Breakdown of Αν θες, σε κερνάω γλυκό μετά το φαγητό.
Questions & Answers about Αν θες, σε κερνάω γλυκό μετά το φαγητό.
The verb κερνάω means to treat (someone) in the sense of offering and paying for food, drink, dessert, etc.
So σε κερνάω literally is:
- σε = you (object pronoun)
- κερνάω = I treat / I am treating
In natural English in this context it means:
- I’ll treat you / I’m buying you (a dessert)
It does not mean to invite (someone) to your house; it’s specifically about paying for something like coffee, drink, food, dessert.
Greek weak object pronouns (like σε, τον, την, το, μας, σας, τους) usually come before the verb:
- σε κερνάω = I treat you
- τον βλέπω = I see him
- σας παίρνω τηλέφωνο = I am calling you
You cannot say κερνάω σε in standard Greek; that word order is incorrect.
The pronoun can move after the verb only in special cases (with an imperative, a gerund, or an infinitive-like form), e.g.:
- κέρασέ τον = treat him (imperative)
- θέλω να τον κεράσω = I want to treat him
But with a plain present verb, you put the pronoun before: σε κερνάω.
Greek often uses the simple present for near‑future plans, offers, and informal arrangements, especially when it’s almost like you’re deciding on the spot:
- Αν θες, σε κερνάω γλυκό μετά το φαγητό.
= If you want, I’ll treat you to dessert after the meal.
Using θα (future marker) would be:
- Αν θες, θα σε κεράσω γλυκό μετά το φαγητό.
Both are correct. The nuance:
- σε κερνάω (present) sounds very friendly, immediate, casual, like you’re just offering right now.
- θα σε κεράσω (future) sounds a bit more explicitly future / planned, sometimes slightly more formal or emphatic.
Both mean if you want and are correct.
- θέλεις is the full form.
- θες is a shortened, more colloquial form.
Nuance:
- Αν θέλεις, σε κερνάω…
Neutral, standard, can be used in almost any context. - Αν θες, σε κερνάω…
Slightly more informal / conversational, but extremely common.
They are interchangeable in everyday speech. In writing or in more formal speech, θέλεις is more common.
The word γλυκό can mean:
Something sweet (adjective / noun)
- γλυκό κρασί = sweet wine
- θέλω κάτι γλυκό = I want something sweet
A dessert / sweet dish (as a noun)
- Θες γλυκό; = Do you want dessert?
- Σε κερνάω γλυκό. = I’ll treat you to a dessert.
In this sentence, γλυκό clearly means a dessert (cake, pastry, ice cream, etc.), especially because of μετά το φαγητό (after the meal).
In σε κερνάω γλυκό, γλυκό is used in a generic / non‑specific sense: some dessert, a dessert. Greek often drops the article when talking about:
- food/drink in a general, unspecific way
- what you are having, not which one exactly
You could say:
- σε κερνάω ένα γλυκό = I’ll treat you to a (one) dessert
That slightly emphasizes one dessert as a countable item (e.g., one piece, one cake).
Compare:
- Σε κερνάω καφέ. = I’ll buy you (some) coffee.
- Σε κερνάω έναν καφέ. = I’ll buy you a coffee (one coffee).
So both γλυκό and ένα γλυκό are possible; the original is just a bit more general and idiomatic.
σε is the unstressed direct object pronoun for you (singular).
In this sentence:
- σε κερνάω literally: I treat you
- English would usually not say I treat to you, but simply I treat you / I’ll buy you a dessert.
Key points:
- σε = you (object), singular, informal
- It is not to you (that would be more like σε εσένα, used for emphasis: σε εσένα σε κερνάω = I’m treating you).
For plural or polite you, you would use σας:
- Αν θέλετε, σας κερνάω γλυκό μετά το φαγητό.
= If you (plural / polite) want, I’ll treat you to dessert after the meal.
Yes, as written, it’s informal singular:
- Αν θες, σε κερνάω γλυκό μετά το φαγητό.
Talking to one person you’re on a first‑name basis with.
For polite you or multiple people, you change both the verb and the pronoun:
- Αν θέλετε, σας κερνάω γλυκό μετά το φαγητό.
(polite or plural you)
If you want it slightly more formal / careful, you can also prefer the full verb and maybe the future:
- Αν θέλετε, θα σας κεράσω γλυκό μετά το φαγητό.
They are two different aspects of the same verb:
κερνάω = present / imperfective aspect
- σε κερνάω = I (will) treat you / I’m treating you
- Focus on the action as a whole, often used for offers or habits.
κεράσω = aorist / perfective stem, appears with θα or να
- θα σε κεράσω = I will treat you (at some point)
- να σε κεράσω; = shall I treat you? / may I treat you?
In everyday terms here:
- σε κερνάω γλυκό (without θα) feels like a spontaneous offer.
- θα σε κεράσω γλυκό sounds a bit more definite / future‑oriented, like a small promise or plan.
σε κερνάω γλυκό = I treat you to a dessert, I’m paying for it.
This is the standard idiomatic expression for it’s on me.σου παίρνω γλυκό = I get / buy you a dessert.
This focuses more on the act of buying or getting something for you, not specifically on the cultural idea of treating.
In many contexts they overlap, but:
- If you’re at a café or restaurant and want to say It’s my treat, you normally use κερνάω, not παίρνω.
μετά in modern Greek is normally followed by a noun phrase in the accusative, and that noun phrase usually takes an article:
- μετά το φαγητό = after the meal
- μετά τη δουλειά = after work
- μετά το σχολείο = after school
You will also hear:
- μετά από το φαγητό
which is also correct; μετά and μετά από here have practically the same meaning. Without the article (μετά φαγητό) would sound either old‑fashioned or non‑standard in everyday modern Greek.
Yes, you can freely move the αν‑clause before or after the main clause:
- Αν θες, σε κερνάω γλυκό μετά το φαγητό.
- Σε κερνάω γλυκό μετά το φαγητό, αν θες.
Both mean the same: If you want, I’ll treat you to dessert after the meal.
The version in the original (with Αν θες first) feels slightly more natural and typical for offers, but both are fine in conversation and writing.
Yes, that’s also grammatical:
- Αν θες, μετά το φαγητό σε κερνάω γλυκό.
Word order in Greek is relatively flexible. The meaning is essentially the same; moving μετά το φαγητό earlier can slightly emphasize the time:
- Roughly: If you want, after the meal I’ll treat you to dessert.
All of these are natural:
- Αν θες, σε κερνάω γλυκό μετά το φαγητό.
- Αν θες, μετά το φαγητό σε κερνάω γλυκό.
The first is probably the most common, but the others are fully acceptable.