Learn Hardcore Greek: Έπρεπε να τον πάρω αργότερα, αλλά δεν είχα τηλέφωνο. - I had to call him later, but I didn’t have a phone.

All are possible translations depending on context. On its own, έπρεπε να expresses past necessity/obligation. With the follow-up αλλά δεν είχα τηλέφωνο, the sense is “I was supposed to/I had to … (but I couldn’t).” If you want explicit “should have” (with a nuance of criticism/regret), Greek often uses θα έπρεπε να.

Why do we use να here? Doesn’t Greek have an infinitive?

Modern Greek doesn’t use an infinitive. It uses να + subjunctive instead. So English “to call/pick up” becomes Greek να πάρω (subjunctive).

Why is it πάρω and not παίρνω after να?

Greek distinguishes aspect in the subjunctive:

να πάρω (perfective/aorist): one, complete event (call him once, pick him up once).
να παίρνω (imperfective): ongoing/repeated action (e.g., Έπρεπε να τον παίρνω κάθε μέρα = I had to call him every day). Here a single later action is intended, so να πάρω is right.

What exactly is πάρω? Which verb is it from?

It’s the aorist (perfective) subjunctive, 1st person singular, of παίρνω. Useful forms:

Present: παίρνω
Aorist (past simple): πήρα
Subjunctive aorist: να πάρω
Imperfect: έπαιρνα
Future: θα πάρω

What is the role and placement of τον?

τον is the weak (clitic) pronoun “him” in the accusative. With particles like να/θα/δεν/μην, clitics go before the verb: να τον πάρω, θα τον πάρω, δεν τον πήρα. After a positive imperative they follow: πάρε τον / τηλεφώνησέ του.

Could να τον πάρω also mean “pick him up,” not “call him”?

Yes. παίρνω means “take,” so να τον πάρω can mean “to pick him up” (e.g., from the airport). In this sentence, the second clause δεν είχα τηλέφωνο points to the “call him” reading. To avoid ambiguity:

Call: να τον πάρω τηλέφωνο, να του τηλεφωνήσω
Pick up: να τον πάρω από το αεροδρόμιο

How do I make the “call” meaning explicit, and what’s the difference between παίρνω (κάποιον) τηλέφωνο and τηλεφωνώ (σε κάποιον)?

Both are natural:

παίρνω (κάποιον) τηλέφωνο takes a direct object: να τον πάρω (τηλέφωνο).
τηλεφωνώ (σε κάποιον) takes an indirect object: να του τηλεφωνήσω / τηλεφώνησα στον Γιάννη. Same meaning; the grammar differs (accusative vs. “to”-object).

Is να του πάρω τηλέφωνο correct?

You’ll hear it in colloquial speech, but standard grammar prefers either:

να τον πάρω (τηλέφωνο) (accusative person), or
να του τηλεφωνήσω (indirect object with του). Use those in careful speech/writing.

Why is there no article in δεν είχα τηλέφωνο? Could I say δεν είχα ένα τηλέφωνο or δεν είχα το τηλέφωνό μου?

Greek typically drops the article with indefinite/generic objects, especially under negation: δεν είχα τηλέφωνο = I didn’t have a phone. You can say:

δεν είχα ένα τηλέφωνο to emphasize “not even a single phone.”
δεν είχα το τηλέφωνό μου for a specific phone (mine).

If I meant “I didn’t have his number,” how do I say that?

Use a possessive:

Δεν είχα το τηλέφωνό του.
Δεν είχα τον αριθμό του. Notice the extra accent in το τηλέφωνό του (added because of the enclitic του).

Why is it δεν in the second clause, and when would I use μην?

δεν negates the indicative (here είχα). μη(ν) negates the subjunctive/imperative: να μην τον πάρω, μην τον πάρεις. Be careful with meaning:

Δεν έπρεπε να τον πάρω = I wasn’t supposed to / I shouldn’t have taken/called him.
Έπρεπε να μην τον πάρω = I was required not to take/call him.

Can I move αργότερα to other positions?

Yes, within limits:

Neutral: Έπρεπε να τον πάρω αργότερα.
Emphasis on time: Αργότερα έπρεπε να τον πάρω.
Less natural: Έπρεπε αργότερα να τον πάρω. Avoid splitting the clitic from the verb: not να τον αργότερα πάρω.

What’s the difference between αργότερα and μετά?

Both can mean “later,” but:

αργότερα = later (relative to a reference point).
μετά = after/then; often used alone or with από
- noun (e.g., μετά από λίγο = after a while). In many contexts they’re interchangeable; αργότερα sounds a bit more like “at a later time.”

Is the comma before αλλά necessary?

It’s standard to use a comma before αλλά when it links two independent clauses, just like “but” in English: …, αλλά ….