Μπορούμε να πληρώσουμε τον λογαριασμό αργότερα;

Can we pay the bill later?

Breakdown of Μπορούμε να πληρώσουμε τον λογαριασμό αργότερα;

• μπορώ: to be able
• να: to
• πληρώνω: to pay
• αργότερα: later
• ο λογαριασμός: the bill

Questions & Answers about Μπορούμε να πληρώσουμε τον λογαριασμό αργότερα;

Why is there a semicolon at the end—is that the Greek question mark?

Yes. In Greek, the symbol ; is the question mark. The real semicolon is a different mark called the ano teleia (·). So …; = a question, while …· = a semicolon/pause.

What does να do here, and what form is πληρώσουμε?

• να introduces the subjunctive in Modern Greek after many verbs (including μπορώ “can”). It’s roughly like “to” in English here, but grammatically it marks the subjunctive.
• πληρώσουμε is the 1st person plural aorist subjunctive of πληρώνω “to pay” (aorist stem: πληρώσω-/-σουμε). The aorist subjunctive presents the action as a single, complete event—perfect for “to pay (once).”
• Contrast: να πληρώνουμε would mean “to be paying/keep paying (habitually or continuously),” which is not what you want in this request.

Is μπορούμε the same as “can,” and how do I make it more polite (like “could we”)?

• Μπορούμε = “we can/are able to.”
• More polite options:
  • Θα μπορούσαμε να πληρώσουμε τον λογαριασμό αργότερα; “Could we pay the bill later?”
  • Μήπως μπορούμε να πληρώσουμε τον λογαριασμό αργότερα; Softens the request.
  • Add παρακαλώ at the end for extra politeness: …, παρακαλώ;

Why is it τον λογαριασμό and not something else?

• λογαριασμός is a masculine noun. As a direct object (accusative singular), it becomes λογαριασμό and takes the masculine accusative article τον: τον λογαριασμό.
• You may hear people drop the final -ν of τον in casual speech before certain consonants, but the safe, standard form is to keep it: τον λογαριασμό.

Can I say Μπορώ instead of Μπορούμε if I’m alone?

Yes:

• Μπορώ να πληρώσω τον λογαριασμό αργότερα; = “Can I pay the bill later?”
• Note: Using “we” (μπορούμε) is not a politeness strategy in Greek; it actually means plural/inclusive “we.”

Do I have to include the article before λογαριασμό?

Yes, normally. Greek uses definite articles more than English. With specific countable nouns (like “the bill” at a restaurant), you usually include the article: τον λογαριασμό. Omitting it would sound generic/odd here.

Can αργότερα go somewhere else in the sentence?

Yes. Common, natural placements include:

• Μπορούμε να πληρώσουμε τον λογαριασμό αργότερα; (most typical)
• Μπορούμε να πληρώσουμε αργότερα τον λογαριασμό; (also fine)
• Αργότερα, μπορούμε να πληρώσουμε τον λογαριασμό; (fronted for emphasis on “later”) All are understandable; placing the time adverb at the end is very common.

How do I pronounce the whole sentence?

• Μπορούμε [boˈrume] (μπ = b)
• να [na]
• πληρώσουμε [pliˈrosume] (η = i, ω = o)
• τον [ton] (often heard as [to] in fast speech)
• λογαριασμό [loɣarjazˈmo] (γ before a vowel = voiced “gh”; ια = “ya”)
• αργότερα [arˈɣotera] (γ = voiced “gh”) Full: [boˈrume na pliˈrosume ton loɣarjazˈmo arˈɣotera]

Why does λογαριασμό end in -ό instead of -ός?

Because it’s in the accusative case (direct object). The nominative (dictionary form) is λογαριασμός, while the accusative is λογαριασμό.

Can I use για να instead of να?

Not here. για να means “in order to” (purpose). After μπορώ you use plain να. So:

• Correct: Μπορούμε να πληρώσουμε…
• Wrong here: Μπορούμε για να πληρώσουμε…

How do I refer back to “the bill” with a pronoun instead of repeating the noun?

Use the masculine object pronoun τον before the verb (after να):

• Μπορούμε να τον πληρώσουμε αργότερα; = “Can we pay it later?”

How do I say it as a statement: “We’ll pay the bill later”?

• Θα πληρώσουμε τον λογαριασμό αργότερα. Using θα
  • aorist stem expresses the simple future.

How do I make it negative, like “Can’t we pay later?” or “Can we not pay now?”

• “Can’t we pay later?”: Δεν μπορούμε να πληρώσουμε αργότερα;
• “Can we not pay now?” (i.e., avoid paying now): Μπορούμε να μην πληρώσουμε τώρα; They’re slightly different in meaning/scope.

Are there natural alternatives to αργότερα?

Yes, depending on nuance:

• μετά = afterwards/after that
• σε λίγο = in a bit/shortly
• πιο μετά = later on (a bit stronger than μετά)

What’s the difference between λογαριασμός and απόδειξη?

• λογαριασμός = the bill/check (the amount you owe).
• απόδειξη = the receipt (the official proof of payment). In many places you’ll be given the απόδειξη when you actually pay the λογαριασμό.