Breakdown of Αποκλείεται να σαπίσουν οι ρίζες.
να
to
η ρίζα
root
σαπίζω
to rot
αποκλείεται
impossible; no way
Questions & Answers about Αποκλείεται να σαπίσουν οι ρίζες.
What does Αποκλείεται mean here?
Here Αποκλείεται means It’s impossible, There’s no way, or Out of the question.
In everyday Greek, it is very often used as an impersonal expression:
- Αποκλείεται. = No way. / Impossible.
- Αποκλείεται να... = It’s impossible that... / There’s no way ...
So in Αποκλείεται να σαπίσουν οι ρίζες, the speaker is saying that the roots rotting is considered impossible.
Why does Αποκλείεται end in -εται? Is it passive?
Yes, formally it is a middle/passive form of the verb αποκλείω.
- αποκλείω = exclude, rule out
- αποκλείεται literally has the sense of is ruled out
That is why the whole expression works like:
- Αποκλείεται να σαπίσουν οι ρίζες.
- Literally: It is ruled out that the roots rot
- Natural English: It’s impossible for the roots to rot
So even though it looks like a passive verb form, in this sentence it functions as a very common fixed impersonal expression.
Why is να used after Αποκλείεται?