When you put να in front of the imperfective stem — the same stem you use for the present tense — you get a subordinated action framed as ongoing, habitual, or repeated. This is the "keep doing / do regularly / be in the middle of doing" side of the subjunctive. If να γράψω is "to write (one thing, once)", να γράφω is "to write (as a habit) / to be writing / to keep writing". This page is about that second form and when it is the right one.
How it is built
There is almost nothing to memorise here, and that is the good news: the να-present is just να plus the ordinary present-tense forms. You already know the endings from the present of conjugation-A verbs; you simply add να.
| Person | Present indicative | να-present (subjunctive) |
|---|---|---|
| 1sg | γράφω | να γράφω |
| 2sg | γράφεις | να γράφεις |
| 3sg | γράφει | να γράφει |
| 1pl | γράφουμε | να γράφουμε |
| 2pl | γράφετε | να γράφετε |
| 3pl | γράφουν(ε) | να γράφουν(ε) |
The endings are identical to the indicative present; the only difference is the particle να in front, which strips away the "this is a fact" reading and leaves the bare imperfective action for the subjunctive to use. The same holds for conjugation-B verbs (να μιλάω / να μιλώ, να αγαπάω / να αγαπώ) — take the present, prefix να.
What it means: ongoing, habitual, general
The imperfective looks at an action from the inside, as something spread out in time rather than wrapped up in a single point. After να that comes out as three closely related flavours.
Habitual / repeated — something done again and again, often with a frequency word like κάθε μέρα or συχνά:
Προσπαθώ να τρώω πιο σωστά τελευταία.
prospathó na tróo pio sostá teleftéa
I've been trying to eat more properly lately.
Πρέπει να πίνεις περισσότερο νερό μέσα στη μέρα.
prépi na pínis perisótero neró mésa sti méra
You should drink more water during the day.
Ongoing / in progress — an activity seen as unfolding, not as a finished deed:
Δεν μπορώ να δουλεύω με τόση φασαρία γύρω μου.
dhen boró na dhulévo me tósi fasaría yíro mu
I can't work with so much noise around me.
General / characterising — a standing state of affairs, a skill, a way of being:
Θέλω να μιλάω ελληνικά με άνεση κάποια μέρα.
thélo na miláo eliniká me ánesi kápia méra
I want to speak Greek comfortably one day.
In all three, the action has no natural finish line in view; it is a process, a routine, or a general truth. That is the imperfective's home, and it is what να + present delivers.
"Keep doing" and "don't stop doing" force the imperfective
Some contexts are inherently imperfective: when the main verb itself means continue, keep, or not stop, the subordinated action is by definition ongoing, so it must be imperfective.
Συνέχισε να προσπαθείς, θα τα καταφέρεις.
sinéchise na prospathís, tha ta kataféris
Keep trying, you'll make it.
Μη σταματάς να ονειρεύεσαι.
mi stamatás na onirévese
Don't stop dreaming.
You cannot say "keep to-do-it-once" — the idea of continuing contradicts a single bounded act — so verbs like συνεχίζω (continue), σταματάω (stop), and εξακολουθώ (go on) always pull an imperfective να-verb.
Where the clitic goes: between να and the verb
When the να-verb has a weak object pronoun (a clitic like το, με, σε, μου), it slots in between να and the verb, never after it. English puts the object after the verb ("to see you"), so this order takes getting used to.
Θέλω να σε βλέπω πιο συχνά, μου λείπεις.
thélo na se vlépo pio sichná, mu lípis
I want to see you more often, I miss you.
Μου αρέσει να το ακούω αυτό το τραγούδι ξανά και ξανά.
mu arési na to akúo aftó to traghúdhi ksaná ke ksaná
I love listening to this song again and again.
The full rules for pronoun position are on clitic placement; the short version is: να + clitic + verb.
One verb, two stems
Because the choice rides on the stem, the same main verb produces two different sentences depending on which stem the να-verb takes. Compare:
Θέλω να μαθαίνω καινούριες λέξεις συνέχεια.
thélo na mathéno kenúries léksis sinéchia
I want to keep learning new words all the time. (ongoing → imperfective)
Θέλω να μάθω αυτή τη λέξη πριν το τεστ.
thélo na mátho aftí ti léksi prin to test
I want to learn this word before the test. (single goal → perfective)
Both are correct Greek; they simply say different things. The first is a lifelong habit, the second a one-off achievement — and only the stem tells them apart.
Common Mistakes
1. Using the perfective for a habit. A general, repeated action ("when I drive", every time) needs the imperfective.
❌ Μου αρέσει να ακούσω μουσική όταν οδηγώ.
Incorrect — a general habit needs the imperfective: να ακούω.
✅ Μου αρέσει να ακούω μουσική όταν οδηγώ.
mu arési na akúo musikí ótan odhighó
I like listening to music when I drive.
2. Perfective after "keep / continue". συνεχίζω means the action goes on, so its να-verb must be imperfective.
❌ Συνέχισε να προσπαθήσεις.
Incorrect — continuing is ongoing: συνέχισε να προσπαθείς.
✅ Συνέχισε να προσπαθείς μέχρι το τέλος.
sinéchise na prospathís méchri to télos
Keep trying until the end.
3. Putting the clitic after the verb. The pronoun goes between να and the verb, not after it.
❌ Θέλω να βλέπω σε πιο συχνά.
Incorrect — the clitic precedes the verb: να σε βλέπω.
✅ Θέλω να σε βλέπω πιο συχνά.
thélo na se vlépo pio sichná
I want to see you more often.
4. Single-act stem for a daily instruction. "Every day" makes the drinking habitual — imperfective.
❌ Ο γιατρός είπε να πιω περισσότερο νερό κάθε μέρα.
Incorrect — a daily habit needs the imperfective: να πίνω.
✅ Ο γιατρός είπε να πίνω περισσότερο νερό κάθε μέρα.
o yatrós ípe na píno perisótero neró káthe méra
The doctor said to drink more water every day.
Key Takeaways
- The να-present is να + the ordinary present forms — no new endings to learn (να γράφω, να διαβάζεις, να μιλάμε).
- It frames the action as ongoing, habitual, or general, not as a single completed act.
- Verbs meaning continue / stop / keep force the imperfective (συνέχισε να προσπαθείς).
- Clitics sit between να and the verb: να σε βλέπω, να το ακούω.
- It is the marked choice — reach for it only when you mean "regularly / in progress"; otherwise the default is the perfective να-aorist.
Now practice Greek
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Start learning Greek →Related Topics
- Aorist Subjunctive (να + perfective)B1 — να followed by the perfective stem — να γράψω, να δω, να φύγω — names a single, bounded action and is the default choice after most verbs; crucially it takes NO augment (να γράψω, never ×να έγραψα).
- Aspect After ναB1 — A decision guide for να γράφω vs να γράψω: pick the perfective for a single completed act (the default) and the imperfective for something ongoing or habitual — with the diagnostic words that give the answer away and drills to build the reflex.
- Present Tense: Class Α (-ω)A1 — The full present of the big regular verb class — γράφω, παίζω, τρέχω, διαβάζω, μένω, θέλω — with its six stem-stressed endings, the -εις vs -ει spelling trap, and the fact that one Greek form covers both 'I write' and 'I am writing'.