Περιμένουμε ώσπου να είναι έτοιμο το προζύμι.

Περιμένουμε is the 1st person plural present active form of περιμένω (to wait).

So it means we wait / we are waiting.

In Greek recipes and instructions, this we is very common. It often works like English instructional language such as we mix, we leave it, we wait, even when it really means you should do this.

Ώσπου να means until in this kind of sentence.

It introduces a clause about something that has not happened yet. Because of that, Greek normally uses να with the following verb.

So:

• ώσπου να είναι έτοιμο = until it is ready

This is a very common pattern in Greek:

• περιμένω ώσπου να...
• μένω εδώ ώσπου να...
• θα συνεχίσουμε ώσπου να...

Here να marks a subordinate subjunctive clause.

After words like ώσπου, μέχρι, για να, and many verbs or expressions, Greek often uses να + verb instead of an infinitive structure like English.

So where English says:

• until it is ready

Greek says:

• ώσπου να είναι έτοιμο

A useful thing to remember is that Modern Greek does not use the old infinitive the way English does. Very often, να + finite verb does that job.

Because with είμαι (to be), the present subjunctive looks the same as the present form used elsewhere.

So after να, you get:

• να είμαι
• να είσαι
• να είναι
• να είμαστε
• να είστε
• να είναι

In this sentence, the subject is το προζύμι, which is 3rd person singular, so Greek uses να είναι.

Because έτοιμο has to agree with το προζύμι.

Προζύμι is a neuter singular noun, so the adjective must also be neuter singular:

• masculine: έτοιμος
• feminine: έτοιμη
• neuter: έτοιμο

So:

• το προζύμι → έτοιμο
• ο άντρας → έτοιμος
• η ζύμη → έτοιμη

Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

In this sentence, έτοιμο is a predicate adjective, and it is natural in Greek to say:

• να είναι έτοιμο το προζύμι

Literally, that is something like to be ready the starter.

English strongly prefers the starter is ready, but Greek can comfortably place the subject after the adjective and verb.

This order often sounds natural in instructions and descriptions. It can also help keep the focus on the condition έτοιμο.

Το προζύμι is a neuter singular noun phrase:

• το = the definite article, neuter singular
• προζύμι = the noun

Grammatically, it is the subject of να είναι έτοιμο.

Even though it comes at the end of the clause, it is still the thing that is ready.

Greek uses the definite article more often than English does.

Here το προζύμι refers to the specific starter already known from the context, so the article is very natural.

In recipe language, Greek often says:

• το αλεύρι
• το νερό
• η ζύμη
• το προζύμι

where English might sometimes omit the depending on style.

Yes. In many contexts, ώσπου να and μέχρι να can both mean until.

So this sentence could also be:

• Περιμένουμε μέχρι να είναι έτοιμο το προζύμι.

That would sound natural too.

There can be slight style or register differences depending on context, but for a learner, both are common and useful.

It can mean either, depending on context.

The Greek present tense often covers both:

• we wait
• we are waiting

In a recipe or step-by-step instruction, Περιμένουμε usually feels like:

• We wait
• We leave it and wait
• We wait until...

English chooses between simple and continuous more often than Greek does.

Because after ώσπου να, Greek normally uses να + present-form verb to talk about something that will happen later.

So even though the meaning is future-oriented, Greek says:

• ώσπου να είναι έτοιμο

not something like until it will be ready.

This is actually similar to English, which also says:

• until it is ready not
• until it will be ready

So the grammar is different on the surface, but the idea is quite close.