A purpose clause names an outcome somebody intends; a result clause names a consequence a situation produces. Greek defaults to για να for purpose and uses factual ώστε, degree τόσο…που, or formal με αποτέλεσμα να for result. Ώστε να occupies the difficult middle ground.
The conjunction inventories belong to purpose conjunctions and result conjunctions. Here the goal is to interpret and build whole sentences by asking what relation the speaker is presenting.
Purpose: an action points toward a goal
Use για να + subjunctive when an agent acts in order to bring about an outcome. The purpose clause reports the plan, not proof that the plan succeeded.
Έκλεισα τις κουρτίνες για να μη ζεσταθεί το δωμάτιο.
éklisa tis kurtínes ya na mi zestathí to dhomátio
I closed the curtains so that the room wouldn't heat up.
Κράτησε δύο θέσεις για να καθίσουμε μαζί.
krátise dhío thésis ya na kathísume mazí
She saved two seats so that we could sit together.
Βάζω το κινητό στο αθόρυβο για να συγκεντρώνομαι καλύτερα.
vázo to kinitó sto athórivo ya na singendrónome kalítera
I put my phone on silent so that I can concentrate better.
Greek keeps the purpose verb conjugated. Καθίσουμε has a plural subject, while συγκεντρώνομαι shares its singular subject with βάζω. English may use an infinitive; Greek uses a finite να-clause.
Plain να is common after motion or directed-action verbs because the first verb already implies a destination or goal. The detailed distribution belongs to purpose with (για) να.
Πετάχτηκε να φέρει πάγο για τα ποτά.
petáchtike na féri págho ya ta potá
He popped out to get ice for the drinks.
Asserted result: the consequence enters the factual record
With an indicative, ώστε asserts the result as a fact. It is especially common in careful, journalistic, or academic prose (formal). In everyday narrative, που after a degree expression is usually lighter.
Η είδηση διαδόθηκε γρήγορα, ώστε μέχρι το βράδυ την ήξεραν όλοι.
i ídhisi dhiadhóthike ghríghora, óste méchri to vrádhi tin íkseran óli
The news spread quickly, so that by evening everyone knew it. (formal)
Μίλησε τόσο γρήγορα που έχασα τη μισή εξήγηση.
mílise tóso ghríghora pu échasa ti misí eksíyisi
She spoke so quickly that I missed half the explanation.
Το πάτωμα ήταν τόσο γλιστερό, ώστε έπεσαν δύο πελάτες.
to pátoma ítan tóso ghlisteró, óste épesan dhío pelátes
The floor was so slippery that two customers fell. (formal)
These are not aims. The indicative forms ήξεραν, έχασα, έπεσαν place the consequences in the asserted sequence.
Explicit consequence: με αποτέλεσμα να
Με αποτέλεσμα να means “with the result that.” It is useful when a report needs to exclude a purpose reading, especially when the cause is inanimate. It is characteristic of reports, news, and formal explanation (formal).
Έκλεισε ο κεντρικός δρόμος, με αποτέλεσμα να καθυστερήσει η παράδοση.
éklise o kendrikós dhrómos, me apotélezma na kathisterísi i parádhosi
The main road closed, with the result that the delivery was delayed. (formal)
Η θερμοκρασία έπεσε απότομα, με αποτέλεσμα να παγώσουν οι σωλήνες.
i thermokrasía épese apótoma, me apotélezma na paghósun i solínes
The temperature dropped sharply, causing the pipes to freeze. (formal)
The expression is resultative because αποτέλεσμα already names the relation. Mood alone cannot tell purpose from result.
The overlap: ώστε να needs context
Ώστε να can describe a designed outcome, particularly in formal instructions, or a possible, sufficient, impossible, or perspective-dependent consequence. Do not label every instance “purpose” merely because an agent appears.
Ρύθμισαν τον φωτισμό, ώστε να φαίνεται καθαρά η σκηνή.
ríthmisan ton fotizmó, óste na fénete kathará i skiní
They adjusted the lighting so that the stage would be clearly visible. (designed outcome; formal)
Η οθόνη ήταν αρκετά φωτεινή, ώστε να διαβάζονται καθαρά τα γράμματα.
i othóni ítan arketá fotiní, óste na dhiavázonde kathará ta ghrámmata
The screen was bright enough for the letters to be clearly readable. (sufficient-result reading)
The adjustment has a design goal; αρκετά instead creates a sufficiency scale. The same form supports both readings, so agentivity, degree, and discourse decide.
Resultative για να after degree and sufficiency
Even για να is not an infallible purpose test. After expressions meaning too, enough, suitable, or sufficient, it can introduce the result or threshold that the degree permits or prevents.
Το κιβώτιο είναι πολύ βαρύ για να το σηκώσει μόνη της.
to kivótio íne polí varí ya na to sikósi móni tis
The crate is too heavy for her to lift on her own. (threshold/result, not purpose)
Υπάρχει αρκετό φαγητό για να φάνε όλοι.
ipárchi arketó fayitó ya na fáne óli
There is enough food for everyone to eat. (sufficiency/result)
Neither the crate nor the food holds an intention. Πολύ…για να and αρκετό…για να create resultative degree readings.
A practical decision sequence
First look for an intentional action: για να is the clearest neutral purpose choice. For an asserted consequence, use ώστε + indicative or degree τόσο…που; formal με αποτέλεσμα να makes consequence unmistakable. Interpret ώστε να and degree για να from agentivity, sufficiency, and context.
Common Mistakes
1. Following με αποτέλεσμα with ότι. The fixed expression takes a να-clause.
❌ Η καταιγίδα δυνάμωσε, με αποτέλεσμα ότι έκλεισε το λιμάνι.
Incorrect—με αποτέλεσμα is followed by να plus a conjugated verb.
✅ Η καταιγίδα δυνάμωσε, με αποτέλεσμα να κλείσει το λιμάνι.
i kateyídha dhinámose, me apotélezma na klísi to limáni
The storm intensified, causing the port to close.
2. Using complementizer ότι after a degree word. A factual degree-result clause takes που or ώστε.
❌ Το δωμάτιο ήταν τόσο σκοτεινό ότι δεν βλέπαμε τίποτα.
Incorrect—τόσο introduces its factual result with που or ώστε, not ότι.
✅ Το δωμάτιο ήταν τόσο σκοτεινό που δεν βλέπαμε τίποτα.
to dhomátio ítan tóso skotinó pu dhen vlépame típota
The room was so dark that we couldn't see anything.
3. Blending purpose linkers into για ώστε να. Choose για να or ώστε να according to the intended framing.
❌ Σχεδίασαν τη ράμπα για ώστε να περνούν τα καρότσια.
Incorrect—do not stack για and ώστε in one conjunction.
✅ Σχεδίασαν τη ράμπα ώστε να περνούν εύκολα τα καρότσια.
schedhíasan ti rába óste na pernún éfkola ta karótsia
They designed the ramp so that trolleys could pass easily. (formal)
Key Takeaways
- Για να is the clearest everyday marker of an intended outcome, but degree and sufficiency frames can make it resultative.
- Ώστε + indicative asserts a consequence; τόσο…που is the everyday degree-result pattern.
- Με αποτέλεσμα να explicitly presents consequence in formal prose.
- Ώστε να can be a designed outcome or a construed/potential result. Context, not the linker alone, decides.
Related Topics
- 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.
- Result: ώστε, έτσι πουB2 — Greek distinguishes asserted consequences from contemplated results with ώστε, ώστε να, έτσι που, με αποτέλεσμα να, and τόσο/τέτοιος…που.
- 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.