Questions & Answers about Μπορώ να περιμένω δύο λεπτά, αλλά μετά πρέπει να φύγω.
Modern Greek doesn’t generally use a true infinitive the way English does. Instead, it uses να + a finite verb form (often called the subjunctive construction).
So Μπορώ να περιμένω literally works like “I can that I wait,” but idiomatically it’s just “I can wait / I’m able to wait.”
να is a particle that introduces the subjunctive-style verb form. After verbs like μπορώ (can), πρέπει (must), θέλω (want), μπορεί (it’s possible), etc., Greek typically uses να before the next verb:
- Μπορώ να περιμένω = I can wait
- Πρέπει να φύγω = I must leave
After να, Greek uses a verb form that looks like the present tense but functions as a subjunctive form. In να περιμένω, the action is viewed as something you are able/willing to do (not a completed fact yet).
Here it also matches the idea of “I can wait (for a short time).”