Αν δεν πάρεις πρόσκληση, μπορείς όμως να έρθεις μαζί μου.

If you don't receive an invitation, you can still come with me.

Breakdown of Αν δεν πάρεις πρόσκληση, μπορείς όμως να έρθεις μαζί μου.

• δεν: not
• μπορώ: to be able
• να: to
• μαζί: together
• μου: me
• έρχομαι: to come
• αν: if
• όμως: however
• η πρόσκληση: the invitation
• παίρνω: to receive

Questions & Answers about Αν δεν πάρεις πρόσκληση, μπορείς όμως να έρθεις μαζί μου.

What does Αν mean here, and is it the same as όταν?

Αν means if and introduces a condition:

• Αν δεν πάρεις πρόσκληση… = If you don’t get an invitation…

It is not the same as όταν:

• όταν = when (for something expected / habitual)
• αν = if (something that may or may not happen)

So:

• Αν δεν πάρεις πρόσκληση, μπορείς όμως να έρθεις μαζί μου.
  = If you don’t get an invitation, you can still come with me.

You would not use όταν here, because we are not sure whether you will get the invitation or not.

Why is it πάρεις and not παίρνεις in Αν δεν πάρεις πρόσκληση?

Πάρεις is the aorist subjunctive, 2nd person singular, of the verb παίρνω (to take / get).

• παίρνεις = you take / you are taking (present)
• πάρεις = you take / you get (aorist subjunctive, one-time event)

In Greek, after αν in a conditional clause, we typically use the subjunctive, often in the aorist:

• Αν πάρεις πρόσκληση… = If you (do) get an invitation…
• Αν δεν πάρεις πρόσκληση… = If you do not get an invitation…

Using παίρνεις would sound odd here, because this is about a single possible future event, not a repeated or ongoing action.

Why is there no θα in Αν δεν πάρεις πρόσκληση? Can I say Αν δεν θα πάρεις?

You cannot say Αν δεν θα πάρεις in standard Greek. After αν (if), Greek does not use θα.

Pattern:

• αν
  • subjunctive (πάρεις, πάω, φύγεις, etc.)
• θα
  • subjunctive for a normal future statement (without αν)

Compare:

• Θα πάρεις πρόσκληση.
  = You will get an invitation.

• Αν πάρεις πρόσκληση, θα χαρώ.
  = If you get an invitation, I’ll be happy.

So the correct structure is:

• Αν δεν πάρεις πρόσκληση, μπορείς όμως να έρθεις μαζί μου.
  (Never Αν δεν θα πάρεις.)

What is πρόσκληση exactly, and why is there no article?

Πρόσκληση is a feminine noun meaning invitation.

Basic forms:

• η πρόσκληση = the invitation (nominative)
• την πρόσκληση = the invitation (accusative)

In the sentence we have:

• Αν δεν πάρεις πρόσκληση…
  Literally: If you don’t get (an) invitation…

There is no article (no μια πρόσκληση or την πρόσκληση), because the speaker means any invitation / an invitation in general, not a specific one already known to both speakers. That’s quite natural in Greek for “get an invitation” in this kind of context.

Why is δεν used here and not μην: Αν δεν πάρεις πρόσκληση?

This is a very common confusion.

• δεν is the normal negation used with statements and questions.
• μην is typically used with να
  • subjunctive and with some other special constructions.

Here we have αν + verb (a conditional clause), not να + verb, so we use δεν:

• Αν δεν πάρεις πρόσκληση… = If you do not get an invitation…

Compare:

• Να μην πάρεις πρόσκληση. = Don’t get an invitation. (like a negative instruction with να)
• Αν δεν πάρεις πρόσκληση… = If you don’t get an invitation…

So: αν → δεν, να → μην (as a rough beginner rule).

What does όμως add to the sentence, and where can it go?

Όμως means however, though, or but.

In Μπορείς όμως να έρθεις μαζί μου, it adds the idea of contrast:

• Even if that happens (you don’t get an invitation), still / however, you can come with me.

