Αν το άλλο κορδόνι είναι τόσο σφιχτό, άσε με να σε βοηθήσω να το λύσεις.

Αν means if.

In this sentence, Αν το άλλο κορδόνι είναι τόσο σφιχτό means If the other lace is so tight.

Greek commonly uses αν + present indicative for a real or possible condition like this. So είναι is just the present tense of είμαι (to be).

This is not a special conditional form like English if it were. It is a straightforward, real condition.

Because κορδόνι is a neuter singular noun.

So everything agrees with it:

• το = the, neuter singular
• άλλο = other, neuter singular
• κορδόνι = lace / string / shoelace

So το άλλο κορδόνι literally means the other lace or the other shoelace, depending on context.

Because it has to agree with κορδόνι, which is neuter singular.

So:

• masculine: σφιχτός
• feminine: σφιχτή
• neuter: σφιχτό

Since κορδόνι is neuter, Greek uses σφιχτό.

Also, τόσο σφιχτό means so tight.

Κορδόνι can mean lace, cord, string, or shoelace, depending on context.

In a sentence like this, many learners will understand it as shoelace, because λύνω often means untie, and a tight lace sounds very natural in that situation.

So the sentence could be understood as:

• If the other shoelace is so tight...

But the word itself is a little broader than just shoelace.

Άσε is the singular imperative of αφήνω (to leave, let), and με means me.

So literally:

• άσε με = leave me / let me

In this sentence it means let me.

This is a very common Greek way to say that. English uses let me + verb, while Greek uses:

• άσε με να...

For example:

• Άσε με να δω. = Let me see.

Modern Greek does not use an infinitive the way English does.

So where English says:

• let me help you

Greek often says something more like:

• let me that I help you

That that I help you part is introduced by να.

So:

• άσε με να σε βοηθήσω = let me help you

After να, the verb is in a subjunctive-type form. In learner-friendly terms, you can think of να as the word Greek often uses where English uses to or an infinitive structure.

Σε means you as an object pronoun.

So:

• βοηθώ / βοηθάω κάποιον = I help someone
• σε βοηθώ = I help you

Therefore:

• να σε βοηθήσω = to help you

Notice that Greek uses the weak pronoun σε before the verb here.

No, they are not future tense here.

After να, Greek chooses aspect, not normal past/present/future time in the way English learners often expect.

Both βοηθήσω and λύσεις are aorist subjunctive forms:

• να σε βοηθήσω = for me to help you
• να το λύσεις = for you to untie it

The aorist here presents the action as a single whole or a completed event. That makes sense in this sentence:

• help you
• untie it

Greek is not emphasizing duration here, just the action as a whole.

Because the subject changes.

• να σε βοηθήσω = for me to help you
• να το λύσεις = for you to untie it

So:

• βοηθήσω ends in -ω = I
• λύσεις ends in -εις = you singular

The idea is:

• Let me help you untie it

Greek expresses that as:

• Let me help you, so that you untie it

If the speaker were going to untie it themselves, you would expect something like να το λύσω instead.

Το means it, and it refers back to το άλλο κορδόνι.

Because κορδόνι is neuter singular, the object pronoun is also το.

So:

• να το λύσεις = to untie it

Greek often uses these short object pronouns very naturally, and here it is necessary because the verb λύσεις needs an object: you untie something.

This is a very common Greek pattern.

Weak object pronouns usually go before the verb, but with an affirmative imperative they usually go after it.

So:

• άσε με = imperative, pronoun after the verb
• να σε βοηθήσω = not imperative, pronoun before the verb
• να το λύσεις = not imperative, pronoun before the verb

That is why the sentence has:

• άσε με but
• σε βοηθήσω
• το λύσεις

It has two main parts:

1. Αν το άλλο κορδόνι είναι τόσο σφιχτό

   • If the other lace is so tight

2. άσε με να σε βοηθήσω να το λύσεις

   • let me help you untie it

A useful way to see the grammar is:

• Αν
  • condition
• άσε με = let me
• να σε βοηθήσω = to help you
• να το λύσεις = to untie it

So the sentence builds step by step:

• If the other lace is so tight, let me help you untie it.