Breakdown of Μπορείτε να μου δώσετε μια διευκρίνιση σχετικά με την υποβολή, ή πρέπει να περιμένω άλλη επιβεβαίωση;
Questions & Answers about Μπορείτε να μου δώσετε μια διευκρίνιση σχετικά με την υποβολή, ή πρέπει να περιμένω άλλη επιβεβαίωση;
Why does the sentence start with Μπορείτε? Is it formal?
Yes. Μπορείτε is the 2nd person plural form of μπορώ (I can), but in Greek, just like in many European languages, the plural form is often used to address one person politely.
So here Μπορείτε να... means:
- Can you... / Could you... in a formal or polite way
If you were speaking casually to one friend, you would usually say:
- Μπορείς να...
So:
- Μπορείτε να μου δώσετε... = formal/polite
- Μπορείς να μου δώσεις... = informal singular
Why is να used before μου δώσετε and περιμένω?
In Modern Greek, να introduces the verb form that often corresponds to what learners call the subjunctive or dependent verb form.
In this sentence:
- Μπορείτε να μου δώσετε...
- πρέπει να περιμένω...
Both μπορείτε and πρέπει are followed by να + verb.
So Greek says:
- You can to give me...
- I must to wait...
Of course, that is not natural English, but structurally that is closer to how Greek works.
A useful pattern to remember:
- μπορώ να + verb = can
- πρέπει να + verb = must / should / have to
What exactly is μου here?
μου means to me or me, depending on the English translation.
In this sentence:
- να μου δώσετε = to give me
Grammatically, μου is a weak pronoun/clitic and comes before the verb. It is the normal Greek way to express the indirect object.
Compare:
- δώστε μου το βιβλίο = give me the book
- μου είπαν = they told me
A native English speaker may expect something more like σε εμένα, but that is usually used for emphasis:
- Δώστε σε μένα το βιβλίο = Give the book to me (emphatic)
Here, plain μου is the natural choice.
Why is it δώσετε and not something like δίνετε?
Because after να, Greek normally uses the form associated with the perfective stem when the action is seen as a single whole event.
Here:
- να δώσετε = to give
- not να δίνετε = to be giving / to give repeatedly / habitually, depending on context
The verb pair is:
- δίνω = imperfective/basic dictionary form
- δώσω = perfective stem used after να, θα, etc.
So:
- Μπορείτε να μου δώσετε μια διευκρίνιση;
= Can you give me a clarification?
one complete action
If you said να δίνετε, it would sound like repeated or ongoing giving, which does not fit well here.
Why does Greek say μια διευκρίνιση? What kind of word is διευκρίνιση?
διευκρίνιση is a feminine noun meaning clarification.
That is why it appears with the feminine singular article:
- μια διευκρίνιση
Breakdown:
- μια = a / one (feminine)
- διευκρίνιση = clarification
Because it is the direct object of δώσετε, it is in the accusative singular. For this noun, nominative and accusative happen to look the same:
- nominative: η διευκρίνιση
- accusative: τη(ν) διευκρίνιση
Without the article after μια, you simply get:
- μια διευκρίνιση
Is there a difference between μια and μία?
Usually, no major difference in meaning. Both can mean a / one.
- μια is extremely common in everyday writing
- μία may be used in more careful writing, or when someone wants to mark the word more clearly as one
In your sentence, μια διευκρίνιση is completely normal and natural.
How does σχετικά με work?
σχετικά με is a very common fixed expression meaning:
- regarding
- about
- concerning
- with regard to
So:
- μια διευκρίνιση σχετικά με την υποβολή = a clarification regarding the submission
It is best learned as a chunk:
- σχετικά με + accusative noun
Examples:
- σχετικά με το πρόβλημα = regarding the problem
- σχετικά με την αίτηση = regarding the application
Why is it την υποβολή and not some other form?
Because υποβολή is a feminine noun, and after σχετικά με, Greek uses the accusative.
So:
- nominative: η υποβολή
- accusative: την υποβολή
That is why you get:
- σχετικά με την υποβολή
The final -ν in την is normal here and very common before a vowel sound like υ.
What does υποβολή mean exactly in this kind of sentence?
υποβολή literally means submission.
Depending on context, it could refer to:
- submitting an application
- submitting a form
- submitting documents
- submitting an assignment
So in administrative or professional Greek, η υποβολή is a very common noun.
Why is there no subject pronoun like εσείς or εγώ?
