especially when an extra clause explains purpose, reason, or result. Even when punctuation can vary a little by style, the comma here is very natural.