Learn Hardcore Greek: Μπορώ να κάνω μια ερώτηση;

Να introduces a subjunctive-like verb form and is required after many verbs, including μπορώ. So μπορώ να κάνω literally means “I can that I do,” i.e., “I can do.” You can’t say μπορώ κάνω without να.

Why is it κάνω μια ερώτηση (“do a question”) instead of “ask a question”?

It’s a common collocation in Greek: κάνω μια ερώτηση = “ask a question.” You’ll also hear the verb ρωτάω/ρωτώ (“to ask”), but don’t combine them redundantly. Either:

κάνω μια ερώτηση, or
ρωτάω / ρωτώ (κάτι), or
να ρωτήσω;

Can I just say Μπορώ να ρωτήσω;?

Yes. Μπορώ να ρωτήσω; is perfectly natural and means the same thing. You can add an object: Μπορώ να ρωτήσω κάτι; (“May I ask something?”). It’s a bit more direct than the collocation with κάνω.

What’s the difference between μια and μία?

In modern usage:

μια is the indefinite article “a.”
μία is often used for the numeral “one.” Many people write μια for both in everyday text. Pronunciation may be one syllable [mja] or two [miˈa] depending on emphasis and speaker.

What gender and case is ερώτηση, and why μια?

Ερώτηση is feminine. Here it’s singular accusative as the direct object of κάνω, and the feminine accusative article is μια (same form in nominative and accusative for the feminine).

Why does the sentence end with what looks like a semicolon?

In Greek, the question mark is written as a semicolon: ;. So Μπορώ να κάνω μια ερώτηση; is correctly punctuated as a question.

Is it okay to drop μπορώ and just say Να κάνω μια ερώτηση;?

Yes. Να κάνω μια ερώτηση; is a very common, polite way to request permission. It’s slightly softer and more idiomatic in many contexts (classes, meetings, etc.).

Is Μπορώ να ρωτήσω μια ερώτηση; correct?

No. That’s redundant in Greek. Say either Μπορώ να ρωτήσω (κάτι); or Μπορώ να κάνω μια ερώτηση;, but not both together.

How polite is this? Are there more polite or softer options?

It’s polite and neutral. Softer/more deferential variants:

Να κάνω μια ερώτηση;
Μήπως μπορώ να κάνω μια ερώτηση; (“By any chance…”)
Θα μπορούσα να κάνω μια ερώτηση; (“Could I…”)
Very formal: Μου επιτρέπετε να κάνω μια ερώτηση;

Do I need to say the pronoun εγώ?

No. Greek usually drops subject pronouns. Εγώ μπορώ να κάνω… sounds contrastive (“I, as opposed to others, can…”), so only add εγώ if you want to emphasize the subject.

Can I omit the article and say Μπορώ να κάνω ερώτηση;?

Usually no; with a countable singular noun you normally need the article: μια ερώτηση. You can drop it in plural (e.g., κάνω ερωτήσεις) or in fixed expressions, but singular without μια sounds odd here.

What’s the plural of ερώτηση, and how would I ask to pose more than one?

Plural: ερωτήσεις. Examples:

Μπορώ να κάνω δύο ερωτήσεις; (“Can I ask two questions?”)
Μπορώ να κάνω μερικές ερωτήσεις; (“…some questions?”)

What’s the difference between ρωτάω and ρωτώ?

They’re the same verb; ρωτάω is more colloquial, ρωτώ a bit more formal/literary. Aorist: ρώτησα; subjunctive: να ρωτήσω.

Does μπορώ mean “can” for ability or permission here?

It can mean both, and context decides. In questions like this, μπορώ typically asks for permission (“May I…?”), which is perfectly natural in Greek.

Is there any difference between ερώτηση and ερώτημα?

Yes. Ερώτηση is a concrete question you ask someone. Ερώτημα is a more abstract “question/issue” (e.g., a philosophical question), not usually used for raising your hand to ask something.

Why do some words have accents like Μπορώ, κάνω, ερώτηση?

Modern Greek uses one accent mark to show the stressed syllable of polysyllabic words. It helps you place the stress correctly: μποΡΩ, ΚΑνω, εΡΩτηση.