Μπορείτε να μου πείτε από ποια πύλη αναχωρεί η πτήση για τη Ρώμη;

In Greek, ; is the normal question mark.

So:

• Greek ; = English ?

The symbol that looks like a semicolon in English is not a semicolon in Greek punctuation. The Greek semicolon is actually a raised dot: · or ·.

Μπορείτε is the second-person plural form, but Greek also uses it as a polite singular.

So it can mean:

• you when speaking politely to one person
• you when speaking to more than one person

That is why it is a very common form in service situations, such as airports, hotels, or shops.

You would usually say:

Μπορείς να μου πεις από ποια πύλη αναχωρεί η πτήση για τη Ρώμη;

The main changes are:

• Μπορείτε → Μπορείς
• πείτε → πεις

Everything else stays the same.

After μπορώ / μπορείτε followed by another verb, Greek normally uses να + a subjunctive form.

So:

• Μπορείτε να μου πείτε = Can you tell me

English uses an infinitive idea here, but Modern Greek does not use an infinitive in this way. Instead, it uses να plus the verb.

That is because λέω is irregular.

In the subjunctive and imperative, it often uses forms based on πω:

• να πω
• να πεις
• να πείτε

So να μου πείτε is the normal way to say to tell me in this sentence.

This is very common Greek behavior: some high-frequency verbs have forms that do not obviously resemble the dictionary form.

μου means to me.

It is a short weak pronoun, often called a clitic. In normal statements and questions, these pronouns usually come before the verb:

• μου λέτε
• μου δίνετε
• μου πείτε

So να μου πείτε means to tell me.

A useful contrast:

• Μπορείτε να μου πείτε... = Can you tell me...
• Πείτε μου... = Tell me...

With an affirmative imperative, the pronoun usually comes after the verb.

Because από means from, and the question is asking from which gate.

A few grammar points are working together here:

• πύλη is a feminine singular noun
• ποια must agree with it, so it is also feminine singular
• after από, Greek uses the accusative

In this case, the feminine singular accusative looks the same as the nominative, so you still see:

• ποια πύλη

πύλη is the standard Greek word for gate, including an airport gate.

You may sometimes hear γκέιτ in informal speech, especially in travel contexts, but πύλη is the normal and safest word to learn and use.

αναχωρεί means departs, and it is especially common in formal travel language:

• airports
• train stations
• ferry schedules
• announcements

φεύγει is more everyday and means leaves / goes away.

So both can be understood, but αναχωρεί sounds more like the kind of Greek you see on airport screens or hear in announcements.

Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

In English, you strongly expect:

• the flight departs

In Greek, it is very common for the subject to come after the verb, especially in neutral information questions:

• αναχωρεί η πτήση

That sounds natural. Greek can do this because the verb ending already gives useful grammatical information.

Greek uses the definite article more often than English.

Here η πτήση means the flight, referring to a specific flight. In Greek, keeping the article is natural and expected.

So:

• η πτήση για τη Ρώμη = the flight to Rome

Leaving out η here would sound unnatural in an ordinary sentence.

Here για means something like for / to, in the sense of bound for.

So:

• η πτήση για τη Ρώμη = the flight to Rome

Also:

• Ρώμη is feminine
• after για, Greek uses the accusative
• the feminine accusative article is την, often shortened to τη before a consonant

So both of these are possible:

• για τη Ρώμη
• για την Ρώμη

για τη Ρώμη is very common.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

bo-REE-te na moo PEE-te a-PO PYA PEE-lee a-na-kho-REE i PTI-see ya ti RO-mee

A few useful notes:

• χ in αναχωρεί is like the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach
• η, ι, and υ are all pronounced like ee
• πτήση begins with pt-, and both sounds are pronounced
• για sounds like ya