Breakdown of Δεν θέλω να κάνω κάτι δύσκολο, απλώς βγαίνω για έναν μικρό περίπατο στη φύση.
θέλω
to want
δεν
not
να
to
για
for
Questions & Answers about Δεν θέλω να κάνω κάτι δύσκολο, απλώς βγαίνω για έναν μικρό περίπατο στη φύση.
Why is the negation δεν placed before θέλω and not before κάνω?
In Modern Greek, δεν normally goes right before the finite verb of the clause (the verb that is actually conjugated for person and tense).
- In Δεν θέλω να κάνω κάτι δύσκολο, the finite verb is θέλω (I want).
- κάνω is in a subordinate να-clause (να κάνω κάτι δύσκολο), so the main negation attaches to θέλω.
So:
- Δεν θέλω να κάνω κάτι δύσκολο = I don’t want to do something difficult
(negating the wanting)
If you instead say:
- Θέλω να μην κάνω κάτι δύσκολο,
now the wanting is positive, and you are negating the doing inside the να‑clause: I want not to do something difficult.
They are not quite the same, and the first one (with Δεν θέλω…) is the natural one here.
What does να do in να κάνω? Why can’t I just say θέλω κάνω?
Modern Greek uses να to introduce a subjunctive-like clause. After verbs of wanting, needing, trying, etc., you almost always need να before the second verb.
- θέλω να κάνω = I want to do
- You cannot say θέλω κάνω in standard Modern Greek; it sounds wrong.
So the pattern is:
- θέλω να πάω – I want to go
- θέλω να φάω – I want to eat
- θέλω να κάνω – I want to do
Think of να a bit like English to in “I want to do,” but grammatically it is different (it marks a subordinate clause, not an infinitive).