Learn Hardcore Greek: Πρέπει να πάρω μια σημαντική απόφαση για το μέλλον μου. - I have to make an important decision about my future.

πρέπει is impersonal (it doesn’t change for person: I/you/he = all πρέπει).
The subject is understood from the verb that follows (πάρω = 1st person singular, so it’s "I must").

Why do we say πρέπει να πάρω and not πρέπει παίρνω?

After πρέπει, modern Greek normally uses να + subjunctive form of the verb, not the simple present:

πρέπει να πάρω (correct)
πρέπει παίρνω (incorrect)

να πάρω is the subjunctive of παίρνω and is used to talk about:

something not yet done
an obligation, intention, plan, or decision

So:

παίρνω = I take / I am taking (present, ongoing or habitual)
να πάρω = (that) I take / I should take / I will take (subjunctive, non-completed future or desired action)

With πρέπει, always think: πρέπει + να + subjunctive.

What is the difference between παίρνω and πάρω?

They are two different aspects of the same verb "to take":

παίρνω = present/imperfective aspect
- used for ongoing, repeated or habitual actions
- e.g. Παίρνω το λεωφορείο κάθε μέρα. = I take the bus every day.
πάρω = aorist/subjunctive stem (perfective aspect)
- used with να, θα, and some other particles
- focuses on the action as a single, complete event
- e.g. Πρέπει να πάρω μια απόφαση. = I must make (take) a decision (once).

In this sentence the speaker needs to make one important decision, so the perfective (πάρω) is appropriate.

Why is it να πάρω and not να παίρνω here?

Both exist, but they mean different things:

να πάρω (perfective) = to take (once, as a complete action)
- Πρέπει να πάρω μια απόφαση.
  → I must make a decision (one specific decision).
να παίρνω (imperfective) = to be taking, to keep taking, to take regularly
- Πρέπει να παίρνω τα φάρμακά μου κάθε μέρα.
  → I have to take my medicine every day (repeated action).

Deciding about your future is one single, important decision, so Greek uses να πάρω.

Why is μια used here instead of η before σημαντική απόφαση?

μια means "a / one" (indefinite article, feminine).
η means "the" (definite article, feminine).

μια σημαντική απόφαση = an important decision (not specified which one yet)
η σημαντική απόφαση = the important decision (a particular one we both know about)

In this sentence, the idea is:

"I must make an important decision"
So μια is correct: it’s indefinite, introducing a decision not previously identified.

Why is σημαντική before απόφαση? Can it go after?

In Greek, adjectives can come before or after the noun, but position can slightly affect nuance and article use.

Here:

μια σημαντική απόφαση = an important decision (normal, neutral order: article + adjective + noun)

You can also say:

μια απόφαση σημαντική
This sounds a bit more emphatic or poetic / marked, like "a decision that is important" rather than just "an important decision".

In everyday speech, the most common neutral pattern is:

(article) + adjective + noun
So μια σημαντική απόφαση is the standard choice.

Why is it απόφαση and not something like αποφασία or αποφάση?

The noun comes from the verb αποφασίζω (to decide), but the noun form is η απόφαση (decision), not a direct copy of the verb stem.

Full forms:

η απόφαση (nominative singular)
της απόφασης (genitive)
την απόφαση (accusative)
οι αποφάσεις (nominative plural)

In this sentence, μια σημαντική απόφαση is in the accusative case (object of the verb), but for feminine nouns ending in -η, the nominative and accusative singular look the same:

Nominative: η σημαντική απόφαση
Accusative: μια σημαντική απόφαση

So the form απόφαση is correct here.

Why is it για το μέλλον μου and not για την μέλλον μου?

μέλλον is a neuter noun:

το μέλλον = the future
του μέλλοντος = of the future

So you must use the neuter article:

για το μέλλον = for the future

την is the feminine article, so για την μέλλον would be grammatically wrong.

The full phrase:

για το μέλλον μου
= for my future
(literally: for the future of-me)

How does the possessive μου work in το μέλλον μου? Why is it after the noun?

In Greek, unstressed possessive pronouns like μου (my), σου (your), του (his/its), etc., normally come after the noun:

το μέλλον μου = my future
η μητέρα μου = my mother
το σπίτι σου = your house

Structure:

article + noun + possessive pronoun

There is also a stressed form δικό μου (my own), but it’s used for emphasis or contrast:

το δικό μου μέλλον = my own future (as opposed to someone else’s)
Εγώ αποφασίζω για το δικό μου μέλλον. = I decide about my own future.

In this sentence, the neutral, unstressed μου is appropriate: το μέλλον μου.

Is the word order fixed? Can I say: Πρέπει να πάρω μια απόφαση σημαντική για το μέλλον μου?

Greek word order is more flexible than English, but some options sound more natural than others.

Πρέπει να πάρω μια σημαντική απόφαση για το μέλλον μου.
→ Very natural and standard.
Πρέπει να πάρω μια απόφαση σημαντική για το μέλλον μου.
→ Grammatically possible. It sounds more marked / emphatic, like:
- "I must make a decision which is important for my future."

Other possible (but less common) variations:

Πρέπει να πάρω μια σημαντική για το μέλλον μου απόφαση.
→ Emphasizes "important for my future" as a unit.

For everyday speech, stick to:

μια σημαντική απόφαση (article + adjective + noun)
It’s the most neutral and idiomatic version.