Με το λεωφορείο κάνω περισσότερη ώρα να φτάσω στο κέντρο όταν έχει κίνηση.

In Greek, με + accusative is very commonly used to show the means or method of doing something.

So:

• Με το λεωφορείο = by bus
• literally: with the bus

This is a normal Greek way to talk about transport. You will also see:

• με το αυτοκίνητο = by car
• με το τρένο = by train
• με το μετρό = by metro

So even though English says by, Greek often uses με, which literally looks more like with.

Greek often uses the definite article with means of transport, where English usually does not.

So Greek prefers:

• με το λεωφορείο = by bus

rather than a bare noun.

Using με λεωφορείο is not impossible in all contexts, but με το λεωφορείο is the most natural everyday phrasing here.

This is something English speakers often notice because English says:

• by bus
• by car

without the.

Greek does not work the same way.

Yes, κάνω very often means do or make, but in some expressions it has a different idiomatic meaning.

Here, κάνω ώρα να... means:

• to take time to...
• to spend time before...
• to be a while before...

So:

• κάνω περισσότερη ώρα να φτάσω = I take longer to arrive

This is a very common Greek structure.

Compare:

• Κάνω ώρα να ετοιμαστώ. = It takes me a while to get ready.
• Έκανα πολλή ώρα να τον βρω. = It took me a long time to find him.

So you should learn κάνω ώρα να + verb as a set expression.

Greek often expresses this idea differently from English.

English commonly says:

• It takes me longer to get downtown.

Greek very naturally says:

• Κάνω περισσότερη ώρα να φτάσω...
• literally: I do/make more time to arrive...

So Greek uses I as the subject, not a dummy subject like English it.

There is also a Greek structure closer to English:

• Μου παίρνει περισσότερη ώρα να φτάσω... = It takes me longer to arrive...

Both are possible, but κάνω περισσότερη ώρα να... is very natural.

Because ώρα is a feminine noun, and περισσότερος / περισσότερη / περισσότερο must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

Here:

• ώρα = feminine singular
• so we need περισσότερη

Forms:

• περισσότερος = masculine
• περισσότερη = feminine
• περισσότερο = neuter

So:

• περισσότερη ώρα = more time / longer
• περισσότερος χρόνος = more time
• περισσότερο νερό = more water

Yes, ώρα literally means hour, but in many expressions it also means time in a more general sense.

So:

• κάνω ώρα = I take a long time / I’m a while
• περισσότερη ώρα = more time / longer

This is very idiomatic Greek.

A similar English thing happens when we say for hours, which may not always mean a precise number of hours.

Greek could also use χρόνο in some contexts, especially in a structure like:

• Μου παίρνει περισσότερο χρόνο...

But with κάνω ... να, ώρα is especially common and natural.

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

English says:

• to arrive
• to get there

Greek normally uses:

• να + finite verb

So:

• να φτάσω = literally something like that I arrive / for me to arrive
• natural English meaning: to arrive

This is one of the biggest differences between English and Greek grammar.

So instead of an infinitive, Greek says:

• θέλω να πάω = I want to go
• μπορώ να έρθω = I can come
• κάνω ώρα να φτάσω = I take time to arrive

Because after να, Greek often makes an aspect choice, and here the sentence uses the aorist subjunctive form φτάσω.

The difference is roughly:

• να φτάσω = to arrive, to reach the destination as a completed event
• να φτάνω = to be arriving / to arrive repeatedly or as an ongoing process

In this sentence, the focus is on the result: reaching the center. So φτάσω is the natural choice.

Compare:

• Θέλω να φτάσω νωρίς. = I want to arrive early.
• Μου αρέσει να φτάνω νωρίς. = I like arriving early / I like to arrive early.

So φτάσω fits the one completed arrival event.

Στο κέντρο is σε + το κέντρο.

So:

• σε
  • το = στο

The noun κέντρο literally means center, but in everyday Greek it often means:

• the city center
• downtown

In this sentence, στο κέντρο most naturally means to the city center / downtown.

Because the verb is φτάσω (arrive), English translates it as to the center, even though Greek uses σε for several ideas that English separates into in, at, and to.

Greek σε + accusative covers a wider range than English in / at / to.

For example:

• είμαι στο σπίτι = I am at home / in the house
• πάω στο σπίτι = I am going home / to the house

So Greek does not change the preposition the way English does. The verb and context tell you whether the meaning is location or direction.

In your sentence:

• φτάσω στο κέντρο

means arrive at / get to the center, so in English we naturally say to the center or downtown.

Literally, it means:

• when it has traffic

This may sound strange in English, but it is very natural in Greek.

The phrase έχει κίνηση means:

• there is traffic
• traffic is heavy
• the roads are busy

Here κίνηση means traffic, although its basic meaning is movement.

So:

• όταν έχει κίνηση = when there is traffic / when traffic is bad

No. Κίνηση has a broader basic meaning: movement.

Depending on context, it can mean:

• movement
• motion
• activity
• traffic

But in road/travel contexts, έχει κίνηση almost always means:

• there’s traffic
• traffic is heavy

So in this sentence, no Greek speaker would misunderstand it.

Greek word order is more flexible than English word order, and the first part of the sentence often shows the topic or what the speaker wants to emphasize.

Starting with:

• Με το λεωφορείο

puts focus on the means of transport, as if saying:

• By bus, it takes me longer...
• When I go by bus, it takes me longer...

A more neutral order could also be:

• Κάνω περισσότερη ώρα να φτάσω στο κέντρο με το λεωφορείο όταν έχει κίνηση.

But the original order sounds very natural and helps frame the comparison.

Good question. Greek comparatives often leave the second part understood from context.

So κάνω περισσότερη ώρα means:

• I take more time
• I take longer

but the comparison may be implicit, for example:

• longer than usual
• longer than by another means of transport
• longer when there is traffic

Because the sentence starts with Με το λεωφορείο, the listener may understand a comparison like:

• compared with another way of going
• or compared with normal conditions

Greek does not always need to spell this out.

Most naturally, it sounds like a general or habitual statement.

That comes from:

• the present tense κάνω
• the present tense έχει
• the use of όταν = when / whenever

So the sentence means something like:

• Whenever there is traffic, it takes me longer to get downtown by bus.

It does not sound like one single event happening right now, unless the wider context makes that clear.

Yes. A few natural alternatives are:

• Μου παίρνει περισσότερη ώρα να φτάσω στο κέντρο με το λεωφορείο όταν έχει κίνηση.
• Με το λεωφορείο αργώ περισσότερο να φτάσω στο κέντρο όταν έχει κίνηση.
• Όταν έχει κίνηση, κάνω περισσότερη ώρα να φτάσω στο κέντρο με το λεωφορείο.

These are all natural, but the original sentence is perfectly good Greek.

The differences are mostly about style, emphasis, and rhythm, not basic meaning.