Questions & Answers about Θέλω άλλο βιβλίο σήμερα.
Greek doesn’t need an indefinite article (ένα, ένας, μία/μια) as often as English does. Very often, a direct object can appear without it.
In Θέλω άλλο βιβλίο σήμερα:
- άλλο already gives the idea of “another / a different one”.
- So άλλο βιβλίο naturally means “another book / a different book” without needing ένα.
You can say Θέλω ένα άλλο βιβλίο σήμερα, and it’s also correct. It tends to sound a bit more explicit, like “I want one other/different book today”, but in everyday speech the difference is usually small and both are understood the same way.
άλλο βιβλίο is singular and means:
- “another book” (a second one instead of, or in addition to, the first), or
- “a different book” (not the one we’re talking about now).
It does not mean “more books” in the plural sense.
For those ideas:
- “one more book” (in addition): θέλω κι άλλο βιβλίο
- “other books” (plural, different ones): θέλω άλλα βιβλία
Yes, you can say either:
- Θέλω άλλο βιβλίο σήμερα.
- Θέλω ένα άλλο βιβλίο σήμερα.
Both are grammatically correct and commonly used.
Subtle difference:
- άλλο βιβλίο: neutral, everyday phrasing; “another/different book”.
- ένα άλλο βιβλίο: can slightly emphasize the idea of one different/extra book. In many contexts, though, speakers use them interchangeably without a strong meaning difference.
Word order in Greek is flexible. All of these are correct:
- Θέλω άλλο βιβλίο σήμερα.
- Σήμερα θέλω άλλο βιβλίο.
- Θέλω σήμερα άλλο βιβλίο.
The main difference is emphasis:
- Σήμερα θέλω άλλο βιβλίο stresses today (“Today, I want another book” – maybe not yesterday or generally).
- Θέλω άλλο βιβλίο σήμερα is more neutral and very natural: “I want another book today.”
- Θέλω σήμερα άλλο βιβλίο can sound like emphasis on “today” in the middle of the sentence, but it’s still fine.
So yes, you may move σήμερα; Greek allows that quite freely.
θέλω is the present tense, 1st person singular form of the verb θέλω (“to want”).
Present tense (common modern forms):
- εγώ θέλω – I want
- εσύ θέλεις – you want (singular)
- αυτός/αυτή/αυτό θέλει – he/she/it wants
- εμείς θέλουμε – we want
- εσείς θέλετε – you want (plural or polite)
- αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά θέλουν(ε) – they want
Greek uses this same present form for both “I want” and what in English would be “I am wanting” (though English normally just says “I want”).
The basic adjective is:
- άλλος, άλλη, άλλο = other / another / different
It changes to agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.
- Masculine: άλλος (nom. sg.)
- Feminine: άλλη (nom. sg.)
- Neuter: άλλο (nom. sg.)
In άλλο βιβλίο:
- βιβλίο is neuter singular.
- It is the direct object, so it’s in the accusative.
- Neuter nominative and accusative singular look the same: άλλο.
So άλλο is the neuter singular accusative form, agreeing with βιβλίο.
βιβλίο is a neuter noun.
Basic forms:
- Nominative sg.: το βιβλίο – the book
- Genitive sg.: του βιβλίου – of the book
- Accusative sg.: το βιβλίο – (the) book (as object)
In Θέλω άλλο βιβλίο σήμερα, βιβλίο is the direct object of θέλω, so it’s in the accusative case. For neuter singular, nominative and accusative both look like βιβλίο, so the function (subject vs object) is understood from context, not from the form.
In simple English-based approximations:
- Θέλω ≈ THEH-lo (TH as in think, not this; stress on THEH)
- άλλο ≈ AH-lo (stress on AH)
- βιβλίο ≈ vee-VLEE-o (stress on VLEE; the “vl” is a cluster, not two syllables)
- σήμερα ≈ SEE-me-ra (stress on SEE)
Whole sentence:
THEH-lo AH-lo vee-VLEE-o SEE-me-ra
In IPA: [ˈθelo ˈalo viˈvlio ˈsimera]
Both ask for another/different book, but the tone is different.
Θέλω άλλο βιβλίο σήμερα.
Literally: “I want another book today.”
Direct, neutral, everyday; in some situations (e.g. speaking to a waiter, clerk) it can sound a bit more demanding.Θα ήθελα άλλο βιβλίο σήμερα.
Literally: “I would like another book today.”
This is more polite and softer, similar to English “I’d like…” or “I would like…”.
So in a polite request (in a shop, library, classroom), Θα ήθελα… is usually preferable.
Yes, that’s correct, and it slightly changes the nuance.
Θέλω άλλο βιβλίο σήμερα.
“I want another/different book today” (focusing on today as the time you want it).Θέλω ένα άλλο βιβλίο για σήμερα.
“I want another/different book for today.”
This can suggest:- “for today’s use” (e.g. for today’s class, homework, or reading),
- or “as my book for today” (maybe you’ll change again tomorrow).
για σήμερα often has the sense “for today only / for today’s purposes.”
It can take both.
θέλω + noun/pronoun
- Θέλω άλλο βιβλίο. – I want another book.
- Θέλω αυτό. – I want this.
θέλω να + verb (subjunctive)
- Θέλω να διαβάσω. – I want to read.
- Θέλω να αγοράσω άλλο βιβλίο. – I want to buy another book.
You can even combine them:
- Θέλω άλλο βιβλίο να διαβάσω. – I want another book to read.
You negate the verb by placing δεν in front of it:
- Δεν θέλω άλλο βιβλίο σήμερα. – I don’t want another book today.
In everyday speech, δεν is often pronounced more like δε, but it’s written δεν.