LingoflyMust, can, must not: πρέπει, μπορώ, απαγορεύεται
"Must" works without a person here. πρέπει να (prépi na) never changes, and the verb after να (na) says who must. Πρέπει να φύγω (prépi na fígo) — I have to go. Πρέπει να (prépi na) φύγεις (fíyis) — you have to go. For example: “Πρέπει να (prépi na) βράσει (vrási) δέκα (déka) λεπτά” (leptá) — This must boil for ten minutes. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
"Must" works without a person here. πρέπει να (prépi na) never changes, and the verb after να (na) says who must. Πρέπει να φύγω (prépi na fígo) — I have to go. Πρέπει να (prépi na) φύγεις (fíyis) (prépi na fíyis) — you have to go.
The past is just as fixed, one shape for everybody: έπρεπε να (éprepe na) — had to.
But μπορώ (boró) behaves like any other verb: μπορώ (boró), μπορείς (borís), μπορεί (borí). Here is the trap everyone falls into. μπορώ (boró) να (na) (boró na) means "I can", while μπορεί (borí) να (na) (borí na) with nobody in front means "maybe". Μπορεί (borí) να (na) βρέξει (vréksi) (borí na vréksi) is "it might rain", not "he can make rain".
A ban on a sign comes as one word: απαγορεύεται (apagorévete) — forbidden. Out loud people put it more simply: δεν γίνεται (den yínete), "that won't work".
Table
| construction | what it means | example |
|---|---|---|
| πρέπει να (prépi na) | must, have to | πρέπει να φύγω (prépi na fígo) |
| έπρεπε να (éprepe na) | had to | έπρεπε να (éprepe na) φύγω (fígo) |
| μπορώ (boró) να (na) | I can | μπορώ (boró) να (na) φύγω (fígo) |
| μπορεί (borí) να (na) | maybe, it might | μπορεί (borí) να (na) φύγει (fíyi) |
| απαγορεύεται (apagorévete) | it is forbidden | απαγορεύεται (apagorévete) η είσοδος (ísodos) |
By example
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Must, can, must not: how does it work in Greek?
"Must" works without a person here. πρέπει να (prépi na) never changes, and the verb after να (na) says who must. Πρέπει να φύγω (prépi na fígo) — I have to go. Πρέπει να (prépi na) φύγεις (fíyis) — you have to go.
What does it look like in a Greek example sentence?
“Πρέπει να (prépi na) βράσει (vrási) δέκα (déka) λεπτά” (leptá) (prépi na vrási déka leptá) — This must boil for ten minutes. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.