A subordinating conjunction makes one clause dependent on another and labels its role. Greek has distinct families for what someone knows or wants, when and why something happens, what result follows, and under what condition. Learning them by meaning is more predictive than memorizing one long list.
Complement clauses: ότι, πως, να, αν
Complement clauses fill an argument slot required by a verb. Ότι/πως introduce a reported proposition, να an envisaged action, and αν an embedded yes/no question.
Πιστεύω ότι θα έρθει αύριο.
pistévo óti tha érthi ávrio
I believe that she will come tomorrow.
Θέλω να έρθει αύριο.
thélo na érthi ávrio
I want her to come tomorrow.
Αναρωτιέμαι αν θα προλάβουμε το λεωφορείο.
anarotiéme an tha prolávume to leoforío
I wonder whether we'll catch the bus.
The first presents information, the second a wanted event, and the third an unresolved alternative. That-clauses map the factual complementizers; να has its own mood system.
Time: when, while, before, after, until
The main temporal inventory includes όταν “when,” μόλις “as soon as,” ενώ/καθώς “while/as,” πριν “before,” αφού “after,” and μέχρι/ώσπου να “until.”
Μόλις φτάσεις, πάρε με τηλέφωνο.
mólis ftásis, páre me tiléfono
As soon as you arrive, call me.
Έφυγε πριν να τελειώσει η συνάντηση.
éfiye prin na teliósi i sinándisi
He left before the meeting ended.
The verb form reflects time and aspect: past or habitual facts use indicative forms, while future-bounded events after several temporal linkers use a bare dependent perfective form, as in φτάσεις. The full selection rules belong to temporal conjunctions.
Cause: γιατί, επειδή, αφού, μια και
Cause clauses answer “why?” Γιατί commonly adds a reason after the main clause; επειδή readily foregrounds it; causal αφού and μια και/μιας και treat it as given.
Επειδή είχε κίνηση, αργήσαμε στο ραντεβού.
epidhí íche kínisi, aryísame sto randevú
Because there was traffic, we were late for the appointment.
These are preferences, not rigid word-order bans. The inventory and register scale are on causal conjunctions.
Purpose: για να, να, ώστε να
Purpose clauses name an intended outcome. Everyday για να is the general marker; motion verbs can take plain να, while ώστε να is more formal or carefully planned.
Μιλάω πιο δυνατά για να με ακούνε όλοι.
miláo pio dhinatá ya na me akúne óli
I'm speaking louder so that everyone can hear me.
The να-clause uses imperfective or perfective aspect according to viewpoint: the perfective packages the intended event or a finite series as bounded, while the imperfective presents its internal course or an open habit. See purpose conjunctions.
Result: ώστε, έτσι που
Result clauses state a consequence. Ώστε may take an indicative when the consequence is asserted as fact; ώστε να, έτσι που, and με αποτέλεσμα να offer other perspectives on the outcome.
Μίλησε τόσο χαμηλά, ώστε κανείς δεν τον άκουσε.
mílise tóso chamilá, óste kanís dhen ton ákuse
He spoke so quietly that nobody heard him.
Because ώστε να can overlap with intended purpose, context matters; mood alone is not a mechanical test. The precision contrast belongs to result conjunctions.
Concession: αν και, παρόλο που, μολονότι
A concessive clause acknowledges a fact that might have blocked the main event, then says that it did not.
Αν και ήταν κουρασμένη, βγήκε μαζί μας.
an ke ítan kurazméni, vyíke mazí mas
Although she was tired, she went out with us.
Everyday αν και and παρόλο που contrast with formal or literary μολονότι. Hypothetical “even if” uses combinations such as κι ας or ακόμα κι αν. See concessive conjunctions.
Condition: αν, εάν, άμα, εκτός αν
Conditions state what must hold for another outcome. Αν is the neutral default, εάν formal, άμα conversational, and εκτός αν means “unless.” Plain σαν also has restricted colloquial or folk-style “if/when” uses, but it is a recognition form rather than a neutral substitute for αν.
Αν βρέξει αύριο, θα μείνουμε σπίτι.
an vréksi ávrio, tha mínume spíti
If it rains tomorrow, we'll stay home.
Conditional tense pairings form their own system; this overview only locates the conjunction family. See conditional conjunctions and the linked sentence pages.
Linkers that combine with να
Many subordinators form a unit with να: χωρίς να “without,” αντί να “instead of,” μέχρι να “until,” and often πριν να “before.” The first word supplies the relation; να introduces the dependent event.
Έφυγε χωρίς να πει λέξη.
éfiye chorís na pi léksi
He left without saying a word.
Αντί να θυμώσει, άρχισε να γελάει.
andí na thimósi, árchise na yelái
Instead of getting angry, he started laughing.
Θα περιμένω μέχρι να τελειώσεις.
tha periméno méchri na teliósis
I'll wait until you finish.
Πριν φύγεις and πριν να φύγεις are both standard; the presence of να is not uniform across every linker. Aspect inside the dependent clause remains meaningful: perfective packages a situation—or a finite, delimited series—as a bounded whole, while imperfective views a situation internally, unboundedly, or as an open habit. A single event can receive that internal view.
Common Mistakes
1. Translating αφού mechanically as “after.” The same form can be temporal or causal; the relation between the clauses decides.
Αφού τελείωσε η ταινία, φύγαμε.
afú telíose i tenía, fíghame
After the film ended, we left. (temporal)
Αφού βρέχει, θα μείνουμε μέσα.
afú vréchi, tha mínume mésa
Since it's raining, we'll stay inside. (causal)
2. Omitting που from παρόλο που.
❌ Παρόλο ήταν άρρωστος, πήγε στη δουλειά.
Incorrect—the concessive subordinator is the full unit παρόλο που.
✅ Παρόλο που ήταν άρρωστος, πήγε στη δουλειά.
parólo pu ítan árostos, píye sti dhuliá
Although he was ill, he went to work.
3. Using causal επειδή for an intended goal.
❌ Πήγα νωρίς επειδή να βρω θέση.
Incorrect—an intended purpose uses για να, not causal επειδή.
✅ Πήγα νωρίς για να βρω θέση.
pígha norís ya na vro thési
I went early to find a seat.
Key Takeaways
- Complement, time, cause, purpose, result, concession, and condition each have their own subordinator family.
- Many linkers select an indicative; others combine with να or a bare dependent form, with aspect still contributing meaning.
- Words such as αφού and ενώ change interpretation with the relation between their clauses.
- Conditional linkers range from neutral αν through formal εάν, conversational άμα, and restricted colloquial σαν.
- Learn multiword frames such as χωρίς να, αντί να, μέχρι να, and use the detailed pages for each semantic family.
Related Topics
- Cause: γιατί, επειδή, αφούA2 — Express reasons with everyday γιατί and επειδή, given-cause αφού or the μια και/μιας και and μια που/μιας που families, and formal alternatives.
- Time: όταν, μόλις, ενώ, πριν, αφούA2 — Choose Greek temporal conjunctions by the relationship between events, and learn why future ‘when’ normally takes a perfective dependent form rather than θα.
- Purpose: για να, να, ώστε ναB1 — Greek purpose clauses use a conjugated subjunctive: everyday για να, plain να after motion verbs, and more formal ώστε να for a stated intended outcome.
- Conjunctions OverviewA1 — Greek conjunctions either coordinate equal words and clauses or introduce dependent clauses of fact, possibility, time, cause, purpose, and condition.