Παρόλο που είχα πολλά νεύρα το πρωί, προσπάθησα να μιλήσω με ευγένεια.

Παρόλο που is a conjunction meaning although, even though, or despite the fact that. It introduces a clause that contrasts with what happens in the main clause.

In this sentence, the contrast is:

• Παρόλο που είχα πολλά νεύρα το πρωί = a difficult or negative situation
• προσπάθησα να μιλήσω με ευγένεια = what the speaker still did anyway

So the structure is basically:

Although X, I still did Y.

Yes. Παρόλο που is commonly used as a fixed expression meaning although / even though.

A learner does not usually need to analyze it word by word. It is best learned as one unit that introduces a concessive clause.

You may also sometimes see παρ’ όλο που, especially in more careful or older-style writing, but παρόλο που is very common in Modern Greek.

Είχα is the imperfect of έχω and means I had.

Here it is used because the speaker is describing a state or condition that was going on in the past: they were feeling tense, irritated, or on edge during the morning.

The imperfect is very common for:

• background situations
• ongoing states
• repeated actions in the past

So είχα πολλά νεύρα το πρωί presents the mood as a past situation that existed at that time.

Literally, yes, it looks like I had many nerves, but that is not how it should be understood in English.

Έχω νεύρα or έχω πολλά νεύρα is an idiomatic Greek expression. It usually means something like:

• I was very irritated
• I was angry
• I was on edge
• I was very tense

So this is a good example where a word-for-word translation can be misleading.

Yes, but the nuance is a little different.

• είχα πολλά νεύρα often suggests being irritated, worked up, angry, or edgy
• ήμουν νευρικός means I was nervous or I was tense, and can sound less idiomatic in this context

So είχα πολλά νεύρα is often a more natural way to express emotional agitation or irritation.

Greek often uses the article plus a time word adverbially:

• το πρωί = in the morning
• το βράδυ = in the evening / at night
• το μεσημέρι = at noon / at midday

So το πρωί functions as a time expression by itself. English needs in, but Greek usually does not here.

The comma separates the subordinate clause introduced by Παρόλο που from the main clause.

So the sentence has this structure:

• subordinate clause: Παρόλο που είχα πολλά νεύρα το πρωί
• main clause: προσπάθησα να μιλήσω με ευγένεια

This comma is very natural and standard in Greek when a clause like this comes first.

Προσπάθησα is the aorist of προσπαθώ and means I tried.

The aorist is used because the speaker presents the trying as a single whole action in the past.

Compare:

• προσπάθησα = I tried, viewed as one complete attempt
• προσπαθούσα = I was trying, emphasizing duration or repeated effort

So in this sentence, the speaker is simply saying that they made the effort to speak politely.

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

Instead, Greek uses:

να + subjunctive form

So:

• προσπάθησα να μιλήσω = I tried to speak

Here:

• να introduces the subordinate verb
• μιλήσω is the subjunctive form used after να

This is one of the most important structural differences between Greek and English.

Μιλήσω is the aorist subjunctive form of μιλάω / μιλώ.

After να, Greek often chooses between:

• an aorist form for a single, complete action
• a present form for an ongoing or repeated action

So:

• να μιλήσω = to speak, viewed as one whole act
• να μιλάω = to be speaking / to speak continually or habitually

In this sentence, να μιλήσω fits because the speaker means they tried to speak in a polite way, treating the speaking as one overall action.

Με ευγένεια literally means with politeness or with courtesy.

Yes, Greek could also use the adverb ευγενικά, meaning politely.

So both are possible:

• να μιλήσω με ευγένεια
• να μιλήσω ευγενικά

The version with με ευγένεια can sound slightly more formal or more focused on the quality of politeness as a noun, but both are natural.

Because Greek usually leaves subject pronouns out when they are not needed.

The verb endings already show the person:

• είχα = I had
• προσπάθησα = I tried

So εγώ would only be added for emphasis or contrast, for example if the speaker wanted to stress I, not someone else.

This is very normal in Greek and is one of the first things English speakers have to get used to.

Yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

For example, you could also say:

Προσπάθησα να μιλήσω με ευγένεια, παρόλο που είχα πολλά νεύρα το πρωί.

That would still be correct. The main difference is emphasis:

• putting Παρόλο που... first highlights the difficult circumstance first
• putting Προσπάθησα... first highlights the speaker’s effort first

Both are natural, but the original sentence gives a strong sense of contrast right from the beginning.