I want to go to the store.

[amslgriffith322]

Hello, I am new to the Greek language. I am trying to figure out how to use the verb, "want" in the first person. The phrases I have included are: "I want to go to the store. I want to eat. I want to drink water." Are these phrases correct in Greek? My try: "Θέλω να πάω στο κατάστημα. Θέλω να φάω. Θελω να πιω νερο."

Thank you very much!

 

[Konstantinos]

Yes your Greek is good. Greek is a pro-drop language.

Also, look the following example to see how easy is this part of Greek:

I want you to go to the store: Θέλω να πας στο κατάστημα.

 

[amslgriffith322]

Just out of curiosity, (I am not sure if this should be a separate post) is "να πάω, να φάω, and να πιω," the future tense? Or is it the aorist subjunctive? Also, could the present subjunctive be used in these questions? Or would it mean something completely different? For example, could one say, "Θέλω να πηγαίνω στο κατάστημα" in Greek?

 

[Konstantinos]

You can start as many threads as you want.

να is translated as "to":

να πάω = to go

να φάω = to eat

να πιω = to drink

It is more obligatory than English "to".

Θέλω να σε βοηθήσω να βρεις... = I want to help you "TO" find...

Θέλω να σε κάνω να με πιστέψεις: I want to make you "TO" believe me.

Μπορείς να με βοηθήσεις; = Can you "TO" help me?

Θελω να πάω στο κατάστημα σήμερα = I want to go to the store today. Once.

Θέλω να πηγαίνω στο κατάστημα κάθε μέρα = I want to go to the store every day. Very often.

 

[Roxxxannne]

In English 'to' can be just the marker of an infinitive, but I guess (without having any historical-linguist credentials) that ἵνα, the etymological ancestor of να, might have something to do with the "obligatoryness" of να. ἵνα is a final conjunction expressing something like 'in order that' (and is followed by the subjunctive or the optative, dependng on the tense of the main verb). It is also used with commands.

 

[Perseas]

Just out of curiosity, (I am not sure if this should be a separate post) is "να πάω, να φάω, and να πιω," the future tense? Or is it the aorist subjunctive? Also, could the present subjunctive be used in these questions? Or would it mean something completely different? For example, could one say, "Θέλω να πηγαίνω στο κατάστημα" in Greek?

Να+verb marks the subjunctive mood. According to traditional grammars, "να πάω, να φάω, να πιω" is aorist subjunctive.
But such a description does not correspond to the meaning. For example: in "θέλω να πιω νερό" (I want to drink water (right now)), nobody can perceive the meaning of "να πιω" as past (aorist), but everybody can perceive it as future.
To avoid such obscurities some modern grammars avoid using such descriptions ("aorist subjunctive") and prefer using the concept of aspect. For example, in "θέλω να πιω νερό", "να πιω" is "συνοπτική υποτακτική", whereas in "θέλω να πίνω νερό", "να πίνω" is "μη συνοπτική υποτακτική".

"πιω" expresses the perfective (συνοπτική) aspect and "πίνω" expresses the imperfective (μη συνοπτική) aspect.

 

[Αγγελος]

Just out of curiosity, (I am not sure if this should be a separate post) is "να πάω, να φάω, and να πιω," the future tense? Or is it the aorist subjunctive? Also, could the present subjunctive be used in these questions? Or would it mean something completely different? For example, could one say, "Θέλω να πηγαίνω στο κατάστημα" in Greek?

With να, those forms are considered subjunctive. The future is formed with θα. But of course, the verbal forms are identical.
(Historically, θα was short for θέλω να, just as 'I will go' originally meant 'I want to go' in English.)

"Θέλω να πηγαίνω στο κατάστημα" is perfectly correct, but it means "I want to go to the store regularly".
"Θέλω να πάω στο κατάστημα" simply means "I want to go to the store (just once)."