Result and Consequence Clauses in Greek

In Brief

Greek commonly links a degree to its result with τόσο...που or τόσο...ώστε: Μίλησε τόσο γρήγορα που δεν κατάλαβα (“He spoke so fast that I did not understand”). For a more explicit or formal consequence, use με αποτέλεσμα να (“with the result that”), while ώστε να can introduce either a resulting situation or an intended outcome, depending on context.

Overview

A result clause states what follows from an action, quality, or situation. In Η βροχή ήταν τόσο δυνατή που πλημμύρισαν οι δρόμοι, the heavy rain is the cause or degree, and the flooded streets are the result. Greek calls these clauses αποτελεσματικές προτάσεις. They are subordinate clauses—that is, clauses that depend on a larger sentence rather than simply standing beside it as an equal statement.

At C1, the main challenge is not understanding “so...that.” It is choosing among several natural Greek patterns and controlling their tone. που is extremely common in everyday speech; ώστε is more explicit and often more formal; ώστε να packages the result as a dependent verbal idea; and με αποτέλεσμα να presents it as a clearly marked consequence. The choice also affects negation: a regular factual clause uses δεν, whereas a clause with να uses μη(ν).

English often allows the same “so...that” frame in many contexts. Greek divides the work among different connectors, and it frequently omits an English-style equivalent of “that” in favor of που, ώστε, or να. Learning whole frames, rather than translating one conjunction at a time, produces more idiomatic sentences.

How It Works

1. τόσο...που: the everyday degree-result pattern

Use τόσο (“so, to such a degree”) in the first clause and που before the actual result:

τόσο + adjective/adverb + που + factual clause

• Ήταν τόσο κουρασμένη που αποκοιμήθηκε στον καναπέ.
  “She was so tired that she fell asleep on the sofa.”
• Ο Νίκος μιλούσε τόσο χαμηλόφωνα που κανείς δεν τον άκουγε.
  “Nikos was speaking so quietly that nobody could hear him.”

Here που is a conjunction introducing a result; it does not mean the relative “who/which” in this use. The result is normally presented as a fact. Its verb therefore has an ordinary tense, and a negative result takes δεν: τόσο γρήγορα που δεν πρόλαβα (“so quickly that I did not have time”).

Τόσο changes form only when it directly describes a noun. It then agrees with that noun in gender and number:

Pattern	Meaning	Example
τόσο + adjective/adverb	so + adjective/adverb	τόσο δύσκολο που...
τόσος / τόση / τόσο + singular noun	so much / such a quantity of	τόση κίνηση που...
τόσοι / τόσες / τόσα + plural noun	so many	τόσα λάθη που...
verb + τόσο	so much	κουράστηκε τόσο που...

The quantity words inflect: τόσος θόρυβος, τόση ζέστη, τόσο νερό, τόσες ερωτήσεις. Do not leave τόσο unchanged before every noun.

2. τόσο...ώστε: a more explicit result

Τόσο...ώστε has much the same basic meaning, but ώστε marks the logical consequence more explicitly. It is frequent in careful exposition, reporting, and formal speech:

• Η καθυστέρηση ήταν τόσο μεγάλη ώστε χάσαμε την ανταπόκριση.
  “The delay was so long that we missed the connection.”
• Τα στοιχεία ήταν τόσο σαφή ώστε κανείς δεν αμφισβήτησε το συμπέρασμα.
  “The evidence was so clear that nobody disputed the conclusion.”

With an ordinary finite verb—a verb marked for person and tense—ώστε presents the result as an actual event or state. Negate that clause with δεν: Η γραμματοσειρά ήταν τόσο μικρή ώστε δεν μπορούσα να διαβάσω το κείμενο.

Τόσο is often present, but ώστε can also follow a complete cause or situation without it:

• Το τελευταίο λεωφορείο είχε ήδη φύγει, ώστε αναγκαστήκαμε να πάρουμε ταξί.
  “The last bus had already left, so we were forced to take a taxi.”

This standalone use sounds more formal and less conversational than simply joining the statements with κι έτσι (“and so”).

