Αυτή δεν θέλει καφέ.

She doesn't want coffee.

Breakdown of Αυτή δεν θέλει καφέ.

• θέλω: to want
• ο καφές: the coffee
• δεν: not
• αυτή: she

Questions & Answers about Αυτή δεν θέλει καφέ.

Is the subject pronoun Αυτή necessary, or can I just say Δεν θέλει καφέ?

You can drop it. Greek is a pro‑drop language, so Δεν θέλει καφέ is fully natural and usually preferred when context already tells us who we’re talking about. Using Αυτή adds emphasis/contrast or clarifies gender when needed: e.g., “She (as opposed to someone else) doesn’t want coffee.”

Does αυτή mean “she” or “this (woman)”?

Both are possible, depending on context:

• As a personal pronoun: Αυτή δεν θέλει καφέ. = She doesn’t want coffee.
• As a demonstrative “this [fem]”: Αυτή η γυναίκα δεν θέλει καφέ. = This woman doesn’t want coffee. If you use αυτή alone and stress it, it can also mean “this one (fem)” in contrastive contexts.

Why is the negative δεν used here instead of μη(ν)?

Use δεν to negate statements and questions in the indicative (the default mood): Δεν θέλει καφέ. Use μη(ν) to negate:

• imperatives: Μην πίνεις καφέ. (Don’t drink coffee.)
• subjunctives/“να”-clauses when the negation targets the subordinate action: Θέλει να μην πιει καφέ. (She wants not to drink coffee.) In your sentence we’re negating “want,” so δεν is correct: Δεν θέλει να πιει καφέ. (She doesn’t want to drink coffee.)

Where does δεν go in the sentence?

Immediately before the verb (or the verb phrase). With object clitics, δεν comes before them:

• Δεν θέλει καφέ.
• Δεν τον/την/το θέλει. (She doesn’t want him/her/it.)

What form of the verb is θέλει?

It’s 3rd person singular, present tense of θέλω (to want). Present indicative:

• εγώ θέλω
• εσύ θέλεις
• αυτός/αυτή/αυτό θέλει
• εμείς θέλουμε
• εσείς θέλετε
• αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά θέλουν(ε)

How do I pronounce the sentence?

• Αυτή = [afˈti] (the digraph αυ is pronounced [af] before the voiceless θ)
• δεν = [ðen] (like “then” but with [e])
• θέλει = [ˈθe.li] (θ = “th” in “think”; ει = [i])
• καφέ = [kaˈfe] (stress on the last syllable)

Why is there no article before καφέ?

Greek often omits the article with mass or uncountable nouns when speaking generally or about an unspecified amount. Δεν θέλει καφέ = She doesn’t want (any) coffee. If you mean “a coffee” as one portion/cup, you’d use the indefinite article: Δεν θέλει έναν καφέ.

What case is καφέ? Why isn’t it καφές?

Καφές is nominative (subject form). As a direct object, it takes the accusative: (τον) καφέ. Without the article, the visible form is just καφέ. With the definite article you’d see the case clearly: Δεν θέλει τον καφέ. (She doesn’t want the coffee.)

What’s the difference between Δεν θέλει καφέ and Δεν θέλει έναν καφέ?

• Δεν θέλει καφέ = She doesn’t want coffee (in general / any coffee / coffee as a drink).
• Δεν θέλει έναν καφέ = She doesn’t want a (single) coffee (a cup/serving). This is common in ordering contexts.

How do I say “She doesn’t want any coffee at all”?

Use καθόλου:

• Δεν θέλει καθόλου καφέ. (not at all) You can also say: Δεν θέλει ούτε καφέ ούτε τσάι. (She wants neither coffee nor tea.)

Should it be Αυτή or Αυτήν here?

As a subject, it must be nominative: Αυτή. The accusative αυτήν (often written without the final -ν in modern usage: αυτή) is used for objects: Βλέπω αυτήν. / More commonly with a clitic: Τη βλέπω. (I see her.)

Can I change the word order for emphasis?

Yes. Greek word order is flexible for emphasis:

• Αυτή δεν θέλει καφέ. (emphasis on “she”)
• Δεν θέλει καφέ αυτή. (end-focus on “she”)
• Καφέ δεν θέλει (αυτή). (emphasis on “coffee” as the thing refused) All are grammatical; intonation does the rest.

Is it okay to write δε θέλει instead of δεν θέλει?

In careful/standard writing, prefer δεν. In everyday speech and informal writing, δε is common before consonants. With function words like την/τον, Greek has retention rules for the final -ν (kept before vowels and certain consonants), but for δεν the safe, always-correct choice is to keep the ν.

How do I turn it into a yes/no question: “Doesn’t she want coffee?” or “Does she want coffee?”

Greek uses intonation and the Greek question mark (;) :

• Statement: Αυτή δεν θέλει καφέ.
• Negative question: Αυτή δεν θέλει καφέ;
• Positive question: Αυτή θέλει καφέ; You can also add μήπως for a tentative tone: Μήπως δεν θέλει καφέ;

How do I say “She doesn’t want the coffee”?

Use the definite article in the accusative:

• Δεν θέλει τον καφέ.

How do I say “She doesn’t want coffee, she wants tea”?

• Δεν θέλει καφέ, αλλά θέλει τσάι. (…but she wants tea.) You can drop the second θέλει in casual speech if context is clear: Δεν θέλει καφέ, αλλά τσάι.

Can καφέ be plural?

Yes: καφέδες (coffees). Use it for separate servings or varieties: Δεν θέλει καφέδες. (She doesn’t want coffees—e.g., multiple cups / different types.) For the drink in general, stick with the singular mass use: Δεν θέλει καφέ.

What’s the difference between “not wanting coffee” vs “not wanting to drink coffee” in Greek?

• “Not want coffee” (the item): Δεν θέλει καφέ.
• “Not want to drink coffee” (the action): Δεν θέλει να πιει καφέ. Be careful: Θέλει να μην πιει καφέ means “She wants not to drink coffee,” which is a different, marked meaning.