Learn Hardcore Greek: Δεν θέλω να σου βάζω πίεση, απλώς ζητάω λίγη βοήθεια. - I don’t want to put pressure on you, I just ask for a bit of help.

In a simple clause they go before the verb:
- σου βάζω πίεση = I put pressure on you
- σε βλέπω = I see you
With να, the order is να + pronoun + verb:
- να σου βάζω πίεση
- να σε δω

That’s why we say να σου βάζω and not να βάζω σου.

Could I say «Δεν θέλω να σε πιέζω» instead of «Δεν θέλω να σου βάζω πίεση»? Is there a difference?

Yes, you absolutely can say:

Δεν θέλω να σε πιέζω.

This is very natural and common. The difference is mostly nuance:

να σου βάζω πίεση
Literally “to put pressure on you.”
- More of an idiomatic expression.
- Slightly softer sounding, more roundabout.
να σε πιέζω
Literally “to pressure you / to press you.”
- A bit more direct.
- Focuses on the act of pressuring itself.

In everyday speech they are often interchangeable, and both are polite in this context. You might choose δεν θέλω να σε πιέζω if you want a shorter, more direct sentence; δεν θέλω να σου βάζω πίεση can feel a bit gentler.

Why do we need να after θέλω? Is it like “to” in English (“I don’t want to…”)?

Yes, in this structure να often corresponds to English “to” (in “want to do something”), but grammatically it does more.

In Modern Greek, να:

introduces a subordinate verb in the subjunctive (or “non‑indicative”) mood,
is used after many verbs that express desire, intention, effort, ability, etc.

So:

Δεν θέλω να σου βάζω πίεση
= literally “I don’t want that I (should) put pressure on you”
= “I don’t want to put pressure on you.”

Other examples:

Θέλω να φύγω. = I want to leave.
Προσπαθώ να μάθω ελληνικά. = I’m trying to learn Greek.
Μπορώ να βοηθήσω; = Can I help?

So, after θέλω, you almost always use να + verb, not the bare verb.

Why is the negation δεν and not μη(ν), especially since there’s a να clause?

The key is which verb you are negating.

δεν is used with indicative verbs (normal statements):
- δεν θέλω, δεν ξέρω, δεν πάω
μη(ν) is used with subjunctive and imperative forms:
- να μην πάω, μην πας, να μη μιλήσεις

In Δεν θέλω να σου βάζω πίεση:

δεν negates θέλω (an indicative verb):
- “I don’t want …”
The να‑clause itself is not directly negated; it is the content of what you don’t want.

Compare:

Δεν θέλω να σου βάζω πίεση.
= I don’t want to put pressure on you.
Θέλω να μη(ν) σου βάζω πίεση.
= I want not to put pressure on you. (grammatical, but much less natural in everyday speech)

So in your sentence, δεν correctly belongs with θέλω.

Why is it να σου βάζω and not να σου βάλω? What’s the difference?

This is an aspect difference: imperfective vs perfective.

να σου βάζω (present stem) → imperfective aspect
- ongoing, repeated, general action
- “to be putting pressure on you / to keep putting pressure on you”
να σου βάλω (aorist stem) → perfective aspect
- one‑off, complete action, a single occasion
- “to put (some) pressure on you (this once / in a specific instance)”

In your sentence:

Δεν θέλω να σου βάζω πίεση
suggests “I don’t want to be (the kind of person who is) putting pressure on you,”
or “I don’t want to put pressure on you (as a general or ongoing thing).”

You might hear Δεν θέλω να σου βάλω πίεση in a more specific, one‑time situation, e.g. about something happening right now or a single decision:

Δεν θέλω να σου βάλω πίεση, αλλά πρέπει να αποφασίσουμε σήμερα.
I don’t want to put pressure on you, but we have to decide today.

What’s the difference between «απλώς» and «απλά»? Could I use απλά here instead?

You could say either:

… απλώς ζητάω λίγη βοήθεια.
… απλά ζητάω λίγη βοήθεια.

In practice, they mean the same: “I’m just / simply asking for a bit of help.”

Nuance:

απλώς is the “traditional” adverb and is felt as a bit more standard / neutral.
απλά started as an adjective (“simple”) but is now very widely used as an adverb in speech and informal writing, especially by younger speakers.

Both are common; if you want to be slightly more formal or careful, απλώς is a bit safer, but απλά is absolutely normal in everyday Greek.

