Is there a difference in using the subjunctive “να” vs using “πρέπει να”?

By: | Post date: 2016-06-16 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Linguistics, Modern Greek

Slight. As with Are να and ας translated identically when used with a first person plural verb in Modern Greek?, it’s mostly a nuance thing:

  • ας φύγουμε: “let’s leave, how about we leave”: pretty weak sauce, gentle prodding
  • πρέπει να φύγουμε: “we must leave”, strong implication that this is an external imposition
  • να φύγουμε: “we should leave”: it’s by default a command, and the implication is that there is no external imposition to do so, it’s because you want it. It can be a suggestion, but it’s not as weak sauce a suggestion as ας.

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