Learn Hardcore Greek: Δεν θέλω άλλο καβγά σήμερα.

It always comes right before the verb it negates:
- Δεν θέλω = I do not want
- Δεν ξέρω = I don’t know
- Δεν καταλαβαίνω = I don’t understand

In careful pronunciation it’s δεν [ðen], but in everyday speech, before a consonant, many people say it more like δε [ðe], often without clearly hearing the final -ν. It’s still written as δεν in standard spelling.

So Δεν θέλω literally = I don’t want.

What form and tense is θέλω here?

Θέλω is the present tense, 1st person singular of the verb θέλω = to want.

Present tense of θέλω:

(εγώ) θέλω – I want
(εσύ) θέλεις – you (singular) want
(αυτός/αυτή/αυτό) θέλει – he/she/it wants
(εμείς) θέλουμε – we want
(εσείς) θέλετε – you (plural/polite) want
(αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά) θέλουν(ε) – they want

So in the sentence Δεν θέλω άλλο καβγά σήμερα, θέλω simply means I want, and with δεν it becomes I don’t want.

I’ve seen θέλω να + verb (like θέλω να φάω). Why is there no να after θέλω here?

Greek uses θέλω in two main ways:

θέλω + noun / object
- Θέλω καφέ. = I want coffee.
- Δεν θέλω άλλο καβγά. = I don’t want another fight / any more arguing.
θέλω να + verb
- Θέλω να φάω. = I want to eat.
- Δεν θέλω να τσακωθώ. = I don’t want to quarrel.

In your sentence, θέλω takes a noun object (καβγά), not another verb, so Greek does not use να.

If you changed the structure to a verb, you’d say, for example:

Δεν θέλω να τσακωθούμε σήμερα. = I don’t want us to argue today.

What exactly does άλλο mean here? Is it “another” or “any more”?

Άλλο basically means other / another / more (of the same thing).

In Δεν θέλω άλλο καβγά σήμερα, it can be understood in both ways, depending on context:

I don’t want another fight today.
(There has already been one fight; you don’t want a second one.)
I don’t want any more fighting today.
(There has been some arguing/fighting; you want it to stop.)

Because the sentence is negative (δεν), άλλο has a “no more / not any more” feel:

Δεν θέλω άλλο… = I don’t want any more…

So άλλο here means “another / more of the same” and in English we choose the best translation by context: either “another fight” or “any more fighting”.

I’ve also seen άλλον καβγά. What’s the difference between άλλο καβγά and άλλον καβγά?

Grammatically, for a masculine noun like καβγάς, the “correct” accusative form of άλλος is:

άλλος (nom. masc. sg.) → άλλον (acc. masc. sg.)

So very careful / schoolbook Greek would say:

Δεν θέλω άλλον καβγά σήμερα.

However, in everyday speech:

Many speakers drop the final -ν:
- άλλον καβγά → άλλο καβγά
Also, neuter άλλο is widely used almost like an invariable “more / another” in front of nouns, even if they are masculine or feminine, especially in colloquial language.

So:

Δεν θέλω άλλον καβγά σήμερα.
- Morphologically strict / more formal.
Δεν θέλω άλλο καβγά σήμερα.
- Very common in spoken Greek; natural and widely accepted in everyday use.

Both will be understood the same way. For exams or very formal writing, prefer άλλον καβγά; in conversation, άλλο καβγά is absolutely normal.

Why is there no word for “a” before καβγά? Why not έναν καβγά?

Greek does have an indefinite article (like “a / an”):

ένας (masc.)
μία / μια (fem.)
ένα (neuter)

So you can say:

Δεν θέλω έναν καβγά. = I don’t want a fight.
Δεν θέλω άλλον έναν καβγά σήμερα. (very emphatic)

However, Greek often omits the indefinite article, especially when there is already another word with a similar function, like άλλος, κανένας, numbers, quantities, etc.

Here:

άλλο καβγά already means “another fight / more fighting”, so adding έναν is usually unnecessary and may sound heavier or more emphatic.

So:

Δεν θέλω άλλο καβγά σήμερα.
is the most natural everyday way to say it.

What does καβγά mean exactly? Is it more like “fight” or “argument”? What’s its gender and plural?

Καβγάς (here in the form καβγά) is a masculine noun meaning:

quarrel, argument, row,
and it can also mean a fight (either verbal, or sometimes even physical, depending on context).

Gender and basic forms:

ο καβγάς – the fight / argument (nominative singular)
του καβγά – of the fight (genitive singular)
τον καβγά – the fight (accusative singular, the form you see)
οι καβγάδες – the fights / arguments (nominative plural)
τους καβγάδες – the fights (accusative plural)

In your sentence it’s best translated as “fight” or “arguing” depending on context:

Δεν θέλω άλλο καβγά σήμερα.
- I don’t want another fight today.
- I don’t want any more arguing today.

What case is καβγά in here, and why that case?

Καβγά is in the accusative singular: (τον) καβγά.

Reason: in Greek, the direct object of most verbs (the thing you “want”, “see”, “eat”, etc.) is put in the accusative case.

Θέλω καφέ. – I want coffee.
Βλέπω τον φίλο μου. – I see my friend.
Δεν θέλω (τον) καβγά. – I don’t want (the) fight.

So in Δεν θέλω άλλο καβγά σήμερα, καβγά is the direct object of θέλω, so it’s accusative.

Can I move σήμερα to a different position? Does the meaning change?

Yes, σήμερα (today) can move around. All of these are possible:

Δεν θέλω άλλο καβγά σήμερα.
– Neutral, very natural.
Σήμερα δεν θέλω άλλο καβγά.
– Slight emphasis on today (“Today, I don’t want another fight”).

Less usual but still possible in the right context:

Δεν θέλω σήμερα άλλο καβγά.
– Emphasis can fall on σήμερα, but the word order sounds a bit heavier, more “spoken for effect”.

The basic meaning stays the same: you don’t want any more fighting, and you’re talking about today. Word order mainly affects emphasis, not who does what.

How do I pronounce the whole sentence Δεν θέλω άλλο καβγά σήμερα?

Approximate IPA pronunciation:

Δεν θέλω άλλο καβγά σήμερα
→ [ðen ˈθelo ˈalo kavˈɣa ˈsimeɾa]

Breakdown:

Δεν – [ðen] (or often [ðe] in fast speech)
- δ = like th in this (voiced)
θέλω – [ˈθelo]
- θ = like th in think (unvoiced)
- stress on θέ: ΘΕ‑λο
άλλο – [ˈalo]
- stress on ά: Α‑λο
καβγά – [kavˈɣa]
- β = v sound
- γ before α = like a voiced gh / soft g, [ɣ]
- stress on γά: κα‑ΒΓΑ
σήμερα – [ˈsimeɾa]
- ρ = tapped r
- stress on σί: ΣΙ‑με‑ρα

So roughly in Latin letters: dhen THE‑lo A‑lo kav‑GHA SI‑me‑ra.