Breakdown of Αύριο θέλω να κάνω αίτηση για υποτροφία στο πανεπιστήμιο.
θέλω
to want
να
to
αύριο
tomorrow
σε
at
Questions & Answers about Αύριο θέλω να κάνω αίτηση για υποτροφία στο πανεπιστήμιο.
What is the function of να in θέλω να κάνω? Is it like the English “to” (as in “to do”)?
Να is not an infinitive marker like English to. Modern Greek does not really use an infinitive.
Instead, να introduces a subjunctive clause.
- Θέλω να κάνω… literally: “I want that I do…”
- The whole phrase να κάνω αίτηση (“that I make an application”) acts as the object of θέλω (“I want”).
So grammatically:
- θέλω = main verb (I want)
- να κάνω αίτηση… = subordinate clause in the subjunctive, functioning like “to apply…” in English.
Why do we say θέλω να κάνω and not just θέλω κάνω?
In Modern Greek, almost all verbs that take another verb as their complement require a particle, usually να or θα or ας.
After θέλω, you must use να before the next verb:
- ✅ Θέλω να κάνω αίτηση.
- ❌ Θέλω κάνω αίτηση. (incorrect)
So the pattern to remember is:
θέλω + να + [verb in the subjunctive]
What does κάνω αίτηση literally mean, and is it the normal way to say “apply”?