Greek often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.
Here:
- Μπορείτε already tells you it is you (plural/formal singular)
- περιμένω already tells you it is I
So Greek does not need:
- Εσείς μπορείτε...
- εγώ πρέπει να περιμένω...
Those pronouns could be added for emphasis, but they are not necessary.
This is very common in Greek and is something English speakers have to get used to.
Why does the second part say πρέπει να περιμένω? Does it mean must or should?
πρέπει να can mean several things in English depending on context:
- must
- have to
- should
In your sentence:
- ή πρέπει να περιμένω άλλη επιβεβαίωση;
the most natural English rendering is probably:
- or should I wait for another confirmation?
But depending on tone and situation, it could also feel like:
- or do I have to wait for another confirmation?
So the Greek is slightly flexible, and English chooses the best wording from context.
Why is it περιμένω and not a different form after να?
The verb περιμένω uses the same visible form here after να:
- να περιμένω
Some verbs show a clear difference between dictionary/imperfective and perfective forms after να. For example:
- δίνω → να δώσω
- βλέπω → να δω
But not all verbs show a dramatic visible change in every form, and in this sentence να περιμένω is the normal form.
So the important pattern is still:
- πρέπει να περιμένω = I must/should wait
Why is it άλλη επιβεβαίωση without an article?
Because Greek, like English, can use an indefinite noun without the definite article when the meaning is another confirmation rather than the other confirmation.
Here:
- άλλη = another / other
- επιβεβαίωση = confirmation
So:
- άλλη επιβεβαίωση = another confirmation
Both words are feminine singular accusative, so they agree with each other.
Compare:
- μια άλλη επιβεβαίωση = another confirmation / one more confirmation
- την άλλη επιβεβαίωση = the other confirmation
In your sentence, leaving out the article is perfectly natural.
What case is άλλη επιβεβαίωση in?
It is in the accusative singular, because it is the object connected with what the speaker may need to wait for.
More importantly for a learner, both words agree as feminine singular:
- άλλη = feminine singular form of άλλος
- επιβεβαίωση = feminine singular noun
So Greek agreement is doing the work here.
Is the comma before ή necessary?
It is possible, especially in more careful or formal writing, because the sentence joins two fairly long clauses:
- Μπορείτε να μου δώσετε...
- ή πρέπει να περιμένω...
In less formal writing, some people might omit it. So this is more a punctuation/style issue than a grammar rule you need to worry too much about.
The main thing is that ή means or.
How formal does the whole sentence sound?
It sounds polite, formal, and professional.
Clues include:
- Μπορείτε instead of Μπορείς
- να μου δώσετε μια διευκρίνιση
- σχετικά με την υποβολή
- επιβεβαίωση
This is the kind of Greek you might use in:
- an email
- a customer-service message
- communication with an office or institution
- a professional setting
It does not sound overly stiff, but it is definitely not casual conversation between close friends.
Could this be phrased in a more natural or slightly simpler Greek way?
Yes. The original sentence is correct and natural, but Greek speakers might also say things like:
- Μπορείτε να μου δώσετε μια διευκρίνιση για την υποβολή ή πρέπει να περιμένω άλλη επιβεβαίωση;
- Θα μπορούσατε να μου δώσετε μια διευκρίνιση σχετικά με την υποβολή ή πρέπει να περιμένω άλλη επιβεβαίωση;
Notes:
- για can replace σχετικά με in a slightly simpler, more everyday way
- Θα μπορούσατε... makes it even more polite, similar to Could you possibly...
So your sentence is already good Greek; these are just stylistic alternatives.
What should I pay special attention to if I want to build sentences like this myself?
A very useful pattern is:
- Μπορείτε να μου δώσετε + noun + σχετικά με/για + topic, ή πρέπει να + verb...?
For example:
Μπορείτε να μου δώσετε πληροφορίες για την αίτηση; = Can you give me information about the application?
Μπορείτε να μου δώσετε μια απάντηση σχετικά με το αίτημά μου; = Can you give me an answer regarding my request?
Πρέπει να περιμένω επιβεβαίωση; = Do I need to wait for confirmation?
This sentence is a good model for polite, practical Greek in real-life situations.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning GreekMaster Greek — from Μπορείτε να μου δώσετε μια διευκρίνιση σχετικά με την υποβολή, ή πρέπει να περιμένω άλλη επιβεβαίωση; to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions