Breakdown of Σήμερα δεν έχω ούτε καν δέκα λεπτά ελεύθερα, γι’ αυτό θα σου απαντήσω αργότερα.
έχω
to have
δεν
not
σήμερα
today
το λεπτό
the minute
Questions & Answers about Σήμερα δεν έχω ούτε καν δέκα λεπτά ελεύθερα, γι’ αυτό θα σου απαντήσω αργότερα.
Why does the sentence begin with Σήμερα?
Σήμερα means today, and it works as an adverb of time. Greek often puts time words near the beginning of the sentence to set the scene first.
So:
- Σήμερα δεν έχω... = Today I don’t have...
This is very natural in Greek, just like in English. You could move it, but the original order sounds completely normal and emphasizes today as the relevant time frame.
Why is it δεν έχω and not just έχω with some other negative word later?
Greek normally negates the verb directly with δεν.
- έχω = I have
- δεν έχω = I do not have / I don’t have
So the negative starts at the verb. After that, Greek can add other negative-style expressions such as ούτε καν for stronger emphasis.
What does ούτε καν mean here?
ούτε καν means not even.
In this sentence:
- δεν έχω ούτε καν δέκα λεπτά ελεύθερα
= I don’t even have ten free minutes
It strengthens the idea: the speaker is so busy that they do not have even that small amount of time.
A useful breakdown:
- ούτε = not even / neither
- καν = adds emphasis, something like even at all
Together, ούτε καν is a very common phrase meaning not even.