Breakdown of Απορώ γιατί η συνάντηση αργεί τόσο, αφού όλοι είμαστε εδώ στην ώρα μας.
Questions & Answers about Απορώ γιατί η συνάντηση αργεί τόσο, αφού όλοι είμαστε εδώ στην ώρα μας.
Why does the sentence start with Απορώ? Is the subject I just missing?
Yes. Greek very often omits subject pronouns when the verb ending already shows who the subject is.
- Απορώ = I wonder / I’m puzzled
- The ending -ώ tells you it is 1st person singular: I
So Greek does not need εγώ unless the speaker wants extra emphasis:
- Απορώ... = I wonder...
- Εγώ απορώ... = I’m the one wondering... / I wonder... with emphasis
Also, απορώ often has the sense of being puzzled or finding something strange, not just casually “wondering.”
Why is γιατί used here?
Here γιατί means why and introduces an indirect question:
- Απορώ γιατί... = I wonder why...
Compare:
- Γιατί αργεί η συνάντηση; = Why is the meeting late?
direct question - Απορώ γιατί η συνάντηση αργεί... = I wonder why the meeting is late...
indirect question
So γιατί works both in direct and indirect why questions.
Why is it η συνάντηση and not just συνάντηση?
Greek uses the definite article much more often than English.
- η συνάντηση = the meeting
In a sentence like this, Greek normally wants the article because it refers to a specific meeting already known in the context.
English sometimes drops articles in ways Greek usually does not, so for learners this is very common:
- Greek: η συνάντηση
- English: the meeting
What exactly does αργεί mean here?
Αργεί comes from αργώ. In this sentence it means something like:
- is late
- is running late
- is delayed (depending on context)
So:
- η συνάντηση αργεί = the meeting is late / the meeting is running late
Be careful: αργώ can also mean to be slow or to take a long time in other contexts.
Examples:
- Αργεί το λεωφορείο. = The bus is late.
- Αργεί να έρθει. = He/She is taking a long time to come.
Why is the verb αργεί in the present tense?
Greek uses the present tense here because the delay is seen as a current situation:
- η συνάντηση αργεί = the meeting is currently late / running late
This is very natural in Greek, just as English often says is late rather than has become late.
What does τόσο mean here?
Τόσο means so much / so / this much.
In this sentence:
- αργεί τόσο = is so late / is delayed so much
Greek often uses τόσο with verbs and adjectives to intensify them.
Examples:
- Γιατί αργεί τόσο; = Why is it so late?
- Μιλάει τόσο γρήγορα. = He/She speaks so fast.
So here τόσο strengthens the idea of the delay.
Could you also say καθυστερεί instead of αργεί?
Yes, often you could, but the nuance is a little different.
- αργεί = is late / is running late
- καθυστερεί = is delayed / is being delayed
So:
- Η συνάντηση αργεί. sounds very natural for The meeting is late.
- Η συνάντηση καθυστερεί. sounds a bit more like The meeting is delayed.
Both are possible, but αργεί is very straightforward and conversational here.
What does αφού mean here? I thought it meant after.
That is a very common learner question. Αφού can indeed relate to after, but in many sentences it means since / given that / seeing that.
Here:
- αφού όλοι είμαστε εδώ στην ώρα μας
= since everyone is here on time
or given that everyone is here on time
So in this sentence αφού is not temporal (after), but causal/explanatory.
Compare:
- Αφού φάμε, θα φύγουμε. = After we eat, we’ll leave.
- Αφού είσαι εδώ, έλα μέσα. = Since you’re here, come in.
Context tells you which meaning is intended.
Why is there a comma before αφού?
Because αφού όλοι είμαστε εδώ στην ώρα μας is a subordinate clause giving the reason or explanation.
The comma helps separate:
- main clause: Απορώ γιατί η συνάντηση αργεί τόσο
- explanatory clause: αφού όλοι είμαστε εδώ στην ώρα μας
This is very normal punctuation in Greek.
Why is it όλοι είμαστε? Could it be είμαστε όλοι?
Yes, both are possible.
- όλοι είμαστε εδώ...
- είμαστε όλοι εδώ...
Both mean essentially the same thing: we are all here...
The difference is mostly one of focus/emphasis:
- όλοι είμαστε εδώ puts early emphasis on everyone
- είμαστε όλοι εδώ sounds a bit more neutral in flow
Greek word order is more flexible than English, so changes often affect emphasis more than basic meaning.
Why is όλοι masculine plural? What if the group includes women?
In Greek, the masculine plural is normally used for a mixed-gender group or for people in general.
So:
- όλοι = everyone / all of us for a mixed group or a general group
- όλες would be used if the group were entirely female
This is standard Greek grammar.
Why is it είμαστε and not something like είναι?
Because the clause means we are all here on time.
- είμαστε = we are
- είναι = they/he/she/it is/are
The subject here is understood as we from the context of όλοι plus the speaker being part of the group:
- όλοι είμαστε εδώ = all of us are here
So the speaker includes themselves in the group.
What is the role of εδώ in the sentence?
Εδώ means here.
So:
- όλοι είμαστε εδώ = everyone is here
Then Greek adds:
- στην ώρα μας = on time
Together:
- όλοι είμαστε εδώ στην ώρα μας = everyone is here on time
So εδώ tells you the people are physically present, while στην ώρα μας tells you they arrived punctually.
What does στην ώρα μας mean exactly?
It is an idiomatic expression meaning:
- on time
- at the proper time
- punctually
Breakdown:
- στην = contraction of σε + την
- ώρα = time / hour
- μας = our
Literally it looks like at our time, but idiomatically it means on time.
Very common expressions:
- Είμαι στην ώρα μου. = I’m on time.
- Ήρθαμε στην ώρα μας. = We arrived on time.
Why is it μας in στην ώρα μας?
Because the expression changes with the person:
- στην ώρα μου = on my time / on time
- στην ώρα σου = on your time
- στην ώρα του/της = on his/her time
- στην ώρα μας = on our time
In this sentence the subject is we, so Greek uses:
- στην ώρα μας = on time for us
It is a fixed and very common Greek pattern.
Why is ώρα in the form ώρα after στην?
Because στην comes from σε + την, and σε takes the accusative case.
So the full structure is:
- σε την ώρα μας → στην ώρα μας
The noun ώρα has:
- nominative: η ώρα
- accusative: την ώρα
That is why you see στην ώρα, not στη ώρα or some other form.
Is στην ώρα μας the only way to say on time?
No, but it is one of the most common and natural ways.
Other possibilities include:
- έγκαιρα = on time / in time / promptly
- χωρίς καθυστέρηση = without delay
But in everyday speech, στην ώρα μου/σου/του/μας... is extremely common when talking about arriving or being punctual.
So in this sentence, εδώ στην ώρα μας sounds very natural.
Could the sentence be said without μας, as στην ώρα?
Usually στην ώρα μας is the more natural expression when the subject is a person or group.
- Είμαστε στην ώρα μας. = natural
- Είμαστε στην ώρα. = less natural in this meaning
Greek normally uses the possessive pronoun in this idiom.
Does Απορώ sound strong? Is it like I’m surprised?
It can sound a bit stronger than plain I wonder, depending on tone and context.
Απορώ often suggests:
- I’m puzzled
- I find it strange
- I can’t understand why
So the sentence is not just asking a neutral question. It also suggests mild surprise or confusion:
- Απορώ γιατί η συνάντηση αργεί τόσο... = I wonder / I’m puzzled why the meeting is so late...
Is the whole sentence formal or informal?
It is neutral and natural Greek. It works well in everyday speech and in writing.
Nothing in it is especially slangy or highly formal:
- Απορώ is standard
- η συνάντηση αργεί τόσο is standard
- αφού όλοι είμαστε εδώ στην ώρα μας is standard and natural
So this is the kind of sentence a native speaker could easily say in real life.
Could the word order be changed without changing the meaning much?
Yes. Greek allows a fair amount of word-order flexibility.
For example, you could also hear:
- Απορώ γιατί αργεί τόσο η συνάντηση, αφού όλοι είμαστε εδώ στην ώρα μας.
- Αφού όλοι είμαστε εδώ στην ώρα μας, απορώ γιατί η συνάντηση αργεί τόσο.
These versions keep the same core meaning, but the focus shifts a little:
- placing η συνάντηση earlier highlights the meeting
- placing the αφού clause first highlights the reason first
The original version is perfectly natural.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning GreekMaster Greek — from Απορώ γιατί η συνάντηση αργεί τόσο, αφού όλοι είμαστε εδώ στην ώρα μας 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