Learn Hardcore Greek: Αν δεν τελειώσω το πτυχίο μου, δεν μπορώ να κάνω μεταπτυχιακό. - If I don’t finish my degree, I can’t do a master’s.

το πτυχίο: your first university degree (BA, BSc, etc.).
- It’s the standard word for an undergraduate degree.
το μεταπτυχιακό (short for μεταπτυχιακό πρόγραμμα / μεταπτυχιακό δίπλωμα): any postgraduate degree.

In everyday speech:

κάνω μεταπτυχιακό usually means “I’m doing a Master’s,” because that’s the most common type.
It can also cover other postgraduate programs (e.g. some diplomas), not only a classic MA/MSc.

Both are neuter nouns:

το πτυχίο, του πτυχίου
το μεταπτυχιακό, του μεταπτυχιακού

Why is it αν δεν τελειώσω and not something like αν δεν θα τελειώσω or αν δεν τελειώνω?

Greek uses αν + subjunctive (with να omitted) to talk about future conditions:

αν + (να) τελειώσω → αν τελειώσω = if I (ever) finish / if I manage to finish.

The verb τελειώσω is:

aorist subjunctive, 1st person singular of τελειώνω (“to finish”).

Why this form here:

The aorist focuses on the completion of the action (finishing as a single event).
The subjunctive is used in:
- dependent clauses after να,
- and very often after αν for future or hypothetical situations.

The forms you suggested:

αν δεν θα τελειώσω – not idiomatic; Greek does not normally use θα after αν.
αν δεν τελειώνω – would sound like:
- “if I am (in general) not finishing / if I don’t tend to finish”, a more habitual or ongoing idea, not “if I don’t (manage to) finish in that particular case.”

What tense/mood is τελειώσω, and what nuance does it add compared with τελειώνω?

τελειώσω: aorist subjunctive (τελειώσω, τελειώσεις, τελειώσει, …)
τελειώνω: present indicative (τελειώνω, τελειώνεις, τελειώνει, …)

Nuance:

Aorist subjunctive (τελειώσω) = single, complete event:
- αν δεν τελειώσω το πτυχίο μου → “if I don’t (manage to) finish my degree (at all).”
Present indicative (αν δεν τελειώνω το πτυχίο μου) would sound like:
- “if I’m not finishing my degree” (ongoing, repeated, or habitual), which doesn’t fit a simple “if this doesn’t get done” condition.

Why is the negative δεν used here and not μη(ν)?

Modern Greek has two main negative particles:

δεν: used with indicative verbs (real statements, questions):
- δεν τελειώσω (here, after αν)
- δεν μπορώ, δεν πάω, δεν είμαι, etc.
μη(ν): used mainly in:
- subjunctive with να: να μην πάω
- commands / prohibitions: μη φας, μην το κάνεις
- certain other fixed patterns.

In αν δεν τελειώσω:

There is no να, but the clause is still a conditional “if”-clause functioning like an indicative statement (“if it happens that I don’t finish…”), so Greek uses δεν, not μην.

In δεν μπορώ να κάνω, the main verb is μπορώ (indicative), so again δεν is correct.

There are two δεν in the sentence. Is that a double negative for emphasis?

No. Each δεν belongs to its own clause:

Αν δεν τελειώσω το πτυχίο μου,
(τότε) δεν μπορώ να κάνω μεταπτυχιακό.

So we have:

“If I do not finish my degree, I cannot do a postgraduate degree.”

Greek does allow real double negatives (like δεν είδα κανέναν = “I didn’t see nobody / anybody”), but here we just have:

one negative in the if-clause,
one negative in the result clause.

They don’t merge into a single “super-negative”; they are just separate, both required.

Why is it δεν μπορώ να κάνω and not something like an infinitive, like in English “I can’t do”?

Modern Greek doesn’t have an infinitive the way English does. Instead, it uses:

να + subjunctive to express “to do / can do / want to do / must do” etc.

So:

English: I can’t do a postgraduate degree.
Greek structure: (I) can’t [do a postgraduate degree].
- δεν μπορώ να κάνω μεταπτυχιακό.

Here:

μπορώ = I can / I am able
να κάνω = “to do / to make” (subjunctive form κάνω after να)

Other examples:

θέλω να πάω – I want to go
πρέπει να διαβάσω – I must study
μπορώ να περιμένω – I can wait

Why is μπορώ in the present tense if we’re talking about something in the future?

In Greek, the present tense is very often used in conditional sentences to talk about future results, especially in general rules or logical consequences.

Αν δεν τελειώσω το πτυχίο μου, δεν μπορώ να κάνω μεταπτυχιακό.
→ “If I don’t finish my degree, (then in that situation) I can’t do a postgraduate degree.”

This is similar to English:

“If I don’t finish my degree, I can’t do a master’s” (not “I will not be able to can”).

You could say:

…δεν θα μπορώ να κάνω μεταπτυχιακό.
That sounds more explicitly future, often more about ongoing inability in the future, but in everyday speech the simple δεν μπορώ is completely natural and common in such conditionals.

Why is the subject “I” (εγώ) missing? Could I say Αν εγώ δεν τελειώσω… εγώ δεν μπορώ…?

Greek is a pro‑drop language: subject pronouns are usually omitted, because the verb endings already show the person.

τελειώσω → 1st person singular → “I finish”
μπορώ → 1st person singular → “I can”

So:

Αν δεν τελειώσω το πτυχίο μου, δεν μπορώ να κάνω μεταπτυχιακό. already clearly means
“If I don’t finish my degree, I can’t do a postgraduate degree.”