3. ώστε να: a dependent result

The particle να introduces a dependent verb form often called the subjunctive (a verb construction used after particles such as να, rather than a separate English-style infinitive). The frame is:

(τόσο / αρκετά / υπερβολικά...) + ώστε να + verb

• Η αίθουσα είναι αρκετά μεγάλη ώστε να χωρέσουν όλοι.
  “The room is large enough for everyone to fit.”
• Έσκυψε τόσο ώστε να αγγίξει το πάτωμα.
  “She bent down far enough to touch the floor.”

A negative να clause takes μην (or μη before some forms), not δεν:

• Έκλεισε την πόρτα απαλά, ώστε να μην ξυπνήσει το μωρό.
  “He closed the door gently so as not to wake the baby.”

That example can naturally be understood as purpose: he closed it gently in order not to wake the baby. This is an important ambiguity. ώστε να may describe an outcome enabled or produced by the first clause, or an intended outcome. Context normally decides:

Reading	Greek	Natural English interpretation
consequence	Η θερμοκρασία έπεσε αρκετά ώστε να παγώσει η λίμνη.	It became cold enough for the lake to freeze.
purpose	Χαμήλωσε τη φωνή ώστε να μην ενοχλήσει τους άλλους.	She lowered her voice so as not to disturb the others.

If you need to make purpose unmistakable, για να is usually the clearest everyday choice. If you need to emphasize an observed consequence, a factual που/ώστε clause or με αποτέλεσμα να is often clearer.

Greek has no infinitive corresponding directly to English “to be heard” in loud enough to be heard. It normally uses να plus a verb: αρκετά δυνατά ώστε να ακουστεί. The form ακουστεί is passive in meaning here: “be heard.”

4. με αποτέλεσμα να: explicitly naming the consequence

Αποτέλεσμα means “result.” The prepositional phrase με αποτέλεσμα literally means “with (the) result,” and is followed very often by να + verb:

cause or situation + με αποτέλεσμα να + consequence

• Δεν έγινε σωστή συντήρηση, με αποτέλεσμα να χαλάσει το μηχάνημα.
  “Proper maintenance was not carried out, with the result that the machine broke down.”
• Παρερμήνευσε τις οδηγίες, με αποτέλεσμα να στείλει το αρχείο σε λάθος διεύθυνση.
  “She misunderstood the instructions, resulting in her sending the file to the wrong address.”

This expression is useful when the result is important, undesirable, or part of a causal explanation. It is common in news, reports, academic prose, and professional communication, but it is not restricted to writing.

Because the verb follows να, negation uses μη(ν): με αποτέλεσμα να μην ολοκληρωθεί το έργο (“with the result that the project was not completed”). The phrase normally follows a full cause clause. A fragment such as Με αποτέλεσμα να αποτύχει can occur as an afterthought in conversation, but in careful writing attach it to what caused the failure.

5. Other degree words before the result

Result clauses are not limited to τόσο. Greek can identify a threshold or an excess before ώστε να:

Frame	Meaning	Example
αρκετά + adjective/adverb + ώστε να	enough to	αρκετά καθαρά ώστε να διαβαστεί
υπερβολικά + adjective/adverb + για να	too...to / excessively...for	υπερβολικά βαρύ για να το σηκώσω
τέτοιος/-α/-ο + noun + που/ώστε	such a...that	τέτοια ένταση που έσπασαν τα τζάμια
σε τέτοιο βαθμό/σημείο ώστε	to such an extent/point that	σε τέτοιο βαθμό ώστε να ανησυχήσουν όλοι

English “too...to” is especially easy to translate mechanically. Modern Greek often prefers υπερβολικά...για να or πολύ...για να, not necessarily a result clause with ώστε.

