θέλω for wants: θέλω + a noun in the accusative (θέλω έναν καφέ), θέλω να + a conjugated verb (θέλω να πάω, θέλω να έρθεις), and the polite θα ήθελα.
Can say what I want and what I want to do, say what I want someone else to do, and order politely with θα ήθελα
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Θέλω να μάθω ελληνικά!
I want to learn Greek!
Θέλεις να πάμε για φρέντο στην πλατεία;
Shall we go for a freddo in the square?
Θα ήθελα ένα τραπέζι για δύο, παρακαλώ.
I'd like a table for two, please.
Η μαμά θέλει να έρθεις νωρίς το Πάσχα.
Mum wants you to come early at Easter.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
θέλω (thélo) is "I want", one of the first verbs you need in Greece: at a café counter, at a kiosk, or when a friend asks what you feel like doing tonight. With a noun it works much as in English. With a second verb it needs the small word να (na), because Modern Greek does not put an infinitive after θέλω: the second verb is conjugated like any other.
Romanisation follows today's pronunciation, with the stressed vowel marked: th = θ as in "think", dh = δ as in "this", ch = χ as in Scottish "loch", gh = γ (y before e and i sounds).
| Person | Present | Past (imperfect) |
|---|---|---|
| εγώ | θέλω (thélo) I want | ήθελα (íthela) I wanted |
| εσύ | θέλεις (thélis) | ήθελες (ítheles) |
| αυτός / αυτή / αυτό | θέλει (théli) | ήθελε (íthele) |
| εμείς | θέλουμε (théloume) | θέλαμε (thélame) |
| εσείς | θέλετε (thélete) | θέλατε (thélate) |
| αυτοί / αυτές / αυτά | θέλουν, θέλουνε (théloun, théloune) | ήθελαν (íthelan) |
The past takes the augment ή- where it is stressed: ήθελα, but θέλαμε.
No να here: the thing you want follows the verb, in the accusative.
After θέλω να the second verb carries its own person ending. With the same subject both endings match: θέλω να πάω (I want to go), θέλεις να πας (you want to go), θέλουν να μείνουν (they want to stay).
With a different subject Greek simply changes the ending of the second verb. This is how it says "I want you to...": Θέλω να έρθεις. (thélo na érthis) - I want you to come. There is no word for "you" in between: the ending -εις says it.
The verb after να has the same two forms as after θα. One action takes the perfective: Θέλω να πιω ένα ποτήρι νερό. (thélo na pyo) - I want to drink a glass of water. A habit takes the present stem: Θέλω να μαθαίνω δέκα λέξεις τη μέρα. - I want to learn ten words a day.
Iced coffee is a fixture of the Greek summer, and you order it with its sugar level: σκέτος (no sugar), μέτριος (medium), γλυκός (sweet). Θέλω έναν φρέντο καπουτσίνο μέτριο is a sentence you will say many times between Corfu and Rhodes.
English has two patterns, "I want to go" and "I want you to go". Greek has one for both: θέλω να + a conjugated verb. The word order transfers; θέλω + a noun works like "want" + a noun. What does not transfer is the unchanging "go": after θέλω Greek conjugates the second verb, and it puts no object pronoun before να.
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesWhen a verb follows θέλω, use να + a conjugated verb: Θέλω να πάω, not *Θέλω πάω. Both verbs carry the person: θέλω να πάει means 'I want him to go'. 'I want you to come' is Θέλω να έρθεις, with no pronoun before να (*Θέλω σε να έρθεις). Before a noun there is no να: Θέλω έναν καφέ, not *Θέλω να έναν καφέ. 'I would like' is θα ήθελα; θα θέλω means 'I will want'.
Leaving out να before the second verb (*Θέλω πάω)
A verb after θέλω needs να: Θέλω να πάω.
The wrong person on the verb after να (*Θέλω να πάει for "I want to go")
Same subject, same person: Θέλω να πάω; θέλω να πάει means "I want him to go".
Adding an object pronoun for "I want you to" (*Θέλω σε να έρθεις)
The ending of the second verb shows the person: Θέλω να έρθεις.
Using θα θέλω for "I would like", or να before a noun (*Θέλω να έναν καφέ)
Polite: θα ήθελα. Before a noun no να: Θέλω έναν καφέ.
Θέλω να μάθω ελληνικά!
I want to learn Greek!
θέλω να + μάθω: the second verb is conjugated too (εγώ), in its perfective form.
Θέλεις να πάμε για φρέντο στην πλατεία;
Shall we go for a freddo in the square?
Θέλεις να πάμε...; is an invitation: θέλεις (you want) + πάμε (we go).
Θα ήθελα ένα τραπέζι για δύο, παρακαλώ.
I'd like a table for two, please.
θα ήθελα is the polite "I would like"; the noun follows with no να.
Η μαμά θέλει να έρθεις νωρίς το Πάσχα.
Mum wants you to come early at Easter.
Two subjects: θέλει (mum) + έρθεις (you). Greek has no "you" word in between.
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Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises