Breakdown of Έχω να δω τη γιαγιά μου δύο μήνες και ξέρω ότι της λείπω πολύ.
και
and
έχω
to have
να
to
μου
my
Questions & Answers about Έχω να δω τη γιαγιά μου δύο μήνες και ξέρω ότι της λείπω πολύ.
What does Έχω να δω literally mean, and why does it end up meaning I haven’t seen?
Literally, Έχω να δω is I have to see or I have (yet) to see.
In modern Greek, though, the structure:
- έχω να + subjunctive (δώ, κάνω, πάω, κτλ.) + χρονική διάρκεια
often means:
- I haven’t done X for [time] / It’s been [time] since I did X.
So:
- Έχω να δω τη γιαγιά μου δύο μήνες
→ literally: I have to see my grandmother (for) two months
→ idiomatically: I haven’t seen my grandmother for two months.
More examples of the same pattern:
- Έχει να βρέξει μια βδομάδα.
→ It hasn’t rained for a week. - Έχω να φάω από το πρωί.
→ I haven’t eaten since the morning.
So you should understand Έχω να δω here as a fixed pattern used to express “I haven’t seen” for a certain period.
Could I also say Δεν έχω δει τη γιαγιά μου εδώ και δύο μήνες? Is it the same?