Δεν γίνεται να μείνουμε έξω όταν έχει τόση ομίχλη, οπότε γυρίζουμε σπίτι, πίνουμε τσάι σε μια μεγάλη κούπα και κοιτάμε το κάδρο πάνω από τον καναπέ.

Δεν γίνεται να is a very common Greek expression meaning it’s not possible to..., you can’t..., or it won’t do to....

• γίνεται literally comes from γίνομαι = to happen / to become
• But in this impersonal expression, γίνεται means something like it can be done or it’s possible

So:

• Δεν γίνεται να μείνουμε έξω = We can’t stay outside / It’s not possible for us to stay outside

It is not usually translated word-for-word as it doesn’t happen to. It is an idiomatic everyday phrase.

Because μείνουμε is the aorist subjunctive form of μένω (to stay / remain), and after να, Greek often uses this form when talking about a single complete action.

Here the idea is:

• to stay outside as one whole event or decision

So:

• να μείνουμε = to stay
• να μένουμε would sound more like to be staying / to stay habitually / continuously, depending on context

In this sentence, the speaker means we can’t stay outside now, so the aorist subjunctive μείνουμε is the natural choice.

Yes. After να, Greek uses the subjunctive system rather than an infinitive, because Modern Greek no longer has an infinitive in the way English does.

So where English says:

• to stay
• to drink
• to look

Greek often says:

• να μείνουμε
• να πιούμε
• να κοιτάξουμε

In this sentence, δεν γίνεται να μείνουμε literally works like it isn’t possible that we stay, but in natural English it becomes we can’t stay.

Έξω means outside.

So:

• να μείνουμε έξω = to stay outside

It can also mean out in other contexts:

• Βγες έξω. = Go outside.
• Είναι έξω. = He/She is outside.

Here it simply contrasts being outdoors with going back home.

In Greek, weather and atmospheric conditions are often expressed with έχει (it has / there is) rather than with a verb like to be.

So:

• έχει ομίχλη = it’s foggy / there is fog
• έχει ζέστη = it’s hot
• έχει κρύο = it’s cold
• έχει ήλιο = it’s sunny

Therefore:

• όταν έχει τόση ομίχλη = when there is so much fog / when it’s this foggy

This is very natural Greek.

Τόση means so much or this much.

It changes form to agree with the noun it describes. Here the noun is:

• ομίχλη = fog
• feminine singular

So we get:

• τόση ομίχλη = so much fog

Other forms include:

• τόσος for masculine singular
• τόση for feminine singular
• τόσο for neuter singular
• τόσοι / τόσες / τόσα for plurals

Examples:

• τόσος θόρυβος = so much noise
• τόση βροχή = so much rain
• τόσο νερό = so much water

Οπότε here means so, therefore, or as a result.

It connects the cause and the result:

• There is so much fog
• so we go home

So:

• οπότε γυρίζουμε σπίτι = so we head back home

Be aware that οπότε can also mean when, depending on context, but here it clearly means so / therefore.

Both can exist, but σπίτι often behaves a bit specially in Greek, like home in English.

Compare English:

• We go home
• not usually We go to the home

Similarly in Greek:

• γυρίζουμε σπίτι = we return home
• πάμε σπίτι = we go home

Using στο σπίτι is possible in some contexts, but σπίτι without article or preposition is very common when the meaning is simply home as a destination.

So γυρίζουμε σπίτι sounds very natural.

They are in the 1st person plural present:

• γυρίζουμε = we return / we’re returning
• πίνουμε = we drink / we’re drinking
• κοιτάμε = we look / we’re looking

Greek present tense can often correspond to either:

• the English simple present
• or the English present continuous

depending on context.

Here it gives a vivid, natural description of what happens next:

• so we go home, drink tea..., and look at...

It can sound a bit like English narrative present: describing a scene as it unfolds.

Because τσάι here is a mass noun used in a general, indefinite sense, just like English often says drink tea rather than drink a tea.

So:

• πίνουμε τσάι = we drink tea

If you added an article, it would usually make the noun more specific:

• πίνουμε το τσάι = we drink the tea (a specific tea already known)

Without the article, it just means tea in general.

It means in a big mug.

Breaking it down:

• σε = in
• μια = a / one
• μεγάλη = big
• κούπα = mug

So:

• πίνουμε τσάι σε μια μεγάλη κούπα = we drink tea in a big mug

Depending on context, English might also say from a big mug, but Greek commonly uses σε here.

Yes. Greek adjectives agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

Here:

• κούπα is feminine singular
• so μεγάλος becomes μεγάλη

That gives:

• μια μεγάλη κούπα = a big mug

This is standard adjective agreement in Greek.

Κάδρο usually means a framed picture, frame, or something displayed in a frame.

In this sentence:

• κοιτάμε το κάδρο = we look at the framed picture / the picture frame

Depending on context, it could refer to:

• the frame itself
• or the picture in the frame

A learner should know that κάδρο is more specific than a general English word like picture. It suggests something framed and hanging or displayed.

It means above the sofa.

Breaking it down:

• πάνω από = above / over
• τον καναπέ = the sofa

So:

• το κάδρο πάνω από τον καναπέ = the framed picture above the sofa

This phrase tells you where the κάδρο is located.

Because από takes the accusative in Modern Greek when used in expressions like this.

The noun is:

• ο καναπές = the sofa (nominative)

But after πάνω από, it becomes:

• τον καναπέ (accusative)

So:

• πάνω από τον καναπέ = above the sofa

This is normal Greek case usage after prepositions of this kind.

Yes. The sentence is a chain of natural spoken Greek clauses:

• Δεν γίνεται να μείνουμε έξω
• όταν έχει τόση ομίχλη,
• οπότε γυρίζουμε σπίτι,
• πίνουμε τσάι σε μια μεγάλη κούπα
• και κοιτάμε το κάδρο πάνω από τον καναπέ.

It moves very naturally from:

1. impossibility
2. reason
3. result
4. a sequence of actions

This kind of flowing structure is very common in everyday Greek, especially in descriptive or narrative language.