Δεν ξέρω αν είναι να έρθει σήμερα ή αύριο, γιατί τυχαίνει να έχει πολλές συναντήσεις αυτή την εβδομάδα.

Breakdown of Δεν ξέρω αν είναι να έρθει σήμερα ή αύριο, γιατί τυχαίνει να έχει πολλές συναντήσεις αυτή την εβδομάδα.

είμαι
to be
ή
or
αυτός
this
έχω
to have
δεν
not
να
to
σήμερα
today
αύριο
tomorrow
γιατί
because
ξέρω
to know
έρχομαι
to come
πολύς
many
η συνάντηση
the meeting
η εβδομάδα
the week
αν
whether
τυχαίνω
to happen

Questions & Answers about Δεν ξέρω αν είναι να έρθει σήμερα ή αύριο, γιατί τυχαίνει να έχει πολλές συναντήσεις αυτή την εβδομάδα.

What does αν mean here?
Here αν means whether / if and introduces an indirect question after Δεν ξέρω. So the structure is the Greek equivalent of I don’t know if/whether....
Is αν είναι να one fixed expression in this sentence?

Not really, at least not primarily. The sentence is best understood as:

Δεν ξέρω αν... = I don’t know whether...

and then inside that clause:

είναι να έρθει = is supposed / expected / due to come

So αν belongs with δεν ξέρω, while είναι να έρθει is its own structure.

What does είναι να έρθει mean exactly?

This is an idiomatic pattern: είμαι να + verb.

It often means:

  • to be supposed to
  • to be expected to
  • to be scheduled to
  • to be due to

So είναι να έρθει is not just a plain future like will come. It suggests some plan, arrangement, expectation, or scheduled idea.

Why is it έρθει and not έρχεται?

Because after να, Greek normally uses the subjunctive.

So:

  • να έρθει = subjunctive
  • έρχεται = indicative present

Also, έρθει is the aorist subjunctive form of έρχομαι. Here the aorist does not mean past time. It shows perfective aspect, meaning the coming is viewed as a single whole event.

So να έρθει fits the idea of to come on one occasion, not an ongoing or repeated action.

Why not just use θα έρθει?

Because θα έρθει and είναι να έρθει are not exactly the same.

  • θα έρθει = he/she will come
    This is a straightforward future statement or prediction.

  • είναι να έρθει = he/she is supposed / expected / scheduled to come
    This adds the idea of arrangement, expectation, or plan.

So the sentence is not just talking about future time; it is talking about when the person is supposed to come.

What does τυχαίνει να mean?

Τυχαίνει να + verb is a common expression meaning:

  • to happen to
  • it so happens that

So τυχαίνει να έχει πολλές συναντήσεις means something like he/she happens to have many meetings.

The verb τυχαίνει comes from τυχαίνω, which is related to things happening by chance or coinciding.

Why is it να έχει after τυχαίνει?

Because τυχαίνει is commonly followed by να + subjunctive.

So the pattern is:

τυχαίνει να κάνει κάτι = to happen to do something

With έχω, the 3rd-person singular present subjunctive looks the same as the present indicative:

  • indicative: έχει
  • subjunctive: να έχει

So the important marker here is να.

Why is there no subject pronoun like αυτός or αυτή?

Greek very often leaves subject pronouns out when they are understood from context. This is normal and very common.

So instead of saying: Δεν ξέρω αν αυτός / αυτή είναι να έρθει...

Greek simply says: Δεν ξέρω αν είναι να έρθει...

The verb form tells you it is 3rd person singular, and the context tells you who that person is.

What is going on with πολλές συναντήσεις?

πολλές συναντήσεις means many meetings.

Grammatically:

  • συναντήσεις is the accusative plural of συνάντηση
  • πολλές agrees with it in gender, number, and case

This is the direct object of έχει, because the person has many meetings.

Why is it αυτή την εβδομάδα and not αυτή η εβδομάδα?

Because this is a time expression, and Greek often uses the accusative for expressions like this week, this month, all day, and so on.

So:

  • αυτή η εβδομάδα = this week as a subject
  • αυτή την εβδομάδα = this week as a time expression, meaning during this week

That is why both αυτή and την appear in the accusative feminine singular form.

What does γιατί mean here?

Here γιατί means because and introduces the reason clause.

So it explains the reason for the uncertainty.

Be careful: γιατί can also mean why in questions. Greek uses the same word for both:

  • Γιατί έφυγες; = Why did you leave?
  • Έφυγα γιατί κουράστηκα. = I left because I got tired.

In this sentence, it clearly means because.

Why are σήμερα and αύριο used without articles or prepositions?

Because σήμερα and αύριο are adverbs of time, like today and tomorrow in English.

So Greek simply says:

  • σήμερα = today
  • αύριο = tomorrow

No article is needed.

What does the last clause explain exactly?

The clause γιατί τυχαίνει να έχει πολλές συναντήσεις αυτή την εβδομάδα explains why the speaker doesn’t know whether it is today or tomorrow.

In other words, the many meetings make the schedule uncertain. So the reason clause is connected to Δεν ξέρω more than to the act of coming itself.

AI Language TutorTry it ↗
Your avatar
What's the best way to learn Greek grammar?
Greek grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Greek

Master Greek — from Δεν ξέρω αν είναι να έρθει σήμερα ή αύριο, γιατί τυχαίνει να έχει πολλές συναντήσεις αυτή την εβδομάδα to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • AI tutor to answer your grammar questions