Breakdown of Πριν γράψω κείμενο στα ελληνικά, σχεδιάζω μια μικρή περίληψη ώστε να ξέρω τι θα πω.
Questions & Answers about Πριν γράψω κείμενο στα ελληνικά, σχεδιάζω μια μικρή περίληψη ώστε να ξέρω τι θα πω.
In modern Greek, πριν (before) is normally followed by the subjunctive to talk about a future or hypothetical action.
- γράφω = present indicative (I write / I am writing, or I habitually write)
- γράψω = aorist subjunctive (I write – as a single, complete event, usually future-oriented in this kind of clause)
So πριν γράψω literally feels like “before I (will) write,” but Greek uses the subjunctive for that idea instead of a future tense.
You would use πριν γράφω only in some special, more abstract uses (e.g. with a general or habitual meaning), but for a specific upcoming act (“before I write a text now/this time”), πριν + subjunctive (γράψω) is the normal pattern.
They differ in mood and aspect:
γράφω
- Mood: indicative (also present subjunctive in some contexts)
- Aspect: imperfective (ongoing, repeated, habitual)
- Typical use: “I write / I am writing / I used to write”
γράψω
- Mood: subjunctive (also used for future-like or hypothetical actions)
- Aspect: perfective (viewed as a whole, complete event)
- Appears usually after να, θα, πριν, ώστε να, etc.
- Typical use: “(that) I write / (that) I will write (once, as a complete action)”
In this sentence, the speaker is thinking of writing one specific text as a whole event, so γράψω is the fitting form after πριν.
Greek often leaves out the article when talking about an indefinite, generic or first‑mentioned object, especially in more “neutral” or abstract contexts.
- γράφω κείμενο στα ελληνικά
= I write (some) text / a text in Greek (non-specific, just the activity)
If the speaker meant a specific, already-known text, they would say:
- Πριν γράψω το κείμενο στα ελληνικά…
= Before I write the text in Greek (you and I both know which text)
Here, the idea is “before writing (a) text in Greek (in general)”, so no article feels natural.
στα ελληνικά is the usual, idiomatic way to say “in Greek (language)”.
Breakdown:
- στα = σε + τα (in + the, neuter plural)
- ελληνικά = neuter plural form of the adjective “Greek”
So literally: “in the Greek (language)” – but in practice it just means “in Greek”.
Alternatives and differences:
- στα ελληνικά = in Greek (as a language) – the normal phrase used for language.
- στην ελληνική γλώσσα = in the Greek language – more formal/spelled out.
- You don’t say στα ελληνικό (wrong agreement) or στην ελληνική by itself for the language; στην ελληνική would need a noun: στην ελληνική γλώσσα.
So κείμενο στα ελληνικά = “a text in Greek.”
Greek has a fixed usual order of article + adjective + noun:
- μια μικρή περίληψη
- μια = an/a (indefinite article, feminine)
- μικρή = small (adjective, feminine, singular)
- περίληψη = summary (noun, feminine, singular)
So the natural order is:
article (if any) → adjective → noun
Other orders like μικρή μια περίληψη sound ungrammatical or at best very odd/poetic in everyday speech. So μια μικρή περίληψη is the normal, correct order.
The choice between μια and την is like “a” vs “the” in English:
μια μικρή περίληψη = a small summary
→ something non-specific; just “some summary” you make for yourself each time.την μικρή περίληψη = the small summary
→ a specific, already defined summary both speaker and listener know about.
In this sentence, the speaker is describing a typical habit: each time before writing, they plan a short summary (not one particular, previously introduced summary). So μια is appropriate.
In this sentence, ώστε να introduces the purpose or result of the action:
- ώστε να ξέρω τι θα πω
≈ “so that I know what I’m going to say”
General notes:
- ώστε να + subjunctive:
- Often slightly more formal than για να
- Can emphasize result (“so that, with the result that”) or intended outcome
- για να + subjunctive:
- Very common, everyday way to express purpose (“in order to”)
Here, you could also say:
- …σχεδιάζω μια μικρή περίληψη για να ξέρω τι θα πω.
