Learn Hardcore Greek: Προτιμώ να διαβάζω ελληνικά παρά να βλέπω τηλεόραση. - I prefer to read Greek rather than watch TV.

Modern Greek does not have an infinitive like English to read, to watch.
Instead, it uses να + verb to form something similar to an English “to …” or “that I …” clause.

So:

να διαβάζω ≈ “(to) read / (that I) read”
να βλέπω ≈ “(to) watch / (that I) watch”

With verbs of preference, wishing, wanting, etc. (like προτιμώ, θέλω, μπορώ), Greek almost always uses να + verb:

Προτιμώ να διαβάζω… = “I prefer to read…”
Θέλω να διαβάζω… = “I want to read…”

Are διαβάζω and βλέπω in the subjunctive here?

Functionally, yes: να + verb is usually called the subjunctive in Modern Greek.

However, unlike some languages, Greek does not have a separate set of subjunctive endings in the present tense.
So the form of διαβάζω and βλέπω is the same as in the present indicative:

(εγώ) διαβάζω = “I read / I am reading”
(εγώ) βλέπω = “I see / I am watching”

What makes them subjunctive here is the να and the fact that they depend on προτιμώ (a verb of preference).

Why is it να διαβάζω and not να διαβάσω?

Greek distinguishes between imperfective (ongoing / repeated) and perfective (single / complete) aspect:

να διαβάζω (imperfective) → reading as an ongoing habit or activity
“to be reading / to read regularly”
να διαβάσω (perfective) → one act or a complete event
“to read (once, through, to finish)”

In your sentence, the speaker is talking about a general preference / habit:

Προτιμώ να διαβάζω ελληνικά…
“I prefer (in general) to read Greek…”

If you said:

Προτιμώ να διαβάσω ελληνικά παρά να δω τηλεόραση.

this would sound more like choosing one specific time:
“I’d rather read some Greek (this time / on this occasion) than watch TV.”

What exactly does παρά mean here? Is it like “than” or “instead of”?

In this structure, παρά is the standard conjunction meaning “rather than / instead of / as opposed to” after a preference:

προτιμώ Α παρά Β = “I prefer A rather than B.”

So:

Προτιμώ να διαβάζω ελληνικά παρά να βλέπω τηλεόραση.
= “I prefer reading Greek rather than watching TV.”

With προτιμώ, both παρά and από can introduce the thing that is less preferred.
Here, because both sides are να + verb, παρά is more natural and very common.

Could I say Προτιμώ να διαβάζω ελληνικά από το να βλέπω τηλεόραση instead?

Yes, that is grammatically possible:

Προτιμώ να διαβάζω ελληνικά από το να βλέπω τηλεόραση.

Here από = “than”, and you’re explicitly putting the το in front of να βλέπω, turning it into a more “noun-like” phrase (το να βλέπω τηλεόραση ≈ “the act of watching TV”).

However:

Προτιμώ να διαβάζω ελληνικά παρά να βλέπω τηλεόραση.

sounds more natural and more idiomatic in everyday speech. The παρά construction is the one you will hear most often with two να-clauses in contrast.

Why is ελληνικά used, and not something like την ελληνική γλώσσα?

ελληνικά is the neuter plural form of the adjective ελληνικός (“Greek”), and in Modern Greek it is the normal, everyday way to say “Greek (language)”.

So:

διαβάζω ελληνικά = “I read Greek (the language).”

You can say την ελληνική γλώσσα, but it sounds more formal or emphatic (e.g. in a textbook or speech). In everyday language learning contexts, ελληνικά on its own is standard:

Μαθαίνω ελληνικά. = “I’m learning Greek.”
Μιλάς ελληνικά; = “Do you speak Greek?”

Why is there no article before ελληνικά or τηλεόραση?

ελληνικά (the language)
Languages in Greek normally do not take an article when used in this way:
- Μαθαίνω ελληνικά.
- Διαβάζω αγγλικά.
So διαβάζω ελληνικά is perfectly normal and correct.
τηλεόραση
You could say either:
- να βλέπω τηλεόραση (no article)
- να βλέπω την τηλεόραση (with article)
Without the article, it means “watch TV in general” as an activity.
With the article, it can sound more like “watch the television (set, the device)” or a bit more specific.
For the general habit “watch TV” in English, Greek very often uses βλέπω τηλεόραση without the article, exactly as in your sentence.

Do I have to repeat να before the second verb, or could I say …να διαβάζω ελληνικά παρά βλέπω τηλεόραση?

You must repeat να here. The correct pattern is:

να διαβάζω … παρά να βλέπω

Greek treats these as two parallel να-clauses. Dropping the second να (…παρά βλέπω τηλεόραση) is ungrammatical in standard Greek.

So:

✅ Προτιμώ να διαβάζω ελληνικά παρά να βλέπω τηλεόραση.
❌ Προτιμώ να διαβάζω ελληνικά παρά βλέπω τηλεόραση.

Can the word order change, or does it have to be exactly like this?

The given word order is the most natural and straightforward:

Προτιμώ να διαβάζω ελληνικά παρά να βλέπω τηλεόραση.

You can move ελληνικά a little, but large changes are usually unnecessary and can sound awkward in such a short sentence. For example:

Προτιμώ να διαβάζω ελληνικά, παρά να βλέπω τηλεόραση.
(just adds a pause with the comma; still natural)

Putting ελληνικά at the very start or moving παρά away from να βλέπω would sound odd. In practice, you should keep the sentence in the order you were given; it is idiomatic and clear.

How do you pronounce the whole sentence?

A simple phonetic approximation for English speakers (stressed syllables in CAPS):

Pro-ti-MÓ na dhi-VA-zo e-llee-nee-KÁ PA-ra na VLÉ-po tee-le-o-RA-see

Closer IPA transcription:

[protiˈmo na ðiaˈvazo eliniˈka ˈpara na ˈvlepo tileˈorasi]

Notes:

πρ in προτιμώ = “pr”
τ before ι in τηλεόραση is often pronounced like an English “t”, but combined with the following η it may sound slightly softer.
δ in διαβάζω = a soft “th” as in this.
Stress marks in writing (e.g. προτιμώ, διαβάζω, ελληνικά, τηλεόραση) show you exactly where to put the main stress.