Έχω έννοια γιατί δεν απαντάει στο τηλέφωνο.

I’m worried because she isn’t answering the phone.

Breakdown of Έχω έννοια γιατί δεν απαντάει στο τηλέφωνο.

• δεν: not
• γιατί: because
• έχω έννοια: to worry
• απαντάω στο τηλέφωνο: to answer the phone

Questions & Answers about Έχω έννοια γιατί δεν απαντάει στο τηλέφωνο.

Does έννοια really mean worry here? I thought it meant meaning or notion.

Yes. Έννοια has more than one meaning in Greek.

In expressions like έχω έννοια and μην έχεις έννοια, it means concern, worry, or something on your mind. So Έχω έννοια is an idiomatic way to say I’m worried or I’m concerned.

So this is one of those cases where the noun does not mean its more abstract dictionary sense of concept/notion.

Is Έχω έννοια a natural Greek expression?

Yes, it is natural and understandable.

It is a set expression meaning I’m concerned / I’m worried. A learner should just treat it as an idiomatic phrase rather than translating it word-for-word.

A very common alternative is Ανησυχώ γιατί δεν απαντάει στο τηλέφωνο, which also means I’m worried because he/she isn’t answering the phone.

Why is there no word for he or she before απαντάει?

Because Greek often leaves the subject pronoun out when it is already clear from the verb ending.

απαντάει is third person singular, so it can mean:

• he answers / is answering
• she answers / is answering
• sometimes it answers / is answering, depending on context

This is very normal in Greek. If you add αυτός or αυτή, it usually gives emphasis or contrast.