Conjunctions Overview | Greek Grammar

Conjunctions tell the listener how two pieces fit together. Coordinating conjunctions link pieces of equal grammatical status—two nouns, two descriptions, or two complete clauses. Subordinating conjunctions make one clause dependent on another and label it as a fact, time, cause, purpose, condition, or other relation.

Coordination: linking equals

The most frequent coordinators are και “and,” ή “or,” αλλά “but,” όμως “however/but,” and ούτε “nor/not even.” They do not make one linked element part of the other; both remain on the same structural level.

Η Άννα αγόρασε ψωμί και γάλα.

i Ána aghórase psomí ke ghála

Anna bought bread and milk.

Θα έρθεις σήμερα ή αύριο;

tha érthis símera i ávrio;

Will you come today or tomorrow?

Θέλω να έρθω, αλλά δουλεύω μέχρι αργά.

thélo na értho, alá dhulévo méchri arghá

I want to come, but I'm working until late.

Ήταν κουρασμένη, όμως συνέχισε.

ítan kurazméni, ómos sinéchise

She was tired, but she carried on.

Δεν έχει ούτε χρόνο ούτε χρήματα.

dhen échi úte chróno úte chrímata

He has neither time nor money.

The first example coordinates two objects; the third and fourth coordinate two clauses. Αλλά normally stands at the boundary before the contrasting element. Όμως is more mobile and can also appear later in its clause. The full system, including paired και…και, ή…ή, ούτε…ούτε, belongs to coordinating conjunctions.

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Use a structural test: if each side could perform the same job by itself, you probably have coordination. In ψωμί και γάλα, either noun can be the object of αγόρασε; in ήταν κουρασμένη, όμως συνέχισε, either side is a complete clause.

Subordination: one clause depends on another

A subordinator introduces a clause that fills a role inside a larger sentence. The dependent clause may supply what someone knows or wants, when something happens, why it happens, or under what condition.

Ξέρω ότι ο Κώστας έφυγε.

kséro óti o Kóstas éfiye

I know that Kostas left.

The ότι-clause is what I know; it functions as the complement of ξέρω. It is not an equal second event joined to the first. That dependency is the defining difference from coordination.

The central complement split: ότι/πως versus να

Greek makes a distinction that English often hides. Ότι and unaccented πως introduce information presented as a fact, report, belief, or claim. The speaker need not personally guarantee that it is true; the clause is packaged as a proposition about what is or was the case.

Μου είπε πως θα αργήσει λίγο.

mu ípe pos tha aryísi lígho

She told me that she would be a little late.

By contrast, να introduces an envisaged event: something wanted, requested, possible, necessary, or aimed at rather than asserted as a fact.

Θέλω να φύγουμε πριν νυχτώσει.

thélo na fíghume prin nichtósi

I want us to leave before it gets dark.

Ήρθα για να σε βοηθήσω.

írtha ya na se voithíso

I came to help you.

English uses that in “I know that…” but an infinitive or for…to in many wish and purpose clauses. Modern Greek has no productive infinitive that can fill that English to + verb slot, so its conjugated να-clause performs those jobs and can name its own subject through the verb ending. A restricted invariant form survives inside perfect constructions, but it cannot occur in this complement slot.

This fact-versus-envisaged-event contrast is the best first organizing principle, not a claim that every Greek complement falls into only two boxes. Factual emotion clauses often use που, and particular verbs select particular complementizers. See ότι, πως, and που for the factual set.

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Ask what the main verb is doing. Knowing, saying, or believing usually introduces information with ότι/πως. Wanting, requesting, or aiming toward an event usually introduces it with να. This predicts far more than translating English “that” word by word.

Time, cause, condition, and purpose

Other subordinators state the semantic relation directly. Όταν introduces time, επειδή cause, αν condition, and για να purpose.

Όταν τελειώσω, θα σου τηλεφωνήσω.

ótan telióso, tha su tilefoníso

When I finish, I'll call you.

Έφυγα νωρίς επειδή δεν ένιωθα καλά.

éfigha norís epidhí dhen éniotha kalá

I left early because I wasn't feeling well.

Αν βρέξει, θα μείνουμε σπίτι.

an vréksi, tha mínume spíti

If it rains, we'll stay home.

Χαμήλωσε τη μουσική για να κοιμηθεί το μωρό.

chamílose ti musikí ya na kimithí to moró

Turn the music down so the baby can sleep.

Initial dependent clauses are commonly followed by a comma, as in the time and condition examples. Short dependent clauses placed after the main clause often need no comma. Detailed choices and registers are mapped on the subordinating conjunctions overview.

Multiword subordinators and να

Many clause linkers combine another word with να. This is not random doubling: the first element names the relation, while να introduces the envisaged dependent event.

Έφυγε χωρίς να πει αντίο σε κανέναν.

éfiye chorís na pi andío se kanénan

He left without saying goodbye to anyone.

Πριν να φύγεις, κλείσε όλα τα παράθυρα.

prin na fíyis, klíse óla ta paráthira

Before you leave, close all the windows.

With πριν, the να is often optional: πριν φύγεις is also standard and very common. With linkers such as χωρίς να, the combination is the ordinary way to introduce a finite clause. Learners must therefore learn the whole linker rather than assume that every preposition or conjunction accepts the same pattern.

Common Mistakes

1. Using ότι after a verb of wanting.

❌ Θέλω ότι φύγουμε νωρίς.

Incorrect—θέλω introduces a wanted, non-asserted event with να.

✅ Θέλω να φύγουμε νωρίς.

thélo na fíghume norís

I want us to leave early.

2. Using να for a reported past fact.

❌ Ξέρω να έφυγε χθες.

Incorrect for ‘I know that he left’—reported information takes ότι or πως.

✅ Ξέρω ότι έφυγε χθες.

kséro óti éfiye chthes

I know that he left yesterday.

3. Confusing cause with purpose.

❌ Ήρθα επειδή να σε βοηθήσω.

Incorrect—an intended purpose uses για να, not causal επειδή.

✅ Ήρθα για να σε βοηθήσω.

írtha ya na se voithíso

I came to help you.

Key Takeaways

Coordinators link equals: και, ή, αλλά, όμως, ούτε.
Subordinators make one clause dependent on another and label its function.
ότι/πως package information as a fact, report, belief, or claim; να introduces a wanted, possible, necessary, or purposeful event.
όταν, επειδή, αν, για να introduce time, cause, condition, and purpose.
Many linkers combine with να, but the combination must be learned: χωρίς να, optional πριν να, and others.

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