Possible positions:

• Μπορείς όμως να έρθεις μαζί μου.
• Όμως μπορείς να έρθεις μαζί μου.
• Μπορείς να έρθεις όμως μαζί μου. (more colloquial/less neutral)

All are understood, but the original Μπορείς όμως να έρθεις μαζί μου is very natural and neutral.

If you leave out όμως, the meaning is simply:

• Μπορείς να έρθεις μαζί μου. = You can come with me.

Without the contrastive nuance of however / though.

What does μπορείς mean here? Is it ability or permission?

Μπορείς is the 2nd person singular of μπορώ (can / be able to).

In this sentence:

• Μπορείς όμως να έρθεις μαζί μου.

it most naturally means you are allowed / you may (permission), not just physical ability.

So it is understood as:

• You can / you may still come with me (I’m inviting you / I’m saying it’s okay).

Context can make μπορείς mean either can (are able to) or may (are allowed to); here it’s clearly permission.

Why is it να έρθεις and not έρχεσαι?

Να έρθεις is a subjunctive form:

• να έρθεις = (for you) to come / that you come (one specific coming)
• έρχεσαι = you come / you are coming (present indicative, habitual or ongoing)

After μπορείς, when we talk about doing an action, Greek uses μπορείς + να + subjunctive:

• Μπορείς να έρθεις. = You can come.
• Μπορείς να φύγεις. = You can leave.
• Μπορείς να πάρεις. = You can take.

So έρχεσαι would be wrong here; να έρθεις is required by the grammar pattern μπορείς να + subjunctive and it also fits the idea of a single possible future action.

What is the structure μαζί μου? Could I say με μένα instead?

Μαζί μου literally means with me:

• μαζί = together
• μου = of me (genitive of εγώ)

Greek uses μαζί + genitive pronoun:

• μαζί μου = with me
• μαζί σου = with you (sing.)
• μαζί του / της / μας / σας / τους = with him / her / us / you(pl.) / them

You can also say:

• με μένα = with me (emphatic)
• με εμένα = with me (even more emphatic)

So:

• Μπορείς να έρθεις μαζί μου. (very normal and common)
• Μπορείς να έρθεις με μένα. (OK, a bit more emphatic: “with me (rather than someone else)”)

In this sentence, μαζί μου is the most natural everyday choice.

Is the word order fixed? Could I say Όμως μπορείς να έρθεις μαζί μου instead?

The word order is fairly flexible in Greek, and your alternative is fine.

All of these are acceptable (with small differences in emphasis):

• Αν δεν πάρεις πρόσκληση, μπορείς όμως να έρθεις μαζί μου. (original)
• Αν δεν πάρεις πρόσκληση, όμως μπορείς να έρθεις μαζί μου.
• Αν δεν πάρεις πρόσκληση, μπορείς να έρθεις μαζί μου όμως. (more colloquial)

The original version places όμως right after μπορείς, which is very natural and slightly emphasizes what follows: you can, however, come with me.

For a learner, it’s safe to keep:

• [clause] , μπορείς όμως να [verb] μαζί μου.

Why is there a comma in the middle of the sentence?

The comma separates the if-clause from the main clause, just like in English:

• Αν δεν πάρεις πρόσκληση, μπορείς όμως να έρθεις μαζί μου.
  = If you don’t get an invitation, you can still come with me.

This comma is standard punctuation in Greek when an introductory clause (like a condition, time clause, etc.) comes before the main part of the sentence.

How would this sentence change if I wanted to say “If you don’t get an invitation, you still want to come with me”, instead of “you can come with me”?

You would change μπορείς (you can) to θέλεις (you want):

• Αν δεν πάρεις πρόσκληση, θέλεις όμως να έρθεις μαζί μου;
  = If you don’t get an invitation, do you still want to come with me?

Key change:

• μπορείς να έρθεις = you can come / you are allowed / able to come
• θέλεις να έρθεις = you want to come

Everything else (αν, δεν πάρεις, πρόσκληση, όμως, να έρθεις, μαζί μου) stays the same.