Δεν θέλω σακάκι που να είναι πολύ ριγέ ή πολύ καρό, γιατί προτιμώ κάτι πιο απλό.

Because the speaker is talking about the kind of jacket they do not want, not about a specific jacket that already exists and is being identified.

In Greek, after an indefinite or non-specific noun—especially in negative contexts like Δεν θέλω...—it is very common to use που να + subjunctive to describe the kind of thing wanted, not wanted, looked for, etc.

So:

• σακάκι που είναι πολύ ριγέ = a jacket that is very striped
  
  • this sounds more like a real, identifiable jacket
• σακάκι που να είναι πολύ ριγέ = a jacket that would be / that is of the kind to be very striped
  
  • this fits the idea of a non-specific item

In natural English, we often do not show this difference clearly, but Greek does.

Yes. να είναι is the subjunctive form of είμαι.

Greek uses the subjunctive after να, and one common use is to describe something hypothetical, desired, searched for, rejected, or expected.

Here, the speaker is not describing a definite jacket. They are describing the type of jacket they do not want. That is why Greek prefers:

• που να είναι πολύ ριγέ ή πολύ καρό

rather than the indicative που είναι.

So yes, this is a very typical case of the Greek subjunctive.

Greek often omits the indefinite article when English would use a.

So Δεν θέλω σακάκι... naturally means I don’t want a jacket...

You could also say:

• Δεν θέλω ένα σακάκι...

but that can sound slightly more specific or emphatic, depending on context. In many everyday sentences, bare nouns are perfectly natural after verbs like θέλω, έχω, ψάχνω, etc.

Σακάκι usually means jacket in the sense of a blazer, sports coat, or suit jacket, rather than an outdoor coat.

So if a learner knows jacket in English, it helps to remember that Greek σακάκι is often a more tailored or dressier kind of jacket.

It is a neuter singular noun:

• το σακάκι
• ένα σακάκι

They describe patterns:

• ριγέ = striped
• καρό = checked / plaid

They look unusual because they are commonly used as invariable adjectives in Modern Greek. That means they usually do not change form for gender, number, or case the way many other adjectives do.

For example:

• ριγέ σακάκι
• ριγέ φούστα
• ριγέ πουκάμισα

and similarly:

• καρό σακάκι
• καρό φούστα
• καρό πουκάμισα

So unlike adjectives such as απλός, απλή, απλό, these typically stay the same.

Here πολύ means very.

In Greek, πολύ can function as:

• an adjective meaning much/many
• or an adverb meaning very

In this sentence it is an adverb, modifying the pattern adjectives:

• πολύ ριγέ = very striped / too striped-looking
• πολύ καρό = very checked / too plaid

So it works just like English very here.

Yes. ή means or, and in this sentence it links two unwanted possibilities:

• πολύ ριγέ
• πολύ καρό

So the meaning is that the speaker does not want a jacket that is either too striped or too checked.

It does not mean they are choosing between the two. It means both are unsuitable.

Yes, επειδή could also be used, but γιατί is extremely common in everyday Greek for because.

So:

• γιατί προτιμώ κάτι πιο απλό
• επειδή προτιμώ κάτι πιο απλό

Both are possible.

In speech, γιατί is often the most natural choice. It can also mean why in questions, but here the meaning is clearly because.

Greek often forms the comparative with πιο + adjective:

• απλό = simple
• πιο απλό = simpler / more simple

So κάτι πιο απλό means something simpler.

Greek does also have some synthetic comparative forms in certain adjectives, but πιο + adjective is extremely common and very natural in modern everyday language.

Because κάτι is treated as neuter singular, so the adjective agrees with it in the neuter singular form.

• απλός = masculine
• απλή = feminine
• απλό = neuter

Since the sentence says κάτι πιο απλό, the adjective must be neuter too.

This is very common:

• κάτι καλό
• κάτι ωραίο
• κάτι διαφορετικό

Yes, both are grammatically possible:

• Δεν θέλω ένα σακάκι...
• προτιμώ κάτι απλούστερο

But the original sounds very natural and conversational.

A few nuances:

• σακάκι without ένα is slightly more neutral and generic
• πιο απλό is more everyday and common than απλούστερο, which can sound a bit more formal or literary depending on context

So the original sentence is a very natural modern spoken style.

The word order is natural, but Greek is more flexible than English.

The sentence structure is:

• Δεν θέλω σακάκι
• που να είναι πολύ ριγέ ή πολύ καρό
• γιατί προτιμώ κάτι πιο απλό

This flows well because:

1. the main idea comes first: I don’t want a jacket
2. then the description of the unwanted type
3. then the reason

You could rearrange parts for emphasis, but the original order is the most straightforward and natural.

Yes. It sounds softer and more natural than a blunt rejection.

Instead of only saying what they do not want, the speaker also explains their taste:

• I prefer something simpler

This gives the sentence a polite, natural shopping-context tone.

Greek often uses κάτι + adjective in this kind of context:

• κάτι πιο μοντέρνο = something more modern
• κάτι πιο κομψό = something more elegant
• κάτι πιο απλό = something simpler

So this is a very useful pattern to learn.