Δεν θέλω να κάνω τίποτα άλλο σήμερα.

I don't want to do anything else today.

Breakdown of Δεν θέλω να κάνω τίποτα άλλο σήμερα.

• θέλω: to want
• δεν: not
• να: to
• σήμερα: today
• τίποτα: anything
• κάνω: to do
• άλλο: any longer

Questions & Answers about Δεν θέλω να κάνω τίποτα άλλο σήμερα.

What does each word in Δεν θέλω να κάνω τίποτα άλλο σήμερα literally mean?

Word by word:

• Δεν = not (negative particle used with verbs)
• θέλω = I want
• να = particle that introduces another verb (often corresponds to English to
  • verb)
• κάνω = I do / I make (here: to do)
• τίποτα = nothing / anything (depends on context; with δεν it means nothing / anything in a negative sense)
• άλλο = other / else
• σήμερα = today

Put together: Δεν θέλω να κάνω τίποτα άλλο σήμερα → I don't want to do anything else today.

Why do we need δεν and τίποτα together? Isn’t that a “double negative”?

In Greek this is normal and correct. Greek uses negative concord:

• δεν (or δε) is the standard verbal negation.
• τίποτα, κανένας, ποτέ etc. are negative pronouns/adverbs when used with δεν.

So:

• Δεν θέλω τίποτα. = I don’t want anything / I want nothing.
• Δεν βλέπω κανέναν. = I don’t see anybody.

Unlike in standard English, this “double negative” does not cancel out. You must use both parts in negative sentences. Saying Θέλω τίποτα without δεν is either wrong or has a very different, colloquial feel.

What is the role of να in να κάνω here? Is it like English to?

Yes, roughly. Να:

• introduces another verb after certain verbs such as θέλω, πρέπει, μπορώ, ελπίζω etc.
• marks a kind of subjunctive mood (non-factual, desired, possible, etc.).

In this sentence:

• θέλω = I want
• να κάνω = to do

So θέλω να κάνω works like I want to do in English, but grammatically it is θέλω + να + verb in the subjunctive. You cannot drop να here. ✗ Δεν θέλω κάνω τίποτα άλλο is incorrect.

What tense or form is κάνω in this sentence? It looks like the present, but you called it subjunctive.

The form κάνω here is:

• present stem,
• subjunctive mood,
• 1st person singular.

For most verbs in Modern Greek, present indicative and present subjunctive look the same in the 1st person singular:

• (Εγώ) κάνω. = I do / I am doing. (indicative, when used on its own)
• να κάνω after θέλω, μπορώ, πρέπει etc. = (for me) to do (subjunctive).

The να is what tells you it is subjunctive here, even though the form κάνω itself looks like the present.

Could I move άλλο before τίποτα, like τίποτα → άλλο τίποτα?

In this sentence you should keep τίποτα άλλο together in that order. It functions as a fixed chunk meaning anything else / nothing else.

• τίποτα άλλο = anything else / nothing else
• άλλο τίποτα; on its own, in speech, often means anything else? (e.g. a shop assistant asking you).

But in this specific sentence, you would normally say:

• Δεν θέλω να κάνω τίποτα άλλο σήμερα. ✔

Δεν θέλω να κάνω άλλο τίποτα σήμερα is technically possible in some contexts, but it sounds unusual or emphatic and is not what you want as a learner. Stick to τίποτα άλλο.

Can I change the word order, for example put σήμερα at the beginning?

Yes, Greek word order is quite flexible. All of these are grammatical and natural, with slightly different emphasis:

• Σήμερα δεν θέλω να κάνω τίποτα άλλο.
• Δεν θέλω σήμερα να κάνω τίποτα άλλο.
• Δεν θέλω να κάνω τίποτα άλλο σήμερα. (most neutral)

What you cannot do is move δεν away from the verb it negates. It must be right before the verb (δεν θέλω, δεν κάνω, etc.), apart from the common shortening δε.

What is the difference between δε and δεν in δε(ν) θέλω?

δε and δεν are the same word; δε is just a shorter spoken form.

• Before a consonant sound, people often say and write δε:
  
  • Δε θέλω να κάνω τίποτα άλλο σήμερα.
• Before a vowel sound, it stays δεν:
  
  • Δεν έχω χρόνο.

In careful writing, δεν is often used everywhere. In everyday speech, δε θέλω is very common. Both are correct in this sentence.

Is this sentence polite? How could I say it more politely?

Δεν θέλω να κάνω τίποτα άλλο σήμερα is neutral and direct:

• literally: I don’t want to do anything else today.
• it can sound a bit firm if said with a strong tone.

To make it softer or more polite, you can:

1. Use a conditional form:

   • Δεν θα ήθελα να κάνω τίποτα άλλο σήμερα.
     = I wouldn’t like to do anything else today.

2. Add a softener like μάλλον, πια or similar, depending on context:

   • Δεν θα ήθελα να κάνω τίποτα άλλο σήμερα, αν γίνεται.
     = I wouldn’t like to do anything else today, if that’s possible.

But for everyday informal speech among friends, Δεν θέλω να κάνω τίποτα άλλο σήμερα is perfectly fine.

What is the difference between τίποτα and κάτι?

They are opposites in meaning:

• κάτι = something / anything (non‑negative, indefinite)

  • Θέλω να κάνω κάτι σήμερα. = I want to do something today.

• τίποτα = nothing / anything (in negative or interrogative contexts)

  • Δεν θέλω να κάνω τίποτα σήμερα. = I don’t want to do anything today.
  • Θέλεις να κάνεις τίποτα σήμερα; = Do you want to do anything today?

In your sentence, because it is negative (δεν), you need τίποτα, not κάτι.

What is the nuance added by άλλο? How is τίποτα different from τίποτα άλλο?

• τίποτα alone = anything / nothing (no reference to “additional” things).

  • Δεν θέλω να κάνω τίποτα σήμερα.
    = I don’t want to do anything today (at all).

• τίποτα άλλο = anything else / nothing else (no further activity in addition to what has already been done or mentioned).

  • Δεν θέλω να κάνω τίποτα άλλο σήμερα.
    = I don’t want to do anything else today (maybe you did or will do something, but no more beyond that).

So τίποτα άλλο emphasises no more / nothing additional.

Can I use another verb with θέλω να in the same way as κάνω here?

Yes. θέλω να + verb is a very common pattern:

• Θέλω να φάω. = I want to eat.
• Δεν θέλω να βγω. = I don’t want to go out.
• Θέλω να διαβάσω. = I want to study / read.

Your sentence follows the same pattern:

• Δεν θέλω να κάνω τίποτα άλλο σήμερα.
  = I don’t want to do anything else today.

Only the verb after να changes; the structure stays the same.

How do you pronounce Δεν θέλω να κάνω τίποτα άλλο σήμερα? Where is the stress?

Stress and rough pronunciation (stressed syllables in capitals):

• Δεν ΘΕ-λω να ΚΑ-νω ΤΙ-πο-τα ΑΛ-λο ΣΗ-με-ρα

Approximate sounds (Latin letters):

• Δεν ≈ then (with the voiced th of this)
• θέλω ≈ THE-lo (th as in think)
• να ≈ na
• κάνω ≈ KA-no
• τίποτα ≈ TEE-po-ta
• άλλο ≈ A-lo (double λ is a bit longer l)
• σήμερα ≈ SEE-me-ra

In normal speech, Δεν θέλω flows together: [ðe(n) θelo]; the final -ν is often not clearly pronounced.