Deliberative Questions With να | Greek Grammar

Some of the most useful questions in daily life are not requests for information but requests for a decision: Should I go? What should I do? Shall I bring you something? English marks them with the modals should and shall. Greek marks them with nothing but να + a subjunctive verb, said with question intonation and closed with the Greek question mark ;. No θα, no auxiliary, no extra word — just να in front of the verb. This pattern (the deliberative question) is so frequent in conversation that not having it at your fingertips makes you sound stiff, so it is worth drilling until it comes out automatically.

Yes/no deliberatives: "Should I…? / Shall I…?"

Front a subjunctive verb with να, give it rising intonation, and you are asking whether to do the thing — either wondering aloud or offering to act.

Να πάω κι εγώ μαζί σας ή να μείνω σπίτι;

na páo ki eghó mazí sas i na míno spíti;

Should I come with you too, or should I stay home?

Να σου φέρω κάτι από το περίπτερο;

na su féro káti apó to períptero;

Shall I bring you something from the kiosk?

Να σε πάρω τηλέφωνο το βράδυ να τα πούμε;

na se páro tiléfono to vrádhi na ta púme;

Shall I call you tonight so we can talk?

The offer sense (Να σου φέρω…; Να σε βοηθήσω;) is the polite Greek way to volunteer help — it hands the decision to the other person. These offer patterns are collected on offers and suggestions.

Wh-deliberatives: "What / where / how should I…?"

Add a question word in front (τι, πού, πώς, ποιος, πότε) and you deliberate about the how or what. The question word comes first, then να, then the verb.

Τι να του πάρω για δώρο; Δεν έχω ιδέα τι του αρέσει.

ti na tu páro ya dhóro; dhen écho idhéa ti tu arési

What should I get him for a present? I've no idea what he likes.

Πού να παρκάρω εδώ γύρω τέτοια ώρα;

pu na parkáro edhó yíro tétia óra;

Where am I supposed to park around here at this hour?

Πώς να το εξηγήσω για να καταλάβεις;

pos na to eksiyíso ya na katalávis;

How should I explain it so you'll understand?

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Να σου πω; ("shall I tell you?") is one of the most common conversation-openers in Greek — the rough equivalent of English "you know what?" or "can I tell you something?". It doesn't really ask permission; it just flags that something's coming.

θα or να? "Will I…" vs "Should I…"

This is the contrast that matters most, because the two particles are a minimal pair. θα + verb as a question asks about a future fact ("Will I…? / Am I going to…?"). να + verb asks for a decision or permission ("Should I…? / Shall I…?"). Swapping them changes the whole point of the question.

Να φύγω τώρα ή είναι πολύ νωρίς ακόμα;

na fígho tóra i íne polí norís akóma;

Should I leave now, or is it still too early?

Θα φύγεις νωρίς αύριο για το αεροδρόμιο;

tha fíyis norís ávrio ya to aerodhrómio;

Will you leave early tomorrow for the airport?

The first weighs a decision (Να φύγω;); the second asks a plain question about a future arrangement (Θα φύγεις;). Likewise Να σου φέρω καφέ; offers to bring coffee, while Θα σου φέρω καφέ simply announces "I'll bring you coffee." Reach for να whenever English would use should or shall.

Rhetorical wondering and speculation

The same να-question, with no real expectation of an answer, expresses wondering, doubt, or bafflement — English "could it be…? / who on earth…? / how should I know?". Here να often pairs with άραγε ("I wonder") and, for guesses about the past, sits on a past-referring verb.

Να 'ναι αλήθεια όσα λένε ή απλώς φήμες;

na ne alíthia ósa léne i aplós fímes;

Could what they're saying be true, or just rumours?

Ποιος να χτυπάει την πόρτα τέτοια ώρα;

pios na chtipái tin pórta tétia óra;

Who could be knocking at the door at this hour?

Πού να ξέρω εγώ πού άφησες τα κλειδιά σου;

pu na kséro eghó pu áfises ta klidhiá su;

How should I know where you left your keys?

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For a guess about the past, put να on a past-referring verb: Ποιος να το έκανε; = "Who could have done it?", Τι να έγινε; = "What could have happened?". The same particle that asks "what should I do?" also does English "could it have…?".

Embedded deliberatives

The deliberative also nests inside a bigger sentence — typically after δεν ξέρω (I don't know) — keeping the same να + subjunctive shape but losing the question mark, since the whole sentence is now a statement.

Δεν ξέρω τι να πρωτοκάνω, έχω χίλια πράγματα σήμερα.

dhen kséro ti na protokáno, écho chília prághmata símera

I don't know what to do first — I have a thousand things today.

Δεν ξέρω πού να ψάξω για δουλειά πια.

dhen kséro pu na psákso ya dhuliá pia

I don't know where to look for work anymore.

These are the same clauses that open a standalone wish or question; the shared machinery is on standalone να.

Common Mistakes

1. Stacking θα with να. The deliberative uses να alone — never θα να.

❌ Θα να σου φέρω κάτι να φας;

Incorrect — the deliberative uses να on its own, never θα να.

✅ Να σου φέρω κάτι να φας;

na su féro káti na fas;

Shall I bring you something to eat?

2. Negating with δεν instead of μη(ν). "Should I not…?" negates the να-clause with μη(ν).

❌ Να δεν πάρω ταξί, να πάω με τα πόδια;

Incorrect — a να-clause negates with μη(ν), never δεν.

✅ Να μην πάρω ταξί, να πάω με τα πόδια;

na min páro taksí, na páo me ta pódhia;

Should I skip the taxi and walk instead?

3. Putting the weak pronoun before να. The clitic follows the particle, exactly as in every να-clause.

❌ Σου να φέρω έναν καφέ;

Incorrect — the weak pronoun follows να, not the other way round.

✅ Να σου φέρω έναν καφέ;

na su féro énan kafé;

Shall I bring you a coffee?

4. Using θα for an offer or a "should". Both particles make grammatical questions, but θα asks about a future fact, not about what you should do.

Θα ανοίξω το παράθυρο;

tha aníkso to paráthiro;

Am I going to open the window? (a question about a future fact — rarely what you mean)

Να ανοίξω το παράθυρο; Ζεσταίνεσαι;

na aníkso to paráthiro; zesténese;

Shall I open the window? Are you hot?

Both lines are correct Greek, but only the να-version offers to act. If English would say shall I or should I, you want να.

Key Takeaways

A deliberative question is να + subjunctive with question intonation and the Greek ; — English should I / shall I.
Yes/no: Να πάω; Να σου φέρω κάτι; (often an offer). Wh-: Τι να κάνω; Πού να πάμε; — question word, then να, then verb.
θα vs να is a minimal pair: Θα φύγω; = "Will I leave?" (future fact); Να φύγω; = "Should I leave?" (decision).
Used rhetorically, να expresses wondering and doubt: Ποιος να χτυπάει; Πού να ξέρω εγώ;
Embedded after δεν ξέρω, the same clause drops the question mark: Δεν ξέρω τι να κάνω.
No θα, no auxiliary; negate with μη(ν), and keep clitics after να.

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