Το φορτηγάκι έφτασε σήμερα.

Το is the definite article, meaning the. It goes with φορτηγάκι, so το φορτηγάκι is the van / the little truck.

Greek uses the definite article very often, including with subjects, so this is completely normal. If you wanted a van, you would use ένα φορτηγάκι instead.

Because φορτηγάκι is a neuter noun in Greek. Greek nouns have grammatical gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter. This is a grammar category, not biological sex.

Vehicles