Σήμερα δεν ξυρίζομαι, γιατί το καινούριο ξυράφι δεν κόβει καλά.

ξυρίζομαι is the usual way to say I shave / I am shaving myself in Modern Greek.

• ξυρίζω usually means I shave someone/something
• ξυρίζομαι means I shave myself

So Greek uses a middle/passive-looking form where English simply says I shave.

Examples:

• Ξυρίζω τον πατέρα μου. = I shave my father.
• Ξυρίζομαι κάθε πρωί. = I shave every morning.

This is very common in Greek with personal grooming verbs.

In Modern Greek, the present tense is often used for actions connected with today, right now, or a near decision in the present.

So:

• Σήμερα δεν ξυρίζομαι literally looks like Today I do not shave / am not shaving
• In natural English, that may come out as I’m not shaving today or even I won’t shave today

Greek does not need a special future form here, because σήμερα already sets the time clearly.

δεν is the normal negation word for verbs in Modern Greek. It means not.

It goes directly before the verb:

• δεν ξυρίζομαι = I am not shaving
• δεν κόβει = it doesn’t cut

In this sentence, it appears twice because both clauses are negative:

• Σήμερα δεν ξυρίζομαι
• το καινούριο ξυράφι δεν κόβει καλά

Here γιατί means because.

So:

• Σήμερα δεν ξυρίζομαι, γιατί... = I’m not shaving today, because...

Important: γιατί can also mean why in questions.

Examples:

• Γιατί δεν ξυρίζεσαι; = Why aren’t you shaving?
• Δεν ξυρίζομαι, γιατί δεν κόβει καλά. = I’m not shaving, because it doesn’t cut well.

So the same word can mean either why or because, depending on context.

Because ξυράφι is a neuter singular noun, so the article and adjective must match it.

Breakdown:

• το = neuter singular the
• καινούριο = neuter singular form of new
• ξυράφι = razor, a neuter noun

Greek adjectives agree with the noun in:

• gender
• number
• case

So you get:

• ο καινούριος ... for masculine
• η καινούρια ... for feminine
• το καινούριο ... for neuter

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

The adjective καινούριος / καινούρια / καινούριο changes form depending on the noun:

• καινούριος = masculine
• καινούρια = feminine
• καινούριο = neuter

Since ξυράφι is neuter, the correct form is καινούριο.

Yes, το νέο ξυράφι is also correct.

Both καινούριο and νέο can mean new, but there is often a slight difference:

• καινούριο often emphasizes brand-new, unused
• νέο can mean new in a broader sense, including recent or another/newly introduced

In everyday speech, both can work here:

• το καινούριο ξυράφι = the brand-new razor
• το νέο ξυράφι = the new razor

Literally, it means it does not cut well.

With a razor, this is a very natural Greek way to say that it is:

• dull
• ineffective
• not giving a close shave

So Greek expresses the problem through the verb κόβω = cut.

Examples:

• Το μαχαίρι δεν κόβει καλά. = The knife doesn’t cut well.
• Το ψαλίδι δεν κόβει πια. = The scissors don’t cut anymore.

Because καλά here is an adverb, not an adjective.

• καλός / καλή / καλό = good as an adjective
• καλά = well as an adverb

In the sentence, καλά describes how the razor cuts:

• δεν κόβει καλά = it doesn’t cut well

Compare:

• καλό ξυράφι = a good razor
• κόβει καλά = it cuts well

Because ξυρίζομαι already means I shave myself. The idea of the person receiving the action is built into the verb form.

So Greek does not need to add something like myself.

If you want to specify the body part, you can:

• Ξυρίζω τα γένια μου. = I shave my beard
• Ξυρίζω το πρόσωπό μου. = I shave my face

But by itself, ξυρίζομαι is perfectly complete.

Yes. Greek word order is fairly flexible, though not random.

The sentence as given is very natural:

• Σήμερα δεν ξυρίζομαι, γιατί το καινούριο ξυράφι δεν κόβει καλά.

You could also hear:

• Δεν ξυρίζομαι σήμερα, γιατί το καινούριο ξυράφι δεν κόβει καλά.

The difference is mostly emphasis:

• Σήμερα first emphasizes today
• putting δεν ξυρίζομαι first emphasizes the action

In neutral speech, the original version sounds very natural.

Yes, ξυράφι is a neuter noun.

Its basic singular forms are:

• nominative: το ξυράφι
• genitive: του ξυραφιού
• accusative: το ξυράφι

Plural:

• τα ξυράφια

Because it is neuter, words that go with it must match:

• το καινούριο ξυράφι
• ένα καλό ξυράφι
• τα καινούρια ξυράφια

A rough pronunciation guide is:

SEE-me-ra den ksee-REE-zo-me, ya-TEE to ke-NOO-rio ksee-RA-fi den KO-vi ka-LA.

A few useful notes:

• ξ sounds like ks
• γιατί sounds like ya-TEE
• ξυρίζομαι has the stress on -ρί-
• ξυράφι has the stress on -ρά-
• καλά has the stress on the last syllable

The written accents show exactly where the stress goes.

Yes, and it changes the nuance a little.

• Σήμερα δεν ξυρίζομαι = I’m not shaving today / I don’t shave today
• Σήμερα δεν θα ξυριστώ = I won’t shave today

The version with δεν θα ξυριστώ sounds a bit more like a future decision or statement.
The present-tense version sounds very natural in everyday Greek and is often used for plans or decisions about the current day.

The dictionary forms are:

• ξυρίζομαι → dictionary form: ξυρίζομαι
• κόβει → dictionary form: κόβω

For κόβω:

• κόβω = I cut
• κόβει = he/she/it cuts

So in this sentence:

• το ξυράφι δεν κόβει καλά = the razor doesn’t cut well

For ξυρίζομαι, the form in the sentence is already the 1st person singular:

• ξυρίζομαι = I shave / I am shaving myself