Greek έχω “have” often packages an inner state or evaluation as something a person or situation “has.” English is more likely to say feel like, be in the mood, intend, be good at, or make sense. The pattern becomes easier when the expressions are grouped by what έχω is standing in for rather than learned as five isolated translations.
The έχω reference card already carries the core forms and its own fixed expressions. This page adds five families the card does not develop: έχω όρεξη, έχω κέφι, έχω σκοπό να, το έχω, and δεν έχει νόημα.
Appetite and willingness: έχω όρεξη
Έχω όρεξη can refer to literal appetite or to willingness and desire. With food or an activity named as a noun, use για + accusative. With an action, use a να-clause.
Έχεις όρεξη για μακαρόνια ή να παραγγείλουμε κάτι άλλο;
échis óreksi ya makarónia i na paranghílume káti álo;
Do you feel like pasta, or shall we order something else?
Δεν έχω όρεξη να βγω απόψε· ήταν εξαντλητική μέρα.
dhen écho óreksi na vgho apópse; ítan eksandlitikí méra.
I don't feel like going out tonight; it was an exhausting day.
When the subject is a person, this is an experienced inclination, not a formal plan. Έχω όρεξη να φύγω says “I feel like leaving”; it does not promise that I will leave.
High spirits and sociability: έχω κέφι
Έχω κέφι means be in good spirits or be in the mood for an enjoyable activity. Like όρεξη, it allows για + noun and a να-clause, but its center is liveliness and cheer rather than appetite or simple willingness. It is (neutral-to-informal).
Η παρέα είχε κέφι για χορό και το γλέντι κράτησε ως το πρωί.
i paréa íche kéfi ya choró ke to ghléndi krátise os to proí.
The group was in the mood to dance, and the celebration lasted until morning.
Σήμερα έχω κέφι να μαγειρέψω για όλους, αρκεί να πλύνετε εσείς τα πιάτα.
símera écho kéfi na mayirépso ya ólus, arkí na plínete esís ta piáta.
Today I'm in the mood to cook for everyone, provided you wash the dishes.
The two nouns overlap. After a tiring day, δεν έχω όρεξη is the broad “I don't feel like it”; δεν έχω κέφι more specifically presents low spirits or lack of sociable energy. That is a semantic tendency, not a categorical diagnostic.
Intention: έχω σκοπό να
Έχω σκοπό να + verb means “intend to.” The subject holds a plan, so this is firmer than a passing όρεξη, but it is still an intention rather than a guarantee. It is neutral in speech and writing.
Έχω σκοπό να ζητήσω αναλυτική προσφορά πριν υπογράψω οτιδήποτε.
écho skopó na zitíso analitikí prosforá prin ipoghrápso otidhípote.
I intend to request a detailed quotation before I sign anything.
Δεν είχε σκοπό να μείνει στην Αθήνα, αλλά βρήκε δουλειά που του άρεσε.
dhen íche skopó na míni stin Athína, alá vríke dhuliá pu tu árese.
He had not intended to stay in Athens, but he found a job he liked.
The verb after να takes the viewpoint the intended action requires. A bounded goal often has a perfective form, as in να ζητήσω; an ongoing course can be imperfective. The noun σκοπό does not mechanically choose one aspect.
Ability and knack: το έχω
Informal το έχω means “I've got this / I'm good at it.” The neuter clitic το points to a skill, task, or domain recoverable from context; it is not a literal possessed object. The reduction το 'χω is common in casual writing that represents speech, while full το έχω is neutral orthography.
Άσε με να συνδέσω τον εκτυπωτή, το έχω με αυτά.
áse me na sindhéso ton ektipotí, to écho me aftá.
Let me connect the printer; I'm good with this kind of thing. (informal)
Στη μαγειρική δεν το έχω, αλλά ακολουθώ πιστά τη συνταγή.
sti mayirikí dhen to écho, alá akoluthó pistá ti sindayí.
I'm not good at cooking, but I follow the recipe carefully. (informal)
A named domain can be fronted and resumed by το, as in Στη μαγειρική δεν το έχω. With a plural domain, everyday Greek also uses plural doubling: Τα μαθηματικά δεν τα έχω.
