Πρέπει να μεταφέρω δύο βαριά κουτιά στο υπόγειο πριν έρθουν οι καλεσμένοι.

I have to carry two heavy boxes to the basement before the guests come.

Breakdown of Πρέπει να μεταφέρω δύο βαριά κουτιά στο υπόγειο πριν έρθουν οι καλεσμένοι.

• να: to
• δύο: two
• πρέπει: to have to
• πριν: before
• σε: to
• έρχομαι: to come
• ο καλεσμένος: the guest
• το υπόγειο: the basement
• το κουτί: the box
• βαρύς: heavy
• μεταφέρω: to carry

Questions & Answers about Πρέπει να μεταφέρω δύο βαριά κουτιά στο υπόγειο πριν έρθουν οι καλεσμένοι.

Why does the sentence start with Πρέπει? Who is “doing” the needing?

Πρέπει is an impersonal verb meaning it is necessary / one must. It doesn’t have a subject like English I must.
So Πρέπει να μεταφέρω… literally works like It’s necessary for me to carry…, where μεταφέρω (1st person) shows that you are the one who must do it.

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Why is there να after Πρέπει?

In Greek, after verbs/expressions like πρέπει, you normally use να + verb (the subjunctive structure) instead of an infinitive.
So Greek says Πρέπει να μεταφέρω (not “Πρέπει μεταφέρειν” or similar), meaning I must/need to carry.

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What tense/mood is μεταφέρω here?

μεταφέρω is present subjunctive (formally it looks like the present tense, but with να it functions as subjunctive).
It expresses what you need to do, not something happening right now. It’s equivalent to (to) carry / move in I need to carry/move.

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Why use μεταφέρω instead of a more basic verb like φέρω?

μεταφέρω = to transport / move (something) from one place to another, often implying effort or relocation.
φέρω is more general to bring/carry and doesn’t always emphasize “moving it to another location.”
Here, carrying boxes to the basement fits μεταφέρω well.

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Why is it δύο and not changing form for gender/case?

The number δύο is indeclinable in Modern Greek, so it stays δύο regardless of gender and case:

• δύο κουτιά, δύο άνθρωποι, δύο μέρες, etc.

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How do we know βαριά κουτιά means “heavy boxes,” and why are the endings like that?

Agreement: adjectives match the noun in gender, number, and case.

• κουτιά = neuter plural (accusative here)
• βαριά = neuter plural (same form as feminine singular in many adjectives)

So δύο βαριά κουτιά = two heavy boxes.

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What case is κουτιά, and why?

κουτιά is accusative plural, because it’s the direct object of μεταφέρω (I carry what? → boxes).
The dictionary form is το κουτί (singular). Plural: τα κουτιά.

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What does στο υπόγειο literally mean, and why is it one word?

στο is a contraction of σε + το:

• σε το υπόγειο → στο υπόγειο
  Meaning: to/in the basement (context decides whether it’s “to” or “in”; with μεταφέρω it’s naturally to the basement).

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Why is it το υπόγειο (neuter)? Does it always mean “basement”?

υπόγειο is a neuter noun/adjective used as a noun: το υπόγειο = the basement (also sometimes the underground level).
It’s neuter by lexical gender, not because basements are “neuter” conceptually.

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Why does πριν use έρθουν (and not something like an infinitive)?

Greek typically uses πριν (να) + subjunctive for before (someone) does something.
So πριν έρθουν οι καλεσμένοι = before the guests arrive.
(You’ll also often see πριν να έρθουν—both are used.)

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What form is έρθουν?

έρθουν is aorist subjunctive, 3rd person plural of έρχομαι (to come).
It refers to the arrival as a single completed event: before they arrive (at some point).

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Why are the guests οι καλεσμένοι in the nominative, not accusative?

Because οι καλεσμένοι are the subject of έρθουν (they are the ones who will come).
Even though the whole clause depends on πριν, inside that clause Greek still marks the subject normally in the nominative.

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Does οι καλεσμένοι specifically mean “invited guests”? Why not just οι επισκέπτες?

οι καλεσμένοι literally means the invited ones → the guests (who were invited), common for a planned invitation (dinner guests, party guests).
οι επισκέπτες is more like visitors in a general sense and doesn’t necessarily imply an invitation.