Examples in Context

Greek	English	Note
Ήταν τόσο κουρασμένος ώστε κοιμήθηκε αμέσως.	He was so tired that he fell asleep immediately.	ώστε + factual past result
Μίλησε τόσο γρήγορα που δεν κατάλαβα.	He spoke so fast that I did not understand.	Everyday που; negative with δεν
Έκανε τόση ζέστη που μείναμε μέσα όλο το απόγευμα.	It was so hot that we stayed inside all afternoon.	τόση agrees with the feminine noun ζέστη
Μαζεύτηκε τόσος κόσμος που έκλεισε ο δρόμος.	So many people gathered that the road was closed.	τόσος agrees with κόσμος
Η απόφαση προκάλεσε τόσες αντιδράσεις ώστε η επιτροπή την επανεξέτασε.	The decision caused so many reactions that the committee reconsidered it.	More formal, explicit consequence
Η μουσική ακουγόταν αρκετά δυνατά ώστε να την ακούσουμε από τον δρόμο.	The music was loud enough for us to hear it from the street.	Threshold with αρκετά
Το άνοιγμα είναι αρκετά μεγάλο ώστε να περάσει το καλώδιο.	The opening is large enough for the cable to pass through.	Enabled result
Μίλα αρκετά δυνατά ώστε να ακουστείς και στην τελευταία σειρά.	Speak loudly enough to be heard in the back row too.	Desired outcome; passive verb
Ο οδηγός φρέναρε απότομα, με αποτέλεσμα να πέσουν οι αποσκευές.	The driver braked suddenly, causing the luggage to fall.	Explicit consequence
Χάθηκαν σημαντικά δεδομένα, με αποτέλεσμα να μην ολοκληρωθεί η ανάλυση.	Important data was lost, with the result that the analysis was not completed.	Negative να clause uses μην
Η συζήτηση πήρε τέτοια τροπή που αποφασίσαμε να φύγουμε.	The discussion took such a turn that we decided to leave.	τέτοια...που
Η πίεση αυξήθηκε σε τέτοιο βαθμό ώστε χρειάστηκε άμεση παρέμβαση.	The pressure increased to such an extent that immediate intervention was needed.	Formal degree phrase
Άφησε λίγο ανοιχτό το παράθυρο ώστε να μπαίνει καθαρός αέρας.	She left the window slightly open so that fresh air could come in.	Most naturally a purpose reading

Common Mistakes

Using δεν after να

• Wrong: Με αποτέλεσμα να δεν τελειώσει η εργασία.
• Right: Με αποτέλεσμα να μην τελειώσει η εργασία.
• Why: A negative verb after να takes μη(ν). Use δεν in an ordinary factual clause: τόσο δύσκολη που δεν τελείωσε η εργασία.

Treating τόσο as invariable before a noun

• Wrong: Είχε τόσο υπομονή που περίμενε δύο ώρες.
• Right: Είχε τόση υπομονή που περίμενε δύο ώρες.
• Why: Before a noun, τόσος/τόση/τόσο behaves like an adjective and agrees with it. Υπομονή is feminine, so the form is τόση.

Copying English “so” with έτσι

• Wrong: Ήταν έτσι κουρασμένος που κοιμήθηκε.
• Right: Ήταν τόσο κουρασμένος που κοιμήθηκε.
• Why: Degree “so” is τόσο. Έτσι means “like this/that” or “in this way,” and it can also mean “therefore” in phrases such as κι έτσι, but it does not fill the normal so + adjective + that frame.

Confusing an actual result with a purpose

• Unclear for an actual event: Έβρεξε πολύ ώστε να πλημμυρίσουν οι δρόμοι.
• Clearer: Έβρεξε τόσο πολύ που πλημμύρισαν οι δρόμοι.
• Why: ώστε να can suggest an intended or potential outcome. When reporting an event that definitely happened, τόσο...που is often the clearest conversational pattern.

Leaving με αποτέλεσμα να unattached in formal writing

• Awkward as a complete written sentence: Με αποτέλεσμα να αποτύχει το σχέδιο.
• Better: Δεν εξασφαλίστηκε χρηματοδότηση, με αποτέλεσμα να αποτύχει το σχέδιο.
• Why: The phrase names a consequence and normally needs a preceding cause. A detached fragment is possible as a spoken afterthought, but formal prose favors a complete connection.

Usage Notes

Που is the unmarked, highly productive choice in conversation: it sounds natural in personal stories, explanations, and spontaneous reactions. Ώστε can sound more planned or analytical, especially when it links two factual clauses. Neither is inherently “better”; register and the shape of the sentence determine the choice.

