Greek για presents something as intended or directed toward a person, subject, destination, or time span. English translates it as “for,” “about,” or “to.” για να means “in order to” or “so that.”
When για is followed by a noun phrase or strong pronoun, that complement is accusative. All uses on this page are neutral Standard Modern Greek unless noted otherwise.
Beneficiary and intended use: “for”
Use για when someone is meant to receive, use, or benefit from something.
Αυτό το βιβλίο είναι για σένα, το διάλεξα μόνη μου.
aftó to vivlío íne ya séna, to dhiáleksa móni mu
This book is for you; I picked it out myself.
Πήρα ένα μικρό δώρο για τη μητέρα σου.
píra éna mikró dhóro ya ti mitéra su
I got a small present for your mother.
The phrase after για is accusative: η μητέρα → τη μητέρα, εσύ → σένα. Unlike σε, για does not fuse with the article. Write για τον, για τη(ν), για το, για τους, για τις, για τα as separate words.
για can also name the intended function or occasion rather than a person.
Ήρθα για δουλειά, όχι για διακοπές.
írtha ya dhuliá, óchi ya dhiakopés
I came for work, not for a holiday.
Χρειάζομαι άνετα παπούτσια για το ταξίδι.
chriázome áneta papútsia ya to taksídhi
I need comfortable shoes for the trip.
The shared logic is intention: a present has a recipient, a visit a purpose, and shoes an intended occasion.
Topic: “about”
When a conversation, text, question, or thought concerns a subject, για introduces that topic.
Μιλάμε για την Ελλάδα και τα νησιά της.
miláme ya tin Eládha ke ta nisiá tis
We're talking about Greece and its islands.
Τι λες για το καινούριο εστιατόριο στη γωνία;
ti les ya to kenúrio estiatório sti ghonía;
What do you think about the new restaurant on the corner?
Everyday Greek uses the same για for a topic and an intended person: the action is directed toward either a subject or a recipient.
Do not add για to every English verb followed by “about”; some verbs govern another construction. Those patterns belong to the uses of για and verb–preposition government.
Destination: “for” or “to”
With verbs of departure or setting out, για can present a place as the intended destination — the Greek equivalent of English “leave for” or sometimes simply “to.”
Φεύγω για Αθήνα αύριο το πρωί.
févgho ya Athína ávrio to proí
I'm leaving for Athens tomorrow morning.
Το πλοίο για την Κρήτη φεύγει στις εννιά.
to plío ya tin Kríti févyi stis eniá
The ferry to Crete leaves at nine.
για is not a universal “to.” Use σε for location and an ordinary goal: πάω στην Αθήνα. Use για when something is headed for a destination: φεύγω για Αθήνα, το τρένο για τη Θεσσαλονίκη. Short destination phrases may omit the article.
Duration: “for two days”
για can frame a planned, expected, or bounded duration.
Θα μείνουμε στο νησί για δύο μέρες.
tha mínume sto nisí ya dhío méres
We'll stay on the island for two days.
Νοικιάσαμε αυτοκίνητο για μια εβδομάδα.
nikiásame aftokínito ya mia evdhomádha
We rented a car for a week.
Some durations also allow a bare accusative. Here για highlights the intended booking or stay. See accusative time and duration for the wider contrast.
Purpose before a verb: για να
Before a verb, για normally works together with the particle να: για να + conjugated verb. English often uses an infinitive, but Modern Greek has no productive infinitive and keeps a finite verb form.
Ήρθα για να σε δω και να σου φέρω τα κλειδιά.
írtha ya na se dho ke na su féro ta klidhiá
I came to see you and bring you the keys.
Πάρε ομπρέλα για να μη βραχείς στον δρόμο.
páre obréla ya na mi vrachís ston dhrómo
Take an umbrella so you don't get wet on the way.
The following verb changes for its own subject: για να σε δω “so that I see you,” για να το διαβάσεις “so that you read it.” Aspect, negation, and plain να after motion verbs belong to purpose clauses with (για) να.
The fixed connector γι' αυτό
Before a vowel, για may lose its final α. The most frequent result is γι' αυτό, literally “for this,” used as “that's why” or “therefore.” The apostrophe replaces the lost vowel.
Δεν είχε λεωφορείο, γι' αυτό πήραμε ταξί.
dhen íche leoforío, y' aftó pírame taksí
There was no bus, so we took a taxi.
Full για αυτό remains possible with literal “for this”; elided γι' αυτό is the established connector spelling. See γι' αυτό: therefore.
Common Mistakes
1. Using a subject pronoun after για. A preposition needs a strong accusative form.
❌ Αυτή η θέση είναι για εγώ.
Incorrect — after για, use μένα or εμένα.
✅ Αυτή η θέση είναι για μένα.
aftí i thési íne ya ména
This seat is for me.
2. Translating topic “about” with περίπου. περίπου means “approximately,” not “about” as a topic marker.
❌ Μιλάμε περίπου το πρόβλημα από το πρωί.
Incorrect — a topic takes για: για το πρόβλημα.
✅ Μιλάμε για το πρόβλημα από το πρωί.
miláme ya to próvlima apó to proí
We've been talking about the problem since this morning.
3. Putting the apostrophe after the full word. It marks the missing final α.
❌ Για' αυτό άργησα στη δουλειά.
Incorrect spelling — write γι' αυτό, with the apostrophe after γι.
✅ Γι' αυτό άργησα στη δουλειά.
y' aftó áryisa sti dhuliá
That's why I was late for work.
Key Takeaways
- για + accusative marks a beneficiary, intended use, topic, destination, or duration.
- It spans English “for,” “about,” and some uses of “to”; translate the relationship, not the word in isolation.
- Before a purpose verb, use για να + conjugated verb.
- γι' αυτό is the high-frequency connector “that's why / therefore.”
Related Topics
- για in DepthA2 — How Greek uses για for purpose, beneficiaries, topics, duration, intended destinations, exchange value, and personal viewpoints.
- Purpose Clauses: (για) ναA2 — How Greek says 'in order to / so that': για να spells out purpose explicitly, plain να is enough after verbs of motion, and — because no free infinitive fills this English complement slot — the purpose verb stays fully conjugated whether the subject is the same or different.
- γι' αυτό: That's Why / ThereforeA2 — Use everyday γι' αυτό to point from an established cause to its real-world consequence, and distinguish it from logical inference.