Learn Hardcore Greek: Θέλεις να φάμε έξω απόψε;

Modern Greek doesn’t use infinitives. After verbs like θέλω (I want), Greek uses the particle να plus the subjunctive. So Θέλεις να φάμε literally means “Do you want that we eat,” which corresponds to English “Do you want (us) to eat.”

Why is it first-person plural να φάμε (“we eat”) if English often says “Do you want to eat out tonight?”

Greek makes the “together” idea explicit with the first-person plural. Θέλεις να φάμε… means “Do you want us to eat…?”—an invitation including both speaker and listener. If you said Θέλεις να φας…, it would mean “Do you want to eat… (you, by yourself)?” and Θέλεις να φάω… would be “Do you want me to eat…?”

What exact form is φάμε, and why not something from τρώω?

φάμε is the first-person plural aorist subjunctive of the verb “to eat.” Greek is irregular here:

Present: τρώω (I eat)
Aorist (past simple) indicative: έφαγα (I ate)
Aorist subjunctive (with να): να φάω, να φας, να φάει, να φάμε, να φάτε, να φάνε

What’s the difference between να φάμε and να τρώμε?

Aspect.

να φάμε (aorist subjunctive) = a single, complete event: “to have a meal.”
να τρώμε (present subjunctive) = ongoing/habitual action: “to be eating / to eat regularly.”
Here, since it’s about one meal tonight, να φάμε is the natural choice.

Does έξω mean “outside” literally, or “out at a restaurant”?

Both are possible, but in this collocation τρώω έξω means “to eat out (at a restaurant/cafe).” If you meant literally outside at home, you’d specify: να φάμε έξω στο μπαλκόνι/στην αυλή (“on the balcony/in the yard”).

What’s the nuance of απόψε compared to σήμερα το βράδυ or το βράδυ?

απόψε = “tonight” (natural, concise, very common in speech).
σήμερα το βράδυ = “this evening/tonight” (a bit more explicit).
το βράδυ = “in the evening/tonight” (can be slightly vaguer).
Avoid τη νύχτα here; that’s “at night” (late-night hours).

Is Θέλεις informal singular? How do I make it polite or plural?

Yes, Θέλεις addresses one person informally.

Polite or plural: Θέλετε να φάμε έξω απόψε;
Even softer/politer: Θα θέλατε/Θα ήθελες να φάμε έξω απόψε;

Can I use Θες instead of Θέλεις?

Yes. Θες is a very common, perfectly correct informal contraction: Θες να φάμε έξω απόψε;

Are there more natural ways to make this invitation?

Yes, common variants include:

Πάμε για φαγητό απόψε; (“Shall we go for food tonight?”)
Θέλεις να πάμε για φαγητό; (“Do you want to go for food?”)
Λες να φάμε έξω; (soft, “Do you think we should eat out?”)
Just Να φάμε έξω απόψε; (elliptical “Shall we eat out tonight?”)

Is the word order fixed?

Greek word order is flexible. You can move adverbs for emphasis:

Θέλεις να φάμε έξω απόψε; (neutral)
Απόψε θέλεις να φάμε έξω; (emphasis on “tonight”)
Θέλεις απόψε να φάμε έξω; (also fine) All mean the same in everyday use, with slight shifts in emphasis.

What’s that semicolon-looking mark at the end?

In Greek, the question mark is written as ; (what looks like a semicolon in English). So …απόψε; is a question. Don’t replace it with the English-style “?” in Greek text.

How do you pronounce the sentence?

Approximate: [THEH-lees na FA-meh EK-so a-POP-seh]
IPA: [ˈθelis na ˈfame ˈekso aˈpopse]
Stress falls on the first syllable of Θέλεις, φάμε, έξω, and on -πό- in απόψε.

How would someone typically answer?

Examples:

Yes: Ναι, πάμε! / Ναι, θέλω. / Τέλεια!
No/alternative: Όχι, καλύτερα αύριο. / Όχι, προτιμώ σπίτι. / Δεν μπορώ απόψε, δυστυχώς.

How can I make the invitation softer or more tentative?

Use modal or softening elements:

Θα ήθελες να φάμε έξω απόψε; (“Would you like…?”)
Μήπως θες να φάμε έξω απόψε; (soft, “Perhaps you’d like…?”)
Λες να φάμε έξω; (tentative, “Do you think we should…?”)

How do I say it in the negative or ask “Don’t you want to…?”

Δεν θέλεις να φάμε έξω απόψε; (“Don’t you want us to eat out tonight?” — expects a “yes.”)
To propose not doing it: Να μη(ν) φάμε έξω απόψε; (“Shall we not eat out tonight?”)

Do I need to say the subject pronoun εσύ?

No. Greek usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending (-εις in Θέλεις) already shows person and number. Εσύ θέλεις… is only used for emphasis.

Could I just say Να φάμε έξω απόψε; without Θέλεις?

Yes. That elliptical question is very common and functions like English “Shall we eat out tonight?” It’s a direct, friendly suggestion.