Learn Hardcore Greek: Πρέπει να πάω στη δουλειά, αλλά θέλω να μείνω σπίτι. - I have to go to work, but I want to stay home.

Because πρέπει is impersonal in Modern Greek. It literally means “it is necessary,” and it always stays in the 3rd singular: πρέπει να πάω / πρέπει να πας / πρέπει να πάει. Think “it is necessary that I/you/he go,” not “I must go” with a personal verb.

What does να do here? Is it like the English “to”?

Modern Greek has no infinitive. Instead, after verbs like πρέπει, θέλω, μπορώ, etc., you use να plus the subjunctive. So πρέπει να πάω = “(it’s necessary) that I go,” and θέλω να μείνω = “I want to stay.”

What is the difference between να πάω and να πηγαίνω?

Aspect:

να πάω = perfective (aorist) subjunctive: a single, complete trip (“I have to go (this time)”).
να πηγαίνω = imperfective (progressive/habitual) subjunctive: ongoing or repeated action (“I should be going regularly” / “I should be on my way (now)”).

In the sentence, πρέπει να πάω is one specific instance; not a habit.

Why use πάω instead of πηγαίνω?

Both mean “go.” In the subjunctive after να, the perfective form is να πάω (single event). The continuous/habitual form would be να πηγαίνω. Outside of να, you’ll hear both in the present: πάω στη δουλειά (more colloquial) and πηγαίνω στη δουλειά (a bit more formal/neutral).

What exactly is στη in στη δουλειά?

It’s a contraction of the preposition σε (“to/at/in”) + the feminine singular definite article τη(ν):

σε + τη(ν) → στη(ν)
Similarly: σε + το → στο, σε + τα → στα, σε + τον → στον Because δουλειά is feminine singular (accusative after σε), you get στη δουλειά.

When do I write στη vs στην?

The final -ν is often dropped unless the next word begins with a vowel or certain consonants (κ, π, τ, ξ, ψ, μπ, ντ, τσ, τζ, γκ). Since δουλειά starts with δ, most write στη δουλειά. You will still see/hear στην δουλειά; it isn’t “wrong,” just less standard here.

Why is it στη δουλειά (“to work”) but just σπίτι (“home”) with no preposition or article?

The noun σπίτι often works adverbially in set phrases, meaning “home/at home/homewards,” so no σε or article is needed: πάω σπίτι, είμαι σπίτι, μένω σπίτι. You can use στο σπίτι too, usually when you mean a particular house or want to be more specific (e.g., στο σπίτι μου = “at my house”).

What’s the nuance difference among σπίτι, στο σπίτι, and στο σπίτι μου?

σπίτι: “(at) home / homewards” in general.
στο σπίτι: “at/to the house,” often more specific or contrastive.
στο σπίτι μου: “at/to my house,” explicitly possessive.

With θέλω, why is it να μείνω and not να μένω?

Aspect again:

θέλω να μείνω (perfective) = “I want to stay (this time/for now).”
θέλω να μένω (imperfective) = “I want to stay (habitually/for a longer period)” or “I want to live (reside).”

Are μείνω and μένω different verbs?

Same verb, different aspects/forms.

Present: μένω (“I stay/I live”).
Aorist: έμεινα (“I stayed”).
Perfective subjunctive: να μείνω (“that I stay (once/for a bounded time)”). So θέλω να μείνω uses the perfective subjunctive.

Is the comma before αλλά necessary?

It’s standard and recommended, because αλλά links two independent clauses. You’ll often see a comma before αλλά, much like in English before “but.”

Could I replace αλλά with something else?

αλλά = neutral “but,” most common.
μα = also “but,” slightly more emphatic/colloquial or literary.
όμως = “however,” often movable: Θέλω να μείνω σπίτι, όμως πρέπει… or Όμως θέλω… Punctuation varies: όμως is often set off by commas when placed mid-sentence.

Does πρέπει mean “must” or “should”?

It covers both, depending on context, tone, and softeners. Plain πρέπει often feels like “must/need to.” You can soften it with adverbs: μάλλον πρέπει (“I probably should”), ίσως πρέπει (“maybe I should”).

Can I say πάω δουλειά without the article?

In standard Greek you normally say πάω στη δουλειά. In some casual speech you’ll hear πάω δουλειά, but the version with the article is the safe, neutral choice.

Any spelling traps with δουλειά?

Yes—don’t confuse δουλειά (work, job) with δουλεία (slavery). They look similar but mean very different things. Rough pronunciations: δουλειά ≈ “doo-lee-YA”; δουλεία ≈ “doo-LEE-a.” Keep the stress on the last syllable for δουλειά.