Δυσκολεύομαι να μιλάω ελληνικά όταν είμαι πολύ κουρασμένος.

Δυσκολεύομαι means I have difficulty, I find it hard, or I struggle.

It is:

• 1st person singular: I
• present tense
• a mediopassive/deponent-style verb form in Modern Greek

The dictionary form is δυσκολεύομαι. Even though it looks like a passive form, here it has an active meaning: I struggle / I have difficulty.

So:

• Δυσκολεύομαι να μιλάω ελληνικά = I find it hard to speak Greek

In Greek, να is commonly used before a verb to introduce something like:

• to ...
• a subordinate action
• something wanted, possible, attempted, etc.

After δυσκολεύομαι, Greek normally uses να + verb:

• Δυσκολεύομαι να καταλάβω = I struggle to understand
• Δυσκολεύομαι να θυμηθώ = I struggle to remember

So in your sentence:

• Δυσκολεύομαι να μιλάω ελληνικά = I have difficulty speaking Greek

English often uses to speak or speaking, but Greek typically uses να + finite verb here.

Modern Greek does not use the infinitive the way English does.

Instead of saying:

• to speak

Greek usually says:

• να μιλάω

So μιλάω here is a normal verb form, not an infinitive. Specifically, it is the 1st person singular present subjunctive-type form used after να.

That is why Greek says:

• θέλω να μιλήσω = I want to speak
• μπορώ να μιλάω = I can speak / be speaking
• δυσκολεύομαι να μιλάω = I have difficulty speaking

This is a very common learner question.

Greek often has two aspect choices after να:

• μιλάω = imperfective aspect
• μιλήσω = perfective aspect

Very roughly:

• να μιλάω focuses on an ongoing, repeated, or general activity
• να μιλήσω focuses more on a single completed act

In this sentence, the speaker means they generally have difficulty speaking Greek as an activity, especially when tired. So να μιλάω is natural.

Compare:

• Δυσκολεύομαι να μιλάω ελληνικά
  = I have difficulty speaking Greek in general / as an ongoing activity

• Δυσκολεύομαι να μιλήσω ελληνικά τώρα
  = I’m finding it hard to speak Greek right now / to manage to say it

So μιλάω fits the general meaning better here.

Ελληνικά here means Greek as a language.

In Greek, names of languages are often expressed with the neuter plural form of the adjective:

• ελληνικά = Greek
• αγγλικά = English
• γαλλικά = French
• γερμανικά = German

So:

• Μιλάω ελληνικά = I speak Greek
• Μιλάω αγγλικά = I speak English

Even though it looks plural, it is the normal way to refer to the language.

When talking about speaking a language after verbs like μιλάω, Greek usually does not use the article.

So you normally say:

• Μιλάω ελληνικά
• Μιλάει ισπανικά
• Ξέρεις γαλλικά;

This is similar to English:

• I speak Greek not
• I speak the Greek

όταν means when.

It introduces a time clause:

• όταν είμαι πολύ κουρασμένος = when I am very tired

So the full sentence has two parts:

• Δυσκολεύομαι να μιλάω ελληνικά = I struggle to speak Greek
• όταν είμαι πολύ κουρασμένος = when I am very tired

Together:

• I struggle to speak Greek when I am very tired

είμαι means I am.

Since the subject is I, Greek uses the 1st person singular:

• είμαι = I am
• είσαι = you are
• είναι = he/she/it is

So:

• όταν είμαι πολύ κουρασμένος = when I am very tired

The subject I is not repeated because Greek often leaves subject pronouns out when the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

Yes. κουρασμένος agrees with the person’s gender and number.

Here it is masculine singular, so it would normally be used by a male speaker.

Forms:

• κουρασμένος = masculine singular
• κουρασμένη = feminine singular
• κουρασμένο = neuter singular

So:

• A man says: είμαι πολύ κουρασμένος
• A woman says: είμαι πολύ κουρασμένη

This is very common in Greek with adjectives and participle-like forms.

It is historically a participle, but in everyday learning terms you can treat it very much like an adjective meaning tired.

It behaves like an adjective:

• it agrees in gender and number
• it is used with είμαι

Examples:

• Είμαι κουρασμένος = I am tired
• Είναι κουρασμένη = She is tired
• Είμαστε κουρασμένοι = We are tired

So for practical purposes, thinking of it as an adjective is perfectly helpful.

Greek usually drops subject pronouns when they are not needed.

The verb forms already show the subject:

• Δυσκολεύομαι = I struggle
• είμαι = I am

So εγώ is unnecessary unless you want emphasis or contrast.

For example:

• Δυσκολεύομαι να μιλάω ελληνικά = normal, neutral
• Εγώ δυσκολεύομαι να μιλάω ελληνικά = I struggle to speak Greek, perhaps unlike someone else

This is one of the biggest differences from English, where subject pronouns are usually required.

Yes, Greek word order is often more flexible than English, though some orders sound more natural than others.

The original sentence:

• Δυσκολεύομαι να μιλάω ελληνικά όταν είμαι πολύ κουρασμένος

A different but still natural order could be:

• Όταν είμαι πολύ κουρασμένος, δυσκολεύομαι να μιλάω ελληνικά.

This puts more focus on the when part first:

• When I am very tired, I struggle to speak Greek.

Both are correct. The choice depends on emphasis and style.

It most naturally describes a general tendency or habitual situation:

• I find it hard to speak Greek when I’m very tired.

The present tense in Greek often covers this kind of general meaning.

It could also be used in a current conversation if the speaker means something true right now, but by itself it sounds broader and more general than a single one-time event.

Yes, you could, but the meaning shifts slightly.

• να μιλάω = difficulty with the ongoing activity of speaking Greek
• να μιλήσω = difficulty managing to speak Greek, more like a single act or successful performance

So:

• Δυσκολεύομαι να μιλάω ελληνικά όταν είμαι πολύ κουρασμένος
  = I generally struggle with speaking Greek when I’m very tired

• Δυσκολεύομαι να μιλήσω ελληνικά όταν είμαι πολύ κουρασμένος
  = I have trouble managing to speak Greek when I’m very tired

The first is usually the more natural choice for a broad statement about language ability under certain conditions.

A female speaker would say:

Δυσκολεύομαι να μιλάω ελληνικά όταν είμαι πολύ κουρασμένη.

The only change is:

• κουρασμένος → κουρασμένη

Everything else stays the same.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

Dhiskolévome na miláo elliniká ótan íme polí kurasménos

A few useful notes:

• δ sounds like th in this
• θ sounds like th in think
• γ before κ, γ, χ, ξ is often like an n-sound; in ελληνικά you do not need to worry too much at first
• αι sounds like e in met
• ου sounds like oo in food

The stress marks are important:

• δυσκολεύομαι
• μιλάω
• ελληνικά
• όταν
• είμαι
• πολύ
• κουρασμένος

A few very useful patterns are:

• Δυσκολεύομαι να... = I struggle to...
• μιλάω ελληνικά = I speak Greek
• όταν είμαι... = when I am...
• πολύ κουρασμένος / κουρασμένη = very tired

You can reuse them easily:

• Δυσκολεύομαι να θυμάμαι λέξεις. = I struggle to remember words.
• Δυσκολεύομαι να καταλαβαίνω γρήγορα ελληνικά. = I struggle to understand Greek quickly.
• Όταν είμαι κουρασμένος, κάνω λάθη. = When I’m tired, I make mistakes.