- Forum >
- Topic: Greek >
- "I am not allowed to eat."
"I am not allowed to eat."
Translation:Απαγορεύεται να τρώω.
14 Comments
Απαγορεύεται is an impersonal verb. The phrase literally means "it is forbidden that I eat", where it has been dropped from the Greek sentence, and that I eat/να τρώω is the verb's subject.
I'd say that "I am not allowed to eat" would be translated a bit more accurately as "Δεν (μου) επιτρέπεται να τρώω". Επιτρέπεται is still impersonal, but at least the sentence keeps the allow and the negation.
1273
If you were to see this sentence out in the wild (say, on a metro car where it is forbidden to eat) would this be how it os written? Would you conjugate the eat in first person, or maybe second (να τρως)?
You'd most often see the noun "κατανάλωση"=consumption.
It would be something like:
Απαγορεύεται η κατανάλωση φαγητών/τροφίμων και ποτών/αναψυκτικών=(lit.) The consumption of food and drink/beverage is forbidden. ;)
Does πρέπει να φύγω fall into the same sentence structure? It is a must that o go?
Πρέπει να φύγω=I must go. It's the same syntax as the above sentence.
He is not allowed to eat = Απαγορεύεται να τρώει "It-is-forbidden that he-eats".
Duo's sentence is effectively "It-is-forbidden that I-eat".
- 472
Would you use the first-person form for other situations like maybe Απαγορεύομαι εκεί for "I am not allowed there"?
Απαγορεύομαι means I am forbidden in the meaning of I am illegal. That's why we use μου απαγορεύεται=it is forbidden to me.
No, με is needed for a direct object, and the verb here is passive, so it has no object. Μου, on the other hand, is used for indirect objects (for me, to me etc), as in this sentence.
Let's break this sentence down:
Απαγορεύεται = It is forbidden
να τρώω = (me) to eat
μου= to me
Μου απαγορεύεται να τρώω = (lit.) It is forbidden to me to eat = I am not allowed to eat.
