Χωρίς δίπλωμα δεν ήθελα να οδηγήσω, παρόλο που το βενζινάδικο ήταν πολύ κοντά.

Yes, δίπλωμα can literally mean diploma or certificate, but in everyday Greek it also commonly means a driver’s license when the context is driving.

So in this sentence, Χωρίς δίπλωμα means Without a driver’s license.

If you want to be completely explicit, Greek can also say δίπλωμα οδήγησης = driving license.

After χωρίς (without), Greek often uses a noun without an article, especially when speaking in a general sense.

So:

• χωρίς δίπλωμα = without a license
• χωρίς χρήματα = without money
• χωρίς αυτοκίνητο = without a car

You could sometimes hear χωρίς το δίπλωμα if you mean without the license in a specific, known sense, but here the general idea is simply without having a driver’s license.

It is in the accusative case.

The preposition χωρίς takes the accusative, so:

• χωρίς δίπλωμα
• χωρίς εσένα
• χωρίς το αυτοκίνητο

This is something English speakers often need to memorize, since English prepositions do not work with cases in the same way.

Ήθελα is the imperfect of θέλω (to want), and here it means I didn’t want to in the sense of an ongoing feeling, intention, or state in the past.

• δεν ήθελα = I didn’t want to
• δεν θέλησα = I didn’t want / I refused / I was unwilling in a more one-time, completed sense

In this sentence, the speaker is describing their attitude at the time, so the imperfect ήθελα sounds natural.

In Modern Greek, after verbs like θέλω (want), Greek uses να + a verb form.

So:

• θέλω να πάω = I want to go
• ήθελα να οδηγήσω = I wanted to drive

This is one of the most basic Greek patterns:
θέλω / ήθελα + να + verb

English uses an infinitive (to drive), but Modern Greek does not have an infinitive like English. Instead, it uses να plus a finite verb form.

After να, Greek often uses either:

• the perfective form, for a single whole action
• the imperfective form, for repeated, ongoing, or habitual action

Here, να οδηγήσω is the perfective form, meaning to drive / to go ahead and drive as a single action.

So:

• ήθελα να οδηγήσω = I wanted to drive / I wanted to go drive
• ήθελα να οδηγώ would suggest something more like I wanted to be driving or I wanted to drive habitually, which does not fit as well here

So οδηγήσω is the natural choice because the speaker means one specific act of driving.

Παρόλο που means although, even though, or despite the fact that.

It introduces a contrast:

• Δεν ήθελα να οδηγήσω = I didn’t want to drive
• παρόλο που το βενζινάδικο ήταν πολύ κοντά = even though the gas station was very close

So the sentence says that the speaker did not want to drive despite the convenience.

A related expression is αν και, which also means although.

Ήταν is the imperfect of είμαι (to be), and here it means was.

So:

• το βενζινάδικο ήταν πολύ κοντά = the gas station was very close

The imperfect is used because this describes a state in the past, not a completed action.

Βενζινάδικο means gas station or petrol station.

It is very common in everyday spoken Greek. It is not especially formal, but it is perfectly normal and standard.

You may also see more formal or technical expressions, but βενζινάδικο is the usual everyday word.

It is a neuter noun, which is why it appears here as:

• το βενζινάδικο

Greek nouns have grammatical gender. Βενζινάδικο is neuter, and many neuter nouns end in -ο.

That is why the article is το:

• το βενζινάδικο = the gas station

Its singular pattern is:

• nominative: το βενζινάδικο
• accusative: το βενζινάδικο
• genitive: του βενζινάδικου

For a learner, the most important thing is to memorize nouns together with their article:

• το βενζινάδικο
• το δίπλωμα

Πολύ κοντά means very close / very near.

Κοντά here works like an adverb or indeclinable predicate word, so it does not change for gender or number.

Compare:

• Το σπίτι είναι κοντά. = The house is near.
• Η τράπεζα είναι κοντά. = The bank is near.
• Τα μαγαζιά είναι κοντά. = The shops are near.

It stays κοντά in all these examples.

Yes, Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

This sentence starts with Χωρίς δίπλωμα to emphasize the condition first: Without a license...

You could also say:

• Δεν ήθελα να οδηγήσω χωρίς δίπλωμα.

This is also correct and very natural.

The original version sounds slightly more focused on the lack of a license as the key reason.

Its most direct meaning is I didn’t want to drive.

Depending on context, English might translate it a little differently, such as:

• I didn’t want to drive
• I was unwilling to drive
• I didn’t feel like driving

But the Greek itself is straightforwardly about not wanting to do the action.

If Greek wanted to emphasize refusal or impossibility more strongly, it might use other wording.

Yes. Παρόλο που can be followed by different tenses depending on the meaning.

Examples:

• Παρόλο που είμαι κουρασμένος, θα έρθω.
  Even though I am tired, I will come.

• Παρόλο που ήταν αργά, έμειναν έξω.
  Even though it was late, they stayed out.

• Παρόλο που θα βρέχει, θα φύγουμε.
  Even though it will be raining, we will leave.

In your sentence, ήταν is used because the whole situation is in the past.

Yes—three big things:

1. Greek uses να instead of an infinitive

   • ήθελα να οδηγήσω = I wanted to drive

2. The imperfect is very common for past states and intentions

   • ήθελα = I wanted
   • ήταν = it was

3. Prepositions can control case

   • χωρίς takes the accusative
   • so: χωρίς δίπλωμα

If you understand those three points, a lot of similar Greek sentences become much easier.