Τα τεχνικά δεν τα έχω, οπότε θα καλέσω κάποιον ειδικό.
ta techniká dhen ta écho, opóte tha kaléso kápion idhikó.
I'm no good with technical matters, so I'll call a specialist. (informal)
Evaluating usefulness or coherence: δεν έχει νόημα
Impersonal δεν έχει νόημα means either “it makes no sense” or “there is no point.” A να-clause names a pointless action; an independent statement can criticize a proposal's logic or relevance.
Δεν έχει νόημα να περιμένουμε εδώ αφού το κατάστημα έκλεισε.
dhen échi nóima na periménume edhó afú to katástima éklise.
There is no point waiting here since the shop has closed.
Η τελευταία παράγραφος δεν έχει νόημα χωρίς το προηγούμενο διάγραμμα.
i teleftéa parághrafos dhen échi nóima chorís to proighúmeno dhiághrama.
The final paragraph makes no sense without the preceding diagram.
English divides point from sense. Greek νόημα can cover both because it asks whether an action or message carries an interpretable purpose. Context decides whether the problem is practical usefulness or semantic coherence.
One verb, different kinds of “having”
| Expression | What έχω presents as possessed | Usual complement |
|---|---|---|
| έχω όρεξη | appetite or inclination | για + noun / να + verb |
| έχω κέφι | high spirits or enjoyable mood | για + noun / να + verb |
| έχω σκοπό | an intention | να + verb |
| το έχω | contextually understood ability | often με + domain |
| έχει νόημα | purpose or intelligibility | να + verb / independent subject |
This “possession” analysis helps predict the syntax, but it does not make the nouns interchangeable. Κέφι cannot simply replace σκοπό, because cheerful willingness and a formulated intention are different states.
Common Mistakes
Copying English “be in the mood” word for word
Greek uses έχω, not a copula: ×είμαι όρεξη → έχω όρεξη.
Έχω όρεξη για έναν περίπατο πριν δύσει ο ήλιος.
écho óreksi ya énan perípato prin dhísi o ílios.
I feel like taking a walk before the sun sets.
Omitting να before an action
With a finite verb, both desire and intention need να.
Έχουμε σκοπό να ανακαινίσουμε το παλιό σπίτι σταδιακά.
échume skopó na anakenísume to palió spíti stadhiká.
We intend to renovate the old house gradually.
Treating το έχω as formal self-assessment
The idiom is conversational. In a formal application, name the skill directly.
Διαθέτω εμπειρία στη διαχείριση μεγάλων έργων.
dhiathéto empiría sti dhiachírisi meghálon érghon.
I have experience in managing large projects. (formal)
Translating νόημα only as “meaning”
With an action, it often evaluates whether continuing is worthwhile.
Δεν έχει νόημα να μαλώνουμε για κάτι που διορθώνεται εύκολα.
dhen échi nóima na malónume ya káti pu dhiorthónete éfkola.
There is no point arguing about something that is easily fixed.
Key Takeaways
- Έχω όρεξη expresses appetite or inclination; έχω κέφι foregrounds lively mood.
- Use για + noun but να + finite verb for the desired activity.
- Έχω σκοπό να marks intention without guaranteeing completion or fixing one aspect.
- Informal το έχω presents a contextually recoverable skill as something one “has.”
- Δεν έχει νόημα covers both lack of practical point and lack of intelligibility.
Related Topics
- έχω (to have)A1 — The complete inventory of έχω on one card — present, the ει- past είχα, future, imperative and gerund — the slots it leaves empty (no aorist, no perfective stem, no perfect of itself, no passive), and the genuinely ambiguous έχω να construction.
- Expressions With κάνωB1 — Master five uses beyond the productive κάνω light-verb inventory: weather, pretence, social norms, greetings, and control.
- Light Verbs: κάνω, δίνω, παίρνω, βάζωB2 — Understand how broad Greek verbs combine with event-denoting nouns, where the event meaning lives, and why each noun still selects a conventional partner.