Why is it ζητάω and not ζητώ or ζητήσω? Are these different verbs?

They are all forms of the same verb “to ask for / to request”.

ζητάω and ζητώ
- Both are 1st person singular present: “I ask / I am asking”.
- ζητώ is a bit more formal / written.
- ζητάω (or ζητάω) is very common in spoken Greek.
- Here: ζητάω λίγη βοήθεια = I’m asking for a bit of help.
ζητήσω
- This is future/subjunctive (aorist stem): “I will ask / that I (should) ask (once)”.
- It normally appears with θα or να:
  - θα ζητήσω βοήθεια = I will ask for help.
  - να ζητήσω βοήθεια; = Shall I ask for help?

In your sentence, we are describing what the speaker is doing right now (or generally), so the present indicative ζητάω is the correct choice.

Why is it λίγη βοήθεια and not λίγο βοήθεια? How does λίγη work here?

λίγη is the feminine form of the adjective λίγος (“a little / a few”).

Greek adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe.

λίγος (masculine)
λίγη (feminine)
λίγο (neuter)

The noun βοήθεια (“help”) is feminine singular, so you need the feminine singular form:

λίγη βοήθεια = a bit of help / some help.

So:

λίγη βοήθεια ✅ (correct)
λίγο βοήθεια ❌ (wrong, mismatch in gender)

You only use λίγο as:

the neuter form with neuter nouns: λίγο φαγητό = a bit of food
or as an adverb by itself: ζητάω λίγο = I’m asking for a little (unspecified).

Why is there no article (την) before βοήθεια? Why not «λίγη την βοήθεια»?

In Greek, you normally do not use the definite article with λίγος/λίγη/λίγο when you mean “some / a little (non‑specific)”.

λίγη βοήθεια = some help / a bit of help (in general, not specific help)
θέλω λίγο χρόνο = I want a bit of time.

Using the article here would sound unnatural:

λίγη την βοήθεια ❌ (ungrammatical)
λίγη βοήθεια από σένα ✅ a bit of help from you.

The article την βοήθεια would be used when you are referring to specific, known help, e.g.:

Ευχαριστώ για την βοήθεια. = Thank you for the help (that you gave me).

But with λίγη meaning “some / a little”, you drop the article: λίγη βοήθεια.

Why is σου placed before βάζω? Could I say «να βάζω πίεση σε σένα» instead?

The normal, most natural word order is:

να σου βάζω πίεση

because:

σου is a clitic pronoun and must appear before the verb in this type of clause.
In να‑clauses, the order is να + clitic + verb.

You can say:

να βάζω πίεση σε σένα

This is grammatical, but it has:

a bit more emphasis on σε σένα (“on you”),
and it sounds more explicit/contrasted, like “on you (as opposed to someone else).”

Compare:

Δεν θέλω να σου βάζω πίεση. (neutral, everyday phrasing)
Δεν θέλω να βάζω πίεση σε σένα, αλλά…
(more contrastive: “I don’t want to put pressure on you, but …”)

In everyday speech, να σου βάζω πίεση is by far the more common version.

Can I say «ζητάω για βοήθεια» like “ask for help” in English?

No; in Greek that is not the normal structure. You should say:

ζητάω βοήθεια = I ask for help.

The verb ζητάω / ζητώ already includes the idea of “for”, so its object comes directly:

ζητάω πληροφορίες = I ask for information.
ζητάω συγγνώμη = I ask for forgiveness / I apologize.
ζητάω χρήματα = I ask for money.

If you say ζητάω για βοήθεια, it sounds like:

“I ask about help” (asking questions about the topic of help), which is not what you want here.

So: always ζητάω βοήθεια, without για.

Is this sentence informal or formal? How would it change in a polite or plural form?

The sentence is informal singular, because it uses σου (“to you” singular, familiar).

Δεν θέλω να σου βάζω πίεση, απλώς ζητάω λίγη βοήθεια.
= said to one person you know well (friend, family, close colleague).

For formal or plural you, you would use σας:

Δεν θέλω να σας βάζω πίεση, απλώς ζητάω λίγη βοήθεια.

This can mean:

polite singular “you” (speaking respectfully to one person), or
plural “you” (speaking to more than one person).

Everything else in the sentence stays the same; only σου → σας changes.