Συχνά πετυχαίνω τον γείτονά μου στον πεζόδρομο το απόγευμα.

Yes, πετυχαίνω can mean succeed, achieve, or hit the target, depending on context.

In this sentence, though, πετυχαίνω κάποιον means:

• I run into someone
• I come across someone
• I happen to meet someone

So πετυχαίνω τον γείτονά μου means I run into my neighbor.

This is a very common everyday use of the verb when the object is a person.

Because πετυχαίνω takes a direct object, and direct objects in Greek usually go in the accusative case.

The dictionary form is:

• ο γείτονας = the neighbor (nominative)

But after the verb, it becomes accusative:

• τον γείτονα = the neighbor (as object)

With μου added, you get:

• τον γείτονά μου = my neighbor

So the sentence uses the correct object form.

This happens because μου is an enclitic word, meaning it often leans on the word before it.

Greek often adds or preserves an accent in such cases for pronunciation and stress clarity. So:

• γείτονα becomes
• γείτονά μου

This does not change the meaning. It is just the normal written accent pattern when an enclitic like μου follows.

Here μου means my.

Greek often uses the same form for:

• to me
• my

depending on context.

In τον γείτονά μου, it is a possessive weak pronoun, so it means:

• my neighbor

Literally, Greek structures this more like the neighbor of me, but in natural English it is simply my neighbor.

Greek usually keeps the definite article even when English might just use a possessive.

So Greek says:

• τον γείτονά μου = literally the neighbor my

but naturally:

• my neighbor

This is completely normal in Greek. You will often see:

• ο φίλος μου = my friend
• η αδερφή μου = my sister
• το σπίτι μου = my house

The article is not optional here in normal usage.

στον is a contraction of:

• σε + τον → στον

It means:

• in the
• at the
• on the depending on context

So:

• στον πεζόδρομο = on/in the pedestrian street

This kind of contraction is extremely common in Greek:

• στο = σε + το
• στη / στην = σε + τη(ν)
• στους = σε + τους

ο πεζόδρομος is a pedestrian street, pedestrian walkway, or car-free street.

In the sentence, it appears in the accusative after σε:

• στον πεζόδρομο

Even though English might say on the pedestrian street or in the pedestrian zone, Greek uses this noun naturally for a place where people walk and where you might run into someone.

Greek often expresses parts of the day as time expressions without a preposition.

So:

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

So το απόγευμα here simply means in the afternoon.

English uses a preposition, but Greek often does not.

Συχνά means often, and Greek has fairly flexible word order.

Putting συχνά first gives it a natural emphasis, something like:

• Often, I run into my neighbor...

But other word orders are also possible, for example:

• Πετυχαίνω συχνά τον γείτονά μου στον πεζόδρομο το απόγευμα.

That also sounds natural.

So the beginning position does not change the basic meaning; it mainly affects emphasis and rhythm.

Yes, πετυχαίνω is present tense, first person singular:

• I run into / I meet

In this sentence, because of συχνά (often), it clearly describes a habitual or repeated action, not something happening at this exact moment.

So the sense is:

• I often run into my neighbor...

Greek present tense is commonly used for habits and general repeated situations, just like English present simple.

Greek verbs already contain a lot of grammatical information inside the verb form itself.

πετυχαίνω already tells you:

• the tense/aspect: present/imperfective
• the person: first person
• the number: singular

So Greek does not need an extra helping verb like English do for ordinary statements.

The sentence is complete with just:

• πετυχαίνω = I meet / I run into

No, not in normal context.

When πετυχαίνω is followed by a person as a direct object, the natural meaning is I run into / I meet by chance.

If the meaning were succeed, Greek would usually use a different structure, for example:

• πετυχαίνω κάτι = I achieve something
• πετυχαίνω τον στόχο μου = I achieve my goal

So here, with τον γείτονά μου, the meaning is clearly about encountering a person.

Often, yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English, as long as the case endings and articles make the relationships clear.

For example, these are all possible with slightly different emphasis:

• Συχνά πετυχαίνω τον γείτονά μου στον πεζόδρομο το απόγευμα.
• Τον γείτονά μου τον πετυχαίνω συχνά στον πεζόδρομο το απόγευμα.
• Το απόγευμα πετυχαίνω συχνά τον γείτονά μου στον πεζόδρομο.

The most neutral version is usually the original or something close to it. Changes in order usually affect focus more than basic meaning.

Greek uses the definite article more often than English does.

In this sentence:

• τον πεζόδρομο = the pedestrian street
• το απόγευμα = literally the afternoon, but idiomatically in the afternoon

Greek often keeps the article in expressions where English may use no article or a preposition-based phrase. This is just part of normal Greek usage, not extra emphasis.

Yes.

The forms show that the neighbor is grammatically masculine singular:

• τον = masculine accusative singular article
• γείτονας = masculine noun
• γείτονά = accusative form here before μου

If the neighbor were feminine, the phrase would be different, for example:

• τη γειτόνισσά μου = my female neighbor

So the sentence specifically refers to a male neighbor, or at least uses the masculine noun.

A useful breakdown is:

• Συχνά = adverb of frequency
• πετυχαίνω = verb
• τον γείτονά μου = direct object
• στον πεζόδρομο = place expression
• το απόγευμα = time expression

So the structure is roughly:

Often + I run into + my neighbor + on the pedestrian street + in the afternoon

That can help you see how the sentence is built, even though Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.