Learn Hardcore Greek: Δεν θέλω να χάνω χρόνο στο ίντερνετ. - I don’t want to waste time on the internet.

In Δεν θέλω να χάνω χρόνο στο ίντερνετ, να links θέλω (I want) with the next verb χάνω (to lose / to waste) and shows that it’s something you want/don’t want to do, not something actually happening right now.

Very often in Greek:

Θέλω να… = I want to…
Δεν θέλω να… = I don’t want to…

So να roughly corresponds to “to” in English in these patterns, though grammatically it’s more complex than that.

Why is it χάνω and not χάσω? What’s the difference?

Greek has two main aspects for verbs:

Imperfective (continuous) – ongoing/repeated/general actions
Aorist (simple) – one whole, completed action

Χάνω is imperfective (continuous):
Δεν θέλω να χάνω χρόνο = I don’t want to be wasting / keep wasting / generally waste time.

Χάσω is the aorist form (subjunctive):
Δεν θέλω να χάσω χρόνο = I don’t want to lose/waste time (on one occasion, in this case).

So:

If you mean a general bad habit or ongoing behavior:
Δεν θέλω να χάνω χρόνο στο ίντερνετ.
If you mean a specific situation:
Δεν θέλω να χάσω χρόνο τώρα. = I don’t want to waste time now (on this specific occasion).

Why is there no word for “my” before χρόνο? Why not τον χρόνο μου?

Greek often doesn’t need a possessive like μου when the ownership is clear from context.

Χρόνο here is used in a general sense of time; it’s understood that it is your time, so μου is optional.

You could say:

Δεν θέλω να χάνω τον χρόνο μου στο ίντερνετ.

This is also correct and slightly more explicit/emphatic: my time specifically. But the shorter version without μου is completely natural.

What is the role of δεν and why isn’t it μη(ν)?

Greek has two main negative particles:

δεν – used before most finite verbs (normal sentence verbs in indicative/subjunctive)
μη(ν) – used in prohibitions (negative commands), wishes, and some special constructions

In this sentence:

Δεν θέλω… = I don’t want…

Θέλω is a normal verb in a statement, so you use δεν.

Compare:

Μην χάνεις χρόνο στο ίντερνετ. = Don’t waste time on the internet. (negative command → μην)
Δεν θέλω να χάνω χρόνο στο ίντερνετ. = I don’t want to waste time… (statement → δεν).

Why is it στο ίντερνετ and not something like σε το ίντερνετ?

Στο is a contraction:

σε (in/on/at) + το (the, neuter singular) → στο

So literally:

στο ίντερνετ = σε + το ίντερνετ = on the internet

Greek almost always contracts σε + το to στο in speech and writing:

στο σχολείο (σε + το σχολείο) = at school
στο σπίτι (σε + το σπίτι) = at home

The same pattern applies here: στο ίντερνετ.

Can I say διαδίκτυο instead of ίντερνετ? Is there a difference?

Yes:

στο ίντερνετ and στο διαδίκτυο both mean on the internet.

Ίντερνετ is the everyday, borrowed form (from English internet).
Διαδίκτυο is the more “Greek” and sometimes slightly more formal/neutral term.

Both are common and understood:

Δεν θέλω να χάνω χρόνο στο ίντερνετ.
Δεν θέλω να χάνω χρόνο στο διαδίκτυο.

The meaning is practically the same in modern usage.

Why is εγώ (I) not written? Where is the subject?

Greek usually drops the subject pronoun because the verb ending shows the subject.

θέλω = I want
θέλεις = you want
θέλει = he/she/it wants

So:

Δεν θέλω να χάνω χρόνο… already means I don’t want to waste time…
You only say Εγώ δεν θέλω… when you want to emphasize I, as in “I don’t want… (maybe others do, but I don’t).”

Why is θέλω in the present tense and not something like ήθελα?

Θέλω is present tense → I want / I don’t want (now, in general).

Δεν θέλω να χάνω χρόνο… = I do not want to waste time (now / as a rule).

If you used ήθελα (imperfect/past):

Δεν ήθελα να χάνω χρόνο…
= I didn’t want to waste time… (in the past, at that time).

So θέλω is correct here because you’re talking about a current or general preference.

Can I say Δεν θέλω χάνω χρόνο στο ίντερνετ without να?

No. In this structure you must use να before the second verb.

Correct patterns:

Θέλω να χάνω…
Θέλω να διαβάζω… (I want to read…)
Δεν θέλω να πάω… (I don’t want to go…)

You cannot join two verbs directly like English “want waste time”. Greek needs να:

Δεν θέλω να χάνω χρόνο, not Δεν θέλω χάνω χρόνο.

What case is χρόνο in, and why?

Χρόνο is the accusative singular of χρόνος (time).

In Greek, the direct object of the verb goes in the accusative:

χάνω χρόνο = I lose/waste time
τρώω ψωμί = I eat bread
βλέπω τον φίλο μου = I see my friend

So χρόνο is in the accusative because it is “what” you are wasting: I don’t want to waste (what?) time.

Why is it χρόνο and not ώρα? Aren’t they both “time”?

Both are related to time, but they’re used differently:

χρόνος / χρόνο – time in general, a quantity of time; “time” as a resource
ώρα – clock hour, time of day, or duration in hours

In this sentence, you’re talking about time as a general resource you don’t want to waste, so χρόνο is natural.

Examples:

Δεν έχω χρόνο. = I don’t have (any) time.
Τι ώρα είναι; = What time is it?
Μία ώρα στο ίντερνετ. = One hour on the internet.

How is Δεν θέλω να χάνω χρόνο στο ίντερνετ pronounced?

Approximate pronunciation (using English-like sounds):

Δεν → then (with th as in this)
θέλω → THEH-lo (th as in think, stress on θέ)
να → na (like nah)
χάνω → HA-no (ch like a strong h, as in Spanish jota, stress on ΧΑ)
χρόνο → HRO-no (same strong h at the start, rolled or tapped r, stress on ΧΡΟ)
στο → sto
ίντερνετ → EEN-ter-net (stress on ΊΝ)

Full phrase with stress marked:
Δεν ΘΈ-λω να ΧΆ-νω ΧΡΌ-νο στο ÍN-ter-net.

Is the word order fixed, or can I move στο ίντερνετ?

Greek word order is relatively flexible, especially for adverbials like στο ίντερνετ.

These are all possible and natural, with slightly different emphasis:

Δεν θέλω να χάνω χρόνο στο ίντερνετ. (most neutral)
Δεν θέλω, στο ίντερνετ, να χάνω χρόνο. (emphasis on on the internet as the place you waste time)
Στο ίντερνετ δεν θέλω να χάνω χρόνο. (stronger focus on on the internet at the start)

The original order is the most typical and straightforward.