Breakdown of Ο ανάδοχος πρέπει να ελέγξει την ηλεκτρονική σήμανση και το μικροτσίπ.
και
and
πρέπει
to have to
ελέγχω
to check
ο ανάδοχος
foster carer
Questions & Answers about Ο ανάδοχος πρέπει να ελέγξει την ηλεκτρονική σήμανση και το μικροτσίπ.
Why is πρέπει used here, and does it change to match ο ανάδοχος?
Πρέπει is an impersonal verb. It means must, has to, or more literally it is necessary.
So Greek is structurally closer to:
- It is necessary that the contractor/adopter check...
Because of that, πρέπει does not change to agree with the subject the way many normal verbs do. You use the same πρέπει with all persons:
- πρέπει να ελέγξω = I must check
- πρέπει να ελέγξεις = you must check
- πρέπει να ελέγξει = he/she must check
The subject ο ανάδοχος belongs logically with ελέγξει, not with a personally conjugated form of πρέπει.
Why is there a να after πρέπει?
In Modern Greek, verbs like πρέπει are followed by να + verb form.
English often uses an infinitive, as in must check or has to check. Modern Greek normally does not use an infinitive the way English does. Instead, it uses να plus a finite verb form:
- πρέπει να ελέγξει
So να is a very normal and necessary part of this structure.
What form is ελέγξει?