Breakdown of Δεν αντέχω να διαβάζω όλη τη νύχτα για την εξέταση, χρειάζομαι και λίγη ξεκούραση.
Questions & Answers about Δεν αντέχω να διαβάζω όλη τη νύχτα για την εξέταση, χρειάζομαι και λίγη ξεκούραση.
Δεν αντέχω literally means I cannot endure / I can’t stand / I can’t bear.
- Δεν αντέχω να διαβάζω... = I can’t stand studying... (it’s too hard on me emotionally/physically, I’m fed up with it).
- Δεν μπορώ να διαβάζω... = I can’t study... (I’m unable to, for some reason: time, health, circumstances, etc.).
So αντέχω adds a sense of emotional or physical strain, not just inability.
Να introduces a subordinate verb clause, similar to “to” or “-ing” in English after certain verbs.
- αντέχω (I can stand/bear) + να διαβάζω (that I study / to study)
- Together: Δεν αντέχω να διαβάζω = I can’t stand (to) study / studying.
In modern Greek, many verbs are followed by να + verb, where English would use:
- to + verb (I want to go)
- or verb-ing (I like reading).
Here, να is required; you cannot say Δεν αντέχω διαβάζω.
Greek makes a strong distinction between present (imperfective) and aorist (perfective) stems:
- να διαβάζω: studying as an ongoing, continuous or repeated activity.
- να διαβάσω: studying as a single, complete action (viewed as a whole).
Because the phrase has όλη τη νύχτα (all night long), the emphasis is on duration and continuity, so the present stem διαβάζω is natural:
- Δεν αντέχω να διαβάζω όλη τη νύχτα
= I can’t stand studying (for hours) all night.
Δεν αντέχω να διαβάσω όλη τη νύχτα is not wrong, but it sounds more like:
- I can’t bring myself to (go and) study all night (this one time).
The given sentence focuses on the tiring, ongoing activity.
In Greek, διαβάζω can mean both:
- to read (a book, a newspaper, etc.)
- to study / to do homework / to prepare for an exam
Context decides. Because we have για την εξέταση (for the exam), here διαβάζω clearly means to study / to prepare.
Grammatically, the full form is:
- όλη την νύχτα (all the night)
However, in actual usage the final -ν on την (and τον) is often dropped before many consonants, especially in informal or neutral writing:
- τη νύχτα instead of την νύχτα
So:
- όλη τη νύχτα = όλη την νύχτα
Both are correct; it’s just a common shortening in everyday Greek.
Functionally, όλη τη νύχτα is an accusative of duration: for the whole night / all night long.
Both τη(ν) νύχτα and την εξέταση are in the accusative case, singular, feminine.
Clues:
The article:
- η νύχτα (nominative) → τη(ν) νύχτα (accusative)
- η εξέταση (nominative) → την εξέταση (accusative)
Their function:
- όλη τη νύχτα: time expression = for all night → accusative of duration.
- για την εξέταση: object of preposition για → prepositions usually take accusative in Greek.
So:
- Article η → subject form (nominative).
- Article την/τη → object, after prepositions, or time duration (accusative).
Για often means for (purpose, goal, reason):
- διαβάζω για την εξέταση = I study for the exam (in order to pass it).
Other options change the meaning:
- στην εξέταση = in/at the exam (place or occasion), not the purpose of studying.
- πριν από την εξέταση = before the exam (time).
- μετά την εξέταση = after the exam (time).
So για is the natural choice to express purpose of the studying.
Here και means also / too / as well, not just and in the sense of joining equals.
- χρειάζομαι λίγη ξεκούραση = I need a bit of rest.
- χρειάζομαι και λίγη ξεκούραση = I also need a bit of rest (in addition to something else, here: studying).
In English you would probably say:
- I can’t stand studying all night for the exam; I also need some rest.
Ξεκούραση (rest) is a feminine noun, so the adjective agreeing with it must be in the feminine form:
- Masculine/neuter: λίγος / λίγο
- Feminine: λίγη
Since ξεκούραση is feminine:
- λίγη ξεκούραση = a little (bit of) rest.
Using λίγο ξεκούραση would be grammatically wrong, because the adjective would not agree in gender with the noun.
Χρειάζομαι looks like a middle/passive form, but in modern Greek it functions as a normal active verb meaning I need:
- χρειάζομαι = I need
- χρειάζεσαι = you need (singular)
- χρειάζεται = he/she/it needs
- χρειαζόμαστε = we need
- χρειάζεστε = you need (plural / formal)
- χρειάζονται = they need
It takes a direct object in the accusative:
- Χρειάζομαι ξεκούραση. = I need rest.
- Χρειάζομαι βοήθεια. = I need help.
- Χρειάζομαι και λίγη ξεκούραση. = I also need a bit of rest.
You do not say something like “I myself need” with an extra reflexive pronoun; χρειάζομαι already means simply to need.
Yes. Greek word order is relatively flexible, especially for adverbials like time and purpose. These are all natural:
- Δεν αντέχω να διαβάζω όλη τη νύχτα για την εξέταση.
- Δεν αντέχω να διαβάζω για την εξέταση όλη τη νύχτα.
Both mean the same: I can’t stand studying all night for the exam.
The exact placement of όλη τη νύχτα and για την εξέταση mainly affects rhythm and slight emphasis, not core meaning.
Yes, both are possible, with nuance differences:
Δεν μπορώ να διαβάζω όλη τη νύχτα για την εξέταση.
- Focus on inability: I’m not able to study all night for the exam (for whatever reason).
- Less emotional than δεν αντέχω.
Δεν αντέχω να διαβάσω όλη τη νύχτα για την εξέταση.
- Focus on one whole action of studying all night (once).
- Feels like: I can’t bear the idea of (going and) doing this full all-night study session.
Δεν αντέχω να διαβάζω όλη τη νύχτα για την εξέταση. (original)
- Emphasizes continuous / repeated studying over long hours.
- Suggests ongoing strain, maybe something you’ve been doing (or are expected to do) a lot.
All are correct, but the original sentence nicely captures the idea of ongoing exhausting studying.