Breakdown of Δεν συμφέρει να αγοράσω λουκάνικο και μπριζόλα μαζί, αφού έχω ήδη φαγητό στο ψυγείο.
Questions & Answers about Δεν συμφέρει να αγοράσω λουκάνικο και μπριζόλα μαζί, αφού έχω ήδη φαγητό στο ψυγείο.
What does Δεν συμφέρει mean exactly?
Δεν συμφέρει usually means it isn’t worth it, it isn’t economical, or it doesn’t make practical sense.
In this sentence, it has a money/practical-decision nuance, not just a general I don’t want to. So the idea is:
- buying those things together is not a smart choice
- especially because there is already food at home
A very literal way to think of it is: It is not advantageous.
Why is it συμφέρει and not συμφέρω?
Because συμφέρει is being used impersonally here.
The thing that isn’t worth it is the whole action:
να αγοράσω λουκάνικο και μπριζόλα μαζί
= to buy sausage and steak together
So Greek treats that whole να-clause as the subject of συμφέρει. That is why the verb stays in 3rd person singular:
- Δεν συμφέρει να... = It isn’t worth it to...
If you wanted to make it explicitly personal, Greek often says:
- Δεν με συμφέρει να... = It isn’t worth it for me to...
That version is also very natural.
Why is there να before αγοράσω?
Because Greek uses να + verb to form the subjunctive, which is very common after expressions like:
- θέλω να... = I want to...
- μπορώ να... = I can...
- πρέπει να... = I must...
- συμφέρει να... = it is worth it to...
So:
- να αγοράσω = for me to buy / to buy
English often uses the infinitive to buy, but Modern Greek does not have an infinitive like English. Instead, it usually uses να + a finite verb form.
Why is it να αγοράσω and not να αγοράζω?
This is an aspect question.
- να αγοράσω = aorist subjunctive
- να αγοράζω = present/imperfective subjunctive
In this sentence, να αγοράσω is used because it refers to one complete buying action: buying sausage and steak together in one go.
So:
- να αγοράσω = to buy them once / as a complete act
- να αγοράζω = to be buying / to buy regularly or repeatedly
Here the speaker means a single shopping decision, so αγοράσω is the natural choice.
Why is αγοράσω first person singular?
Because the speaker is the one who would do the buying.
Even though English says to buy, Greek still marks the person on the verb:
- να αγοράσω = for me to buy
- να αγοράσεις = for you to buy
- να αγοράσει = for him/her to buy
So Greek is more explicit here than English about who the subject of the action is.
Why are there no articles before λουκάνικο and μπριζόλα?
Greek often omits the article with things being bought, eaten, or mentioned in a general/indefinite way.
So:
- να αγοράσω λουκάνικο και μπριζόλα
means something like to buy sausage and steak or to buy a sausage and a steak
This sounds natural and indefinite.
If you added articles:
- το λουκάνικο και τη μπριζόλα
that would sound more like specific, already-identified items: the sausage and the steak.
So the article is omitted because the speaker is talking about food items in a general buying sense, not specific previously mentioned ones.
Why are λουκάνικο and μπριζόλα singular?
Because the speaker seems to mean a serving/item of each or those foods as categories/items.
So:
- λουκάνικο = sausage / a sausage
- μπριζόλα = steak / a steak / chop, depending on context
Using the singular here is very normal if the idea is:
- one sausage and one steak, or
- sausage and steak as food choices
If the speaker meant several of each, Greek would use the plural:
- λουκάνικα και μπριζόλες
What does μαζί mean here?
Μαζί means together or at the same time.
In this sentence, it means that buying both items in the same purchase is not worth it:
- να αγοράσω λουκάνικο και μπριζόλα μαζί
- to buy sausage and steak together
It does not mean that the sausage and steak are physically mixed together. It means buying both of them as part of the same choice.
Can μαζί go somewhere else in the sentence?
Yes. Greek word order is fairly flexible, and μαζί can move depending on emphasis.
For example, you could also hear:
- Δεν συμφέρει να αγοράσω μαζί λουκάνικο και μπριζόλα...
- Δεν συμφέρει μαζί να αγοράσω λουκάνικο και μπριζόλα...
But the original placement is very natural and clear.
The version with μαζί at the end of that phrase sounds especially smooth because it neatly wraps up the idea buy both together.
What does αφού mean here? Doesn’t it also mean after?
Yes, αφού can mean after, but here it means since or because.
In this sentence:
- αφού έχω ήδη φαγητό στο ψυγείο
- since/because I already have food in the fridge
So here αφού introduces the reason.
This is a very common point for learners:
αφού can have more than one meaning depending on context.
Compare:
- Αφού έφαγα, έφυγα. = After I ate, I left.
- Δεν θα μαγειρέψω, αφού έχω φαγητό. = I won’t cook, since I have food.
Could I replace αφού with επειδή?
Yes, absolutely.
You could say:
- Δεν συμφέρει να αγοράσω λουκάνικο και μπριζόλα μαζί, επειδή έχω ήδη φαγητό στο ψυγείο.
That would also mean because I already have food in the fridge.
The difference is mostly one of tone and style:
- επειδή = straightforward because
- αφού = often since, sometimes with a sense that the reason is obvious or already established
So in this sentence, αφού feels very natural.
Why is it έχω ήδη φαγητό without an article?
Because φαγητό here means food in a general sense, not a specific identified dish.
So:
- έχω ήδη φαγητό = I already have food
- έχω ήδη το φαγητό = I already have the food
The version with no article is the natural choice when you simply mean there is something to eat already available.
What exactly is στο ψυγείο?
Στο is a contraction of:
- σε + το = στο
So:
- στο ψυγείο = in the fridge or in the refrigerator
This is one of the very common contractions in Greek:
- σε + το → στο
- σε + τη / την → στη / στην
The noun ψυγείο is neuter:
- το ψυγείο = the fridge
So:
- στο ψυγείο literally comes from σε το ψυγείο
Is the word order fixed, or could the sentence be rearranged?
It can be rearranged. Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.
For example, you could also say:
- Αφού έχω ήδη φαγητό στο ψυγείο, δεν συμφέρει να αγοράσω λουκάνικο και μπριζόλα μαζί.
This puts the reason first:
- Since I already have food in the fridge, it isn’t worth buying sausage and steak together.
The original version is also perfectly natural. It gives the main statement first and then explains why.
Would Δεν με συμφέρει be more natural than Δεν συμφέρει?
In everyday Greek, Δεν με συμφέρει να... is often very natural because it clearly means:
- It’s not worth it for me
- It doesn’t suit me / benefit me
So a very common version would be:
- Δεν με συμφέρει να αγοράσω λουκάνικο και μπριζόλα μαζί...
The version without με is still correct and natural, but it sounds a bit more impersonal, like a general judgment:
- It isn’t worth it
- It doesn’t make sense
So both work; με just makes the personal angle more explicit.
Is this sentence specifically about money, or just about practicality?
It can be either, depending on context.
συμφέρει often suggests:
- financial benefit
- good value
- practical advantage
In this sentence, because the speaker says I already have food in the fridge, the idea is probably:
- it’s not a sensible purchase
- it’s unnecessary
- possibly it would waste money
So the nuance is broader than simple price alone. It is about whether the purchase is a good idea overall.
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