Με αποτέλεσμα να foregrounds causality. For that reason, it is frequent when describing problems, side effects, administrative failures, or chains of events. Repeating it in every sentence, however, makes prose heavy. Greek writing also varies causal links with έτσι, επομένως (“therefore”), γι’ αυτό (“that is why”), and ordinary coordination. Those expressions connect independent statements; they are not all grammatically interchangeable with a subordinate result clause.

Punctuation depends on sentence structure and rhythm. A comma commonly precedes a supplementary με αποτέλεσμα να phrase and often precedes standalone ώστε after a full clause. In the tight correlative frames τόσο...που and τόσο...ώστε, a comma is usually unnecessary. Do not insert one automatically merely because English might pause before “that.”

In speech, stress and intonation can intensify τόσο: Ήταν τόσο κουρασμένος... Speakers may also use τόσο πολύ with a verb or an adjective where the extra πολύ reinforces degree: Μου άρεσε τόσο πολύ που το ξαναδιάβασα. This is natural, not redundant in the same way that a word-for-word English analysis might suggest.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Factuality, possibility, and viewpoint

The contrast between ώστε + ordinary verb and ώστε να + verb is not a rigid real/unreal rule. Still, it offers a useful tendency. An ordinary tensed clause presents a result as an asserted fact: Η ζημιά ήταν τόσο σοβαρή ώστε το κτίριο έκλεισε. A να clause packages the event more dependently, often as a threshold reached, a possible consequence, or an outcome viewed from the first clause: Η ζημιά ήταν αρκετά σοβαρή ώστε να κλείσει το κτίριο. Context and verb choice matter as much as the connector.

The verb form after να

Greek does not select a tense after να exactly as English does. It distinguishes how the action is viewed. A perfective form presents it as a bounded whole—να ακουστεί, “to be heard (on an occasion)”—whereas an imperfective form presents duration, repetition, or an ongoing state—να ακούγεται, “to be audible/keep being heard.” Compare:

• Δυνάμωσε την ένταση αρκετά ώστε να ακουστεί η ανακοίνωση.
  “She raised the volume enough for the announcement to be heard.”
• Τοποθέτησαν ένα ηχείο έξω ώστε να ακούγεται η μουσική και στον κήπο.
  “They placed a speaker outside so that the music would be audible in the garden too.”

This aspect choice—the speaker’s way of viewing an action as whole or ongoing—can subtly change the result you describe.

Compression in formal prose

Advanced writing often turns an entire cause into a noun phrase and follows it with με αποτέλεσμα να: Η παρατεταμένη έλλειψη προσωπικού είχε ως αποτέλεσμα να καθυστερήσει η εξυπηρέτηση. The variant έχει/είχε ως αποτέλεσμα (“has/had as a result”) is especially common in analytical prose. It explicitly assigns a result to a cause:

• Η αλλαγή είχε ως αποτέλεσμα τη μείωση του κόστους.
  “The change resulted in a reduction in cost.”
• Η αλλαγή είχε ως αποτέλεσμα να μειωθεί το κόστος.
  “The change resulted in the cost being reduced.”

The first ends with a noun phrase; the second ends with a να clause. Both are useful, but excessive nominal style can make a text sound bureaucratic.

Practice Tips

1. Build four versions from one event. Start with two facts, such as Μιλούσε γρήγορα. Δεν κατάλαβα. Then join them with τόσο...που, τόσο...ώστε, and με αποτέλεσμα να. Notice what must change, especially δεν versus μην.
2. Sort examples by meaning, not only by connector. While reading Greek news or listening to interviews, mark each result as factual, possible/enabled, intended, or explicitly causal. This prevents you from treating every ώστε να as the same construction.
3. Practice agreement aloud. Combine τόσος, τόση, τόσο, τόσοι, τόσες, τόσα with common nouns: τόσος θόρυβος, τόση δουλειά, τόσο άγχος, τόσες αλλαγές. Then add a natural που result.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunctions — provides the foundation for linking clauses and introduces ώστε.