That would be almost the same in meaning, just a bit more neutral and common. ώστε να can feel a little more “connected cause → effect.”
Greek doesn’t combine να and θα like that. You either use:
- να + subjunctive, or
- θα + (usually) subjunctive form, but not να θα together.
Also, ξέρω here is present subjunctive; its form is identical to the present indicative, but the να (or ώστε να) tells you it’s subjunctive.
The idea is:
- ώστε να ξέρω = so that I know (at the relevant time)
Using θα would be wrong here:
- ώστε να θα ξέρω = ungrammatical
- ώστε να ξέρω already covers the “so that I will know” idea in context.
Each option would have a slightly different nuance:
τι θα πω = what I will say / am going to say
→ points to a future act of speaking. That’s what fits here: the person wants to know in advance what they will say in the text.τι λέω = what I say / am saying / usually say
→ sounds more like a general habit or something happening right now, not the future planned content of a text.τι (να) πω often appears in expressions like:
- Δεν ξέρω τι να πω = I don’t know what to say (right now). → more like a reaction in the moment, not pre-planning content.
So in this context (planning a text in advance), τι θα πω is the natural way to express “what I’m going to say.”
Πω is the aorist subjunctive stem/form of the verb λέω (to say).
- Present: λέω (I say / I am saying)
- Aorist subjunctive: πω (that I say / I will say – as a single future event)
- Aorist indicative: είπα (I said)
In subordinate clauses with να, θα, τι, πριν, etc., Greek very often uses aorist subjunctive for a single, complete event:
- τι θα πω = what I will say (one complete act of saying)
- να πω = to say / that I say (once)
So πω is just another stem of the same verb λέω used for this aspect/mood.
In this sentence, σχεδιάζω (I plan) in the present indicative most naturally expresses a habitual action:
- Πριν γράψω κείμενο στα ελληνικά, σχεδιάζω μια μικρή περίληψη…
→ “Before I write a text in Greek, I (always/usually) plan a small summary…”
So it describes what the speaker generally does as a practice, not just a one-time event right now. Greek uses the simple present for routines and general truths, just like English.
Yes, that word order is perfectly correct and natural:
- Σχεδιάζω μια μικρή περίληψη πριν γράψω κείμενο στα ελληνικά, ώστε να ξέρω τι θα πω.
Greek word order is flexible, and both of these are fine:
Πριν γράψω κείμενο στα ελληνικά, σχεδιάζω μια μικρή περίληψη…
→ starts by emphasizing the time condition (“Before I write a text…”)Σχεδιάζω μια μικρή περίληψη πριν γράψω κείμενο στα ελληνικά…
→ starts by emphasizing what you do (planning the summary) and then adds the condition.
The comma after ελληνικά in the original is also optional; punctuation can vary but both placements work.
Breakdown:
κείμενο
- Gender: neuter
- Case: accusative singular (object of γράφω)
- Article: omitted (indefinite / generic)
ελληνικά
- Gender: neuter plural (adjectival form used as a noun for the language)
- Case: accusative plural (object of στα = σε + τα)
μια μικρή περίληψη
- περίληψη:
- Gender: feminine
- Case: accusative singular (object of σχεδιάζω)
- μικρή:
- Feminine, accusative singular, agreeing with περίληψη
- μια:
- Feminine, accusative singular, the indefinite article
- περίληψη:
Greek requires adjectives and articles to agree in gender, number and case with the noun they modify, which is why all three (μια, μικρή, περίληψη) match.
It’s standard and recommended here, because the sentence starts with an introductory time clause:
- Πριν γράψω κείμενο στα ελληνικά,
= Before I write a text in Greek,
Then comes the main clause:
- σχεδιάζω μια μικρή περίληψη ώστε να ξέρω τι θα πω.
In Greek, just like in English, a comma is.normal when you place a subordinate clause (like a time clause starting with πριν) at the beginning of the sentence. If you move it to the end, the comma is often omitted:
- Σχεδιάζω μια μικρή περίληψη πριν γράψω κείμενο στα ελληνικά.
(No comma needed here.)