# θα `βρισκε



## dukaine

I came across this in a story I'm reading. It's about a girl that wants to be a knight in a day where girls were only supposed to get married and have babies.


«Όταν έγινε δεκάξι [οι γονείς της] θέλησαν να την παντρέψουν για να ησυχάσει. Της προξένεψαν το γιο του φούρναρη κι οι γονείς της ενθουσιάστηκαν. Πού θα ‘βρισκε καλύτερο;»


I'm pretty sure when the accent is backwards like that that it means that a portion of the word was dropped. There is another line in the story that has το `πε, and I know that it's short for είπε.

The only thing that I can think it means is "find", but βρίσκω doesn't conjugate to βρισκε in the future (as far as I know). What's missing from this word?


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## dmtrs

First, _that _symbol is called an apostrophe (like in "tell 'er" or "didn't"). Its exact shape varies from font to font (or from handwriting to handwriting) a fact that can lead one to think it's a stress/accent.
Second, the verb is:
βρίσκω - έβρισκα (έβρισκε, θα 'βρισκε) - θα βρίσκω - θα βρω - βρήκα - έχω βρει - είχα βρει - θα έχω βρει (and you have it right, it means "find").


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## Perseas

dukaine said:


> θα ‘βρισκε


As dmtrs said, that symbol (θα *'*βρισκε) is not an accent, it is called "apostrophe".
An apostrophe is written in place of the vowel that is lost: θα 'βρισκε < θα έβρισκε.
Also, _θα 'βρισκε _is pronounced as one word [θávrisce] and the accent is on _θá_.


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## dmtrs

Perseas said:


> An apostrophe is written in place of the vowel that is lost: θα 'βρισκε < θα έβρισκε.



We should note that an apostrophe is written in place of the vowel that is lost at the end of a word, too: θα άρχιζα > θ' άρχιζα.


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## bearded

dukaine said:


> in the future


Hi
As far as I know, 'tha' + imperfect (évriske > tha 'vriske) corresponds to the conditional mood:
pou tha 'vriske kalytero;  =  where would she find a better one?
I hope that natives will confirm.


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## dmtrs

bearded said:


> 'tha' + imperfect (évriske > tha 'vriske) corresponds to the conditional mood



You are right. The conditional is made of θα+παρατατικός (past continuous) in this case. 
Believing that dukaine was just looking for the future of the verb, I didn't thought I should go that way, so I just wrote down the tenses of the verb and explained the use of the apostrophe. My mistake, he was probably wandering what kind of future tense is that, thus your answer is spot on.


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## Perseas

bearded said:


> pou tha 'vriske kalytero;  =  where would she find a better one?


θα+παρατατικός has different functions.
I see _θα 'βρισκε _here as potential (δυνητικό): where could she find a better one?


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## dmtrs

Perseas said:


> θα+παραρατατικός has different functions.



Τι εννοείς; Τις εκφράσεις ευγενείας (θα ήθελα); Καμία αντίρρηση πως υπάρχουν πολλές χρήσεις.
Όμως, δομικά μιλώντας, με ποια συστατικά φτιάχνεται το '_θα 'βρισκε' αν όχι με θα + παρατατικό;_


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## Perseas

dmtrs said:


> Τι εννοείς; Τις εκφράσεις ευγενείας (θα ήθελα); Καμία αντίρρηση πως υπάρχουν πολλές χρήσεις.
> Όμως, δομικά μιλώντας, με ποια συστατικά φτιάχνεται το '_θα 'βρισκε' αν όχι με θα + παρατατικό;_


Το σχόλιό μου ήταν μόνο για την απόδοση του «θα 'βρισκε» στα αγγλικά: would ή could; Εγώ προτιμώ το δεύτερο. Δεν έχω κάποια άλλη αντίρρηση.


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## dmtrs

Έχεις δίκιο. Συμφωνώ πως είναι προτιμότερο το could. Δεν είναι όμως, πιστεύω, μεγάλη η διαφορά.


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## Perseas

dmtrs said:


> Δεν είναι όμως, πιστεύω, μεγάλη η διαφορά.


Συμφωνώ.


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## dukaine

bearded said:


> tha' + imperfect (évriske > tha 'vriske) corresponds to the conditional mood



Oh, I haven't learned about the conditional yet. Thank you, dmtrs, for confirming. All of this was very helpful. Ευχαριστώ πολύ!


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