Learn Hardcore Greek: Θα το κάνω αργότερα, όμως τώρα δουλεύω. - I’ll do it later, however now I’m working.

Θα marks the future or (in other contexts) probability. Here it signals a future action: Θα το κάνω = I will do it. Note: θα can also express likelihood, e.g. Θα δουλεύει τώρα = He’s probably working now.

Why is the object pronoun το before κάνω?

Greek weak object pronouns (clitics) come right before a finite verb. With θα, the order is: θα + pronoun + verb → Θα το κάνω. In negatives: Δεν θα το κάνω. Clitics go after the verb only with affirmative imperatives: Κάν’ το!

Can I say Θα κάνω το instead?

No. Το here is a pronoun and must be a clitic before the verb: Θα το κάνω. Κάνω το… only works if το is the definite article introducing a noun (e.g. Κάνω το πείραμα = I do the experiment).

Why is it το and not τον/την?

Greek object pronouns agree with the gender/number of what they refer to:

masculine: τον (sing.), τους (pl.)
feminine: την (sing.), τις/τες (pl.)
neuter: το (sing.), τα (pl.) If the thing is feminine (e.g. η εργασία), you’d say Θα την κάνω αργότερα. Neuter is also the default when referring to an unspecified task or idea, hence Θα το κάνω is very common.

What’s the difference between όμως and αλλά?

Both mean but/however. Αλλά is the straightforward coordinating conjunction: …, αλλά τώρα δουλεύω. Όμως is a bit more like however; it’s more flexible in position and can feel slightly more formal or contrastive: …, όμως τώρα δουλεύω or Τώρα όμως δουλεύω. In many contexts, they’re interchangeable.

Is the comma before όμως necessary?

Yes, because you’re joining two independent clauses. You can write:

Θα το κάνω αργότερα, όμως τώρα δουλεύω.
Or: Θα το κάνω αργότερα, τώρα όμως δουλεύω. If you start a new sentence with Όμως, you don’t need a preceding comma: Όμως τώρα δουλεύω.

Can I move αργότερα or τώρα around?

Yes. Typical options:

Αργότερα θα το κάνω, όμως τώρα δουλεύω. (focus on “later”)
Θα το κάνω αργότερα. Τώρα όμως δουλεύω. (two sentences for stronger contrast)
Θα το κάνω αργότερα, τώρα όμως δουλεύω. Word order in Greek is flexible; moving adverbs adjusts emphasis, not the core meaning.

What about aspect in the future? Is there a difference like “I’ll do” vs “I’ll be doing”?

Yes, Greek distinguishes simple vs continuous future:

Simple (one-off/complete): θα γράψω, θα δουλέψω
Continuous (ongoing/habitual): θα γράφω, θα δουλεύω With κάνω, the forms for simple and continuous look the same (θα κάνω), so context (e.g. αργότερα) tells you it’s a one-off promise.

Could I say Το κάνω αργότερα instead of Θα το κάνω αργότερα?

Usually you prefer θα for future. Το κάνω αργότερα can occur in speech as an immediate decision/promise (I’ll do it later), but it’s less neutral. For clear future reference, Θα το κάνω αργότερα is the default.

Do we need τώρα? What changes if we drop it?

Τώρα disambiguates the present as “right now.” Όμως δουλεύω could also mean “but I work (in general).” Adding τώρα ensures the meaning is “but right now I’m working.”

How do I pronounce the tricky sounds?

θ in θα: like th in think.
δ in δουλεύω: like th in this.
ου: like oo in food → δου- = doo.
ευ before a vowel/voiced consonant = ev, so δουλεύω ≈ doo-LE-vo.
Stresses: Θά (no stress), κάνω (KA-no), αργότερα (ar-GO-te-ra), όμως (O-mos), τώρα (TO-ra), δουλεύω (thu-LE-vo, IPA: /ðuˈlevo/).

Is δουλεύω the only option? What about εργάζομαι?

Δουλεύω is the everyday verb for I’m working. Εργάζομαι is more formal/literary or used in official contexts. You could say Όμως τώρα εργάζομαι, but in casual speech δουλεύω is more natural.

Could I start with Όμως?

Yes: Όμως τώρα δουλεύω, θα το κάνω αργότερα. Starting with Όμως highlights the contrast first.

How would I say “I won’t do it now; I’m working”?

Δεν θα το κάνω τώρα· δουλεύω. You can also use a prohibition: Μην το κάνεις τώρα, δουλεύω. (Don’t do it now, I’m working.)

What are alternatives to αργότερα?

Μετά = after(wards), very common: Θα το κάνω μετά.
Ύστερα = afterwards, a bit more colloquial/regional: Θα το κάνω ύστερα. All three often overlap; αργότερα can feel slightly more open-ended.

Why is there no separate Greek word for “will”?

Modern Greek forms the future periphrastically with θα + nonpast (subjunctive) forms, not with a standalone future tense like English. So θα + verb covers English will/shall/going to depending on context and aspect.

Can I use a full noun and also keep the pronoun, like clitic doubling?

Yes, it’s possible and common for emphasis or clarity: Θα το κάνω το project αργότερα (I’ll do the project later). Without emphasis, you’d usually choose either the pronoun or the full noun.