You can add εγώ:

Αν εγώ δεν τελειώσω το πτυχίο μου, δεν μπορώ να κάνω μεταπτυχιακό.

This is grammatically correct but:

sounds more emphatic or contrastive, like:
- “If I don’t finish my degree (as opposed to someone else), I can’t do a postgraduate degree.”

Repeating εγώ in both clauses (…εγώ δεν μπορώ…) would sound even more emphasized, and not necessary in neutral speech.

Why is it το πτυχίο μου and not μου το πτυχίο or το δικό μου πτυχίο?

The normal way to say “my degree” in Greek is:

article + noun + possessive clitic
→ το πτυχίο μου (“the degree my” literally).

About the alternatives:

μου το πτυχίο:
- Word order like that is possible, but usually only with special emphasis or in certain constructions.
- As a simple object (“my degree”), το πτυχίο μου is the default.
το δικό μου πτυχίο:
- Also correct, but δικό μου is more contrastive:
  - “my degree (not someone else’s).”
- You use (ο/η/το) δικός/ή/ό μου when you want to stress whose it is.

So here, το πτυχίο μου is the normal, neutral choice.

Why do we say κάνω μεταπτυχιακό? Is that literally “I do a postgraduate”? Could we say σπουδάζω μεταπτυχιακά instead?

Yes, κάνω μεταπτυχιακό literally is “I do a postgraduate (degree)”, and that’s the standard, very common expression.

In Greek:

κάνω is a very flexible verb used in many collocations:
- κάνω δίαιτα (be on a diet)
- κάνω διακοπές (go on vacation)
- κάνω μάθημα (have a class)
- κάνω μεταπτυχιακό (do a postgraduate degree)

Alternatives:

κάνω ένα μεταπτυχιακό – also fine; adding ένα makes it feel more like “a specific program”.
κάνω το μεταπτυχιακό μου – “I’m doing my master’s.”
σπουδάζω μεταπτυχιακά – understandable and can be used, but sounds a bit more formal/less idiomatic than κάνω μεταπτυχιακό in everyday speech.
είμαι σε μεταπτυχιακό – “I’m on/doing a postgraduate course” (colloquial).

In the given sentence, δεν μπορώ να κάνω μεταπτυχιακό is the most natural, neutral choice.

Why is there no article before μεταπτυχιακό? Could I say να κάνω ένα μεταπτυχιακό?

Both are possible, with a small nuance:

να κάνω μεταπτυχιακό (no article):
- more generic: “do postgraduate studies / a postgraduate degree (in general).”
να κάνω ένα μεταπτυχιακό:
- slightly more specific: “do a particular postgraduate degree/program.”

In many real contexts, the difference is minimal, and both can sound natural. The article is often dropped with:

generic activities: κάνω δίαιτα, κάνω γυμναστική, κάνω μεταπτυχιακό, πίνω καφέ, κλπ.

So the version without the article fits well here as a general statement of possibility.

Can I change the word order to Δεν μπορώ να κάνω μεταπτυχιακό αν δεν τελειώσω το πτυχίο μου?

Yes, absolutely. Both orders are correct:

Αν δεν τελειώσω το πτυχίο μου, δεν μπορώ να κάνω μεταπτυχιακό.
Δεν μπορώ να κάνω μεταπτυχιακό αν δεν τελειώσω το πτυχίο μου.

Greek word order is quite flexible. Moving the αν‑clause to the end doesn’t change the meaning.

Sometimes the αν‑clause first feels a bit more like you’re setting up the condition (“If this happens…”).
But in everyday speech both are equally natural.

In writing, you’d normally put a comma after the αν‑clause when it comes first:

Αν δεν τελειώσω το πτυχίο μου, δεν μπορώ…
When it comes second, usually no comma:
Δεν μπορώ… αν δεν τελειώσω το πτυχίο μου.

What’s the difference between αν, εάν, and άμα? Could I use them all here?

All three can introduce an “if” clause, but with slightly different style/register:

αν:
- Very common, neutral, used in both speech and writing.
- Works perfectly here: Αν δεν τελειώσω το πτυχίο μου…
εάν:
- More formal / written, often in official language or careful speech.
- In everyday speech, αν is more common.
- The sentence with εάν is also correct:
  - Εάν δεν τελειώσω το πτυχίο μου, δεν μπορώ να κάνω μεταπτυχιακό.
άμα:
- More colloquial, informal, often in spoken Greek.
- Here it would give a more casual feel:
  - Άμα δεν τελειώσω το πτυχίο μου, δεν μπορώ να κάνω μεταπτυχιακό.

So yes, all three are possible; the main difference is formality and style, not grammar.

How do you pronounce πτυχίο and μεταπτυχιακό? The consonant clusters look hard.

Approximate phonetic guides (in an English-friendly way):

πτυχίο: ptih-Í-o
- πτυχ-: /ptix/ – like “pt” together (as in “apt”), plus a “h”‑like sound (χ).
- Stress on -χί-: πτ-χι-ο → πτυχίο.
- Syllables: πτυ‑χί‑ο.
μεταπτυχιακό: me-ta-pti-chi-a-KÓ
- με‑τα‑πτυ‑χι‑α‑κό
- Main difficult bits:
  - πτ again = /pt/
  - χια here is pronounced close to “hya” (a χ before ι/ε is palatal, like a softer “h” with the tongue raised).
- Stress on the last syllable: -κό.

In IPA (for reference):

πτυχίο → [ptiˈçio]
μεταπτυχιακό → [meta̠pti.çaˈko]

Key points:

πτ is a cluster [pt], not [pθ].
χ before ι/ε is softer [ç], somewhat like the German “ich” sound.