Breakdown of Αν δεν βρω βενζινάδικο ανοιχτό το βράδυ, θα βάλω βενζίνη αύριο το πρωί.
δεν
not
αύριο
tomorrow
το πρωί
in the morning
θα
will
Questions & Answers about Αν δεν βρω βενζινάδικο ανοιχτό το βράδυ, θα βάλω βενζίνη αύριο το πρωί.
Why is it Αν δεν βρω and not Αν δεν θα βρω?
Because after αν in this kind of if-clause, Greek does not use θα.
Here, βρω is the aorist subjunctive form of βρίσκω (to find), and αν + subjunctive is the normal way to say if I find / if I don’t find when talking about a possible future situation.
So:
- Αν δεν βρω... = If I don’t find...
- not Αν δεν θα βρω...
A useful pattern to remember is:
- Αν + subjunctive, θα + future/result
In this sentence:
- Αν δεν βρω βενζινάδικο ανοιχτό το βράδυ = If I don’t find a gas station open at night / tonight
- θα βάλω βενζίνη αύριο το πρωί = I’ll get gas tomorrow morning
What exactly is βρω?
βρω is the aorist subjunctive of βρίσκω (to find).
Learners often expect something closer to the present stem, but Greek commonly uses the aorist subjunctive after αν when referring to a single completed action in the future.
So:
- βρίσκω = I find / I am finding
- να βρω = to find / that I find
- αν βρω = if I find
Why aorist here? Because the idea is finding something as a single event, not an ongoing process.
Why is there δεν before βρω?