Ζητώ συγγνώμη για την αργοπορία, αλλά το λεωφορείο έμεινε πολλή ώρα στη στάση.

Yes. Ζητώ συγγνώμη literally means I ask for forgiveness / I ask pardon, but in normal English we usually translate it as I’m sorry or I apologize.

A few useful points:

• ζητώ = I ask / I seek
• συγγνώμη = forgiveness / pardon / sorry

So Greek often uses a more literal ask forgiveness structure where English would simply say sorry.

You will also hear:

• Συγγνώμη = Sorry / Excuse me
• Ζητώ συγγνώμη = a bit fuller and sometimes more formal

Both are correct. They are two common present-tense forms of the same verb:

• ζητώ
• ζητάω

Both mean I ask / I seek.

Many Greek verbs have this kind of double form in the present tense. In everyday speech, one speaker may prefer one form and another speaker the other. In this sentence, ζητώ συγγνώμη sounds natural and slightly more fixed as an expression.

Because in this expression, συγγνώμη is used without an article as part of the fixed phrase ζητώ συγγνώμη.

That is very normal in Greek. You do not need τη/την here.

Compare:

• Ζητώ συγγνώμη. = I’m sorry / I apologize.
• Η συγγνώμη είναι σημαντική. = Forgiveness is important.

In the second example, συγγνώμη is being treated more like a regular noun, so the article can appear.

Because για means for here, and it is followed by the accusative case.

So:

• για = for
• την αργοπορία = the delay / the lateness

This is a very common pattern in Greek:

• Συγγνώμη για το λάθος. = Sorry for the mistake.
• Ευχαριστώ για τη βοήθεια. = Thank you for the help.

After για, the noun normally goes in the accusative.

It can mean either, depending on context.

• αργοπορία = lateness, delay, being late

In this sentence, English would most naturally say Sorry for the delay or Sorry I’m late, depending on the situation.

The word comes from the idea of being late:

• αργός = slow
• αργοπορώ = to be late / to delay

So την αργοπορία is basically the lateness/delay.

Because λεωφορείο is a neuter singular noun, so it takes the neuter singular article το.

• το λεωφορείο = the bus

Greek nouns have grammatical gender:

• masculine
• feminine
• neuter

Here:

• λεωφορείο is neuter
• so the article is το

μένω can mean I live, but it also means I stay / I remain.

So:

• μένω στην Αθήνα = I live in Athens
• μένω στο σπίτι = I stay at home
• έμεινε στη στάση = it stayed/remained at the stop

In this sentence, το λεωφορείο έμεινε πολλή ώρα στη στάση means the bus stayed or was held up at the stop for a long time.

So the meaning is not the bus lived at the stop, of course, but the bus remained there.

Because έμεινε is past tense (specifically the aorist), while μένει is present tense.

• μένει = it stays / it is staying
• έμεινε = it stayed / it remained

The sentence is explaining a completed past event: the bus stayed at the stop for a long time. That is why Greek uses έμεινε.

The aorist is very common in Greek for simple past actions.

Because ώρα is a feminine noun, and here πολλή is acting like an adjective agreeing with it.

• πολλή = feminine singular
• ώρα = feminine singular
• so: πολλή ώρα

This phrase means a long time.

Compare:

• πολλή ώρα = a long time
• πολύ νερό = a lot of water (neuter noun)
• πολύ καλός is wrong if you mean adjective agreement; you would say πολύ καλός only if πολύ is an adverb meaning very, as in very good

In this sentence, πολλή means much/a lot of, not very, so it agrees with ώρα.

It is in the accusative singular.

The phrase πολλή ώρα works adverbially and means for a long time, but grammatically ώρα is still a noun phrase in the accusative.

You can think of it like this:

• έμεινε πολλή ώρα = it stayed for a long time

Greek often uses an accusative expression of duration like this.

Because στη is the contracted form of σε τη(ν).

So:

• σε + τη → στη
• σε + το → στο
• σε + την → often also στην

Here:

• στη στάση = at the stop

This contraction is extremely common in everyday Greek and is what you would normally say.

Here, στάση means stop, specifically a bus stop.

So:

• στη στάση = at the stop

Be careful, because στάση can also mean:

• stance
• attitude
• stop/pause
• station/stop in transport contexts

In this sentence, because of το λεωφορείο, the meaning is clearly bus stop.

Yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

The sentence as written is perfectly natural:

• ...αλλά το λεωφορείο έμεινε πολλή ώρα στη στάση.

But Greek could move things around for emphasis, for example:

• ...αλλά έμεινε πολλή ώρα στη στάση το λεωφορείο.
• ...αλλά στη στάση έμεινε πολλή ώρα το λεωφορείο.

These alternatives are possible, but the original version is the most neutral and straightforward.

Greek often changes word order to emphasize:

• the subject
• the place
• the duration
• contrast

Yes, in this sentence it works exactly like but.

• αλλά = but

It introduces a contrast or explanation:

• Sorry for the delay, but the bus stayed a long time at the stop.

So the speaker is apologizing and then giving the reason.

Yes, absolutely. That is very natural.

• Συγγνώμη για την αργοπορία. = Sorry for the delay.
• Ζητώ συγγνώμη για την αργοπορία. = I apologize for the delay.

The version with ζητώ sounds a bit fuller or slightly more formal. The shorter version is very common in everyday speech.

A simple pronunciation guide:

• Ζητώ συγγνώμη
  roughly: zee-TOH see-GHNOH-mee

• για την αργοπορία
  roughly: ya teen ar-go-po-REE-a

• αλλά το λεωφορείο
  roughly: a-LA to le-o-fo-REE-o

• έμεινε πολλή ώρα στη στάση
  roughly: EH-mee-ne po-LEE O-ra stee STA-see

A few notes:

• γγν in συγγνώμη can be tricky; learners often just aim for a smooth signómi / syngnómi-type sound at first.
• Stress matters a lot in Greek:
  • ζητώ
  • συγγνώμη
  • αργοπορία
  • λεωφορείο
  • πολλή
  • στάση

It is mostly neutral.

• Ζητώ συγγνώμη is a bit more polished than just συγγνώμη
• the rest of the sentence is normal everyday Greek

So overall it sounds like a natural, polite explanation someone might give in ordinary conversation, in a message, or in a workplace situation.