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Μην είσαι βιαστικός, έχουμε ακόμα δύο λεπτά.

Μην είσαι βιαστικός, έχουμε ακόμα δύο λεπτά.
Don’t be in a hurry; we still have two minutes.

Breakdown of Μην είσαι βιαστικός, έχουμε ακόμα δύο λεπτά.

είμαι
to be
έχω
to have
δύο
two
το λεπτό
the minute
ακόμα
still
βιαστικός
in a hurry
μην
don’t
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Questions & Answers about Μην είσαι βιαστικός, έχουμε ακόμα δύο λεπτά.

Why does Greek use Μην here? Is it the same as don’t?

Yes. Μην is used to make a negative command/request (a negative imperative-like form). In Greek you typically say Μην + verb (subjunctive form) to mean don’t … / stop … / don’t be ….
So Μην είσαι … = Don’t be …

Why is it Μην είσαι and not a “normal” imperative form?

Greek doesn’t use the true imperative for to be (είμαι) in the negative in everyday standard usage. Instead it uses μην + the present subjunctive:

  • (να) είσαι is the subjunctive form of είμαι (the να is usually omitted after μην).
    So Μην είσαι βιαστικός literally follows the pattern Don’t + be (subjunctive).
What does είσαι mean grammatically?

είσαι is 2nd person singular, present tense of είμαι (I am / to be). It addresses one person: you are.
So the sentence is speaking to a single person: Don’t be in a hurry…

Why is βιαστικός in the masculine form? What if I’m speaking to a woman?

βιαστικός is an adjective meaning hasty / in a hurry / impatient, and it agrees with the person’s gender and number.

  • To a man: Μην είσαι βιαστικός
  • To a woman: Μην είσαι βιαστική
  • To more than one person (mixed/masc): Μην είστε βιαστικοί
  • To a group of women: Μην είστε βιαστικές
Could Greek also say Μην βιάζεσαι? What’s the difference?

Yes, Μην βιάζεσαι is very common and means Don’t rush / Don’t hurry.

  • Μην είσαι βιαστικός focuses on the person’s state/attitude (don’t be hasty).
  • Μην βιάζεσαι focuses on the action (don’t rush).
    Both work; the second is often more natural in casual speech.
Why is we have translated as έχουμε even though there’s no word for we?

Greek normally drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person.
έχουμε = we have (1st person plural, present).
If you want emphasis, you can add εμείς: εμείς έχουμε ακόμα δύο λεπτά (we still have two minutes).

What exactly does ακόμα mean here? Is it still or yet?

Here ακόμα means still: we still have two minutes.
It can also mean even in other contexts, but with time remaining it’s typically still.

Why is it δύο λεπτά and not something like “two of minutes” or a different case?

After numbers like δύο (two), Greek commonly uses the noun in the form you see here: λεπτά (minutes, neuter plural).
So δύο λεπτά is the normal way to say two minutes.

How do I pronounce Μην είσαι βιαστικός, έχουμε ακόμα δύο λεπτά?

A practical pronunciation guide (approximate):

  • Μην ≈ meen
  • είσαι ≈ EE-seh
  • βιαστικός ≈ vya-stee-KOS
  • έχουμε ≈ EH-khoo-meh (the χ is a throaty sound, like German Bach)
  • ακόμα ≈ a-KO-ma
  • δύο ≈ THEE-o (the δ is like th in this)
  • λεπτά ≈ lep-TA

Stress is marked by the accent: είσαι, βιαστικός, έχουμε, ακόμα, δύο, λεπτά.

What’s the purpose of the comma in the sentence?

The comma separates two related clauses: 1) Μην είσαι βιαστικός (Don’t be hasty)
2) έχουμε ακόμα δύο λεπτά (we still have two minutes)
It’s like saying: Don’t rush; we still have two minutes.

Is this formal or informal Greek?

It’s informal, because it uses είσαι (2nd person singular).
Formal/polite (or plural) would be:

  • Μην είστε βιαστικός/βιαστική, έχουμε ακόμα δύο λεπτά.
    (Adjust the adjective to match the person/group you’re addressing.)
Could Μην είσαι βιαστικός also mean “don’t be impatient”?
Yes. βιαστικός can imply impatient or too quick to act, depending on context. With we still have two minutes, it naturally suggests don’t rush / don’t be in such a hurry (or impatient).