Breakdown of Μήπως να πάρουμε την απόφαση αύριο, όταν θα έχουμε δει το υπόλοιπο και την τελευταία πληρωμή;
Questions & Answers about Μήπως να πάρουμε την απόφαση αύριο, όταν θα έχουμε δει το υπόλοιπο και την τελευταία πληρωμή;
What does μήπως να mean at the beginning of the sentence?
Here μήπως να introduces a polite, tentative suggestion.
So Μήπως να πάρουμε...; is like:
- How about we make/take ...?
- Maybe we should ...?
- Do you think we should ...?
It makes the suggestion sound softer and less direct than, for example:
- Να πάρουμε... = more direct
- Ας πάρουμε... = let’s ..., stronger and more decisive
So μήπως is not really negation here; it is mainly a softening word.
Why is it να πάρουμε and not παίρνουμε?
Because after μήπως να, Greek uses the subjunctive, introduced by να.
So:
- να πάρουμε = subjunctive
- παίρνουμε = indicative present (we take / we are taking)
Also, πάρουμε is the aorist form, which fits well because taking/making a decision is seen as one complete action.
Compare:
- να πάρουμε την απόφαση = to make the decision, as a single act
- να παίρνουμε αποφάσεις = to be making decisions, repeatedly or habitually
Is παίρνω την απόφαση a normal Greek way to say make a decision?
Yes, absolutely. Παίρνω την απόφαση is a very normal and natural expression in Greek.
It is close to English make/take the decision.
You could also say:
- να αποφασίσουμε
That is often simpler and more compact. But να πάρουμε την απόφαση can sound a bit more deliberate, as if the focus is on reaching or taking the decision.
Also, the article in την απόφαση suggests a specific decision already known in the conversation, not just any decision.
What tense is θα έχουμε δει?
Θα έχουμε δει is the future perfect.
It is formed with:
- θα
- the present of έχω
- the perfect form δει
So literally it means we will have seen.
In this sentence, it shows that one future action will be completed before another future action:
- first: we will have seen / checked / gone over something
- then: we will take the decision
So the idea is after we’ve seen it, then we decide.
Why is there θα after όταν? I thought Greek often omits θα in clauses with when.
That is a very good question.
In formal or textbook Greek, you will often see future-time clauses after όταν without θα, for example:
- όταν δούμε
- όταν έχουμε δει
Many teachers and grammars prefer that pattern.
However, in everyday spoken Greek, many speakers do say όταν θα ..., especially when they want the future meaning to sound very explicit.
So:
- όταν θα έχουμε δει is understandable and common in speech
- in more careful/formal style, many people would prefer something like όταν έχουμε δει or simply όταν δούμε
So this is a case where real spoken usage and more formal textbook preference do not always match perfectly.
Why does δει come from βλέπω? It doesn’t look related at all.
Because βλέπω is an irregular verb.
Its forms come from different stems:
- present: βλέπω = I see
- aorist: είδα = I saw
- subjunctive: να δω = that I see / to see
- perfect with έχω: έχω δει = I have seen
So δει is the special form used with έχω to make perfect tenses.
This is just something learners usually need to memorize as an irregular pattern:
- βλέπω → είδα → δω → δει
Does βλέπω / δει literally mean see here?
Not necessarily in the narrow physical sense.
In Greek, βλέπω can also mean things like:
- look at
- check
- review
- go over
- examine
So in this sentence, θα έχουμε δει το υπόλοιπο και την τελευταία πληρωμή probably means something more like:
- once we’ve checked/reviewed the remaining amount and the final payment
That is often more natural than understanding it as simple physical seeing.
What does το υπόλοιπο mean here?
Το υπόλοιπο literally means the remainder / the rest / what is left.
In this context, because it appears next to την τελευταία πληρωμή, it most likely means something financial, such as:
- the remaining amount
- the balance
- the outstanding remainder
So it probably refers to what is still left to be paid or settled.
Why are there two articles in το υπόλοιπο και την τελευταία πληρωμή?
Because Greek normally gives each definite noun its own article.
So:
- το υπόλοιπο
- την τελευταία πληρωμή
Both are definite, and both are direct objects of έχουμε δει.
Repeating the article is completely normal in Greek, and here it also helps because the nouns have different genders:
- το = neuter
- την = feminine
So the structure is very natural and clear.
Why are την απόφαση and την τελευταία πληρωμή in those forms?
They are in the accusative case because they are direct objects.
- παίρνουμε την απόφαση → the decision is what we take
- έχουμε δει την τελευταία πληρωμή → the final payment is what we have seen/checked
For these feminine nouns, the noun form itself often stays the same, while the article clearly shows the case:
- nominative: η απόφαση, η πληρωμή
- accusative: την απόφαση, την πληρωμή
So for an English speaker, one of the easiest clues is often the article.
Could Greek also say όταν δούμε instead of όταν θα έχουμε δει?
Yes, very often.
Greek frequently uses a simpler form where English might use something more like when we have seen. So όταν δούμε can work in many contexts where the meaning is simply when we see / once we’ve seen.
The version in your sentence, όταν θα έχουμε δει, adds a stronger sense of completion before the decision. It is more explicit about the sequence:
- we first review/check everything
- then we decide
So the longer form is not just about future time; it emphasizes that this reviewing will already be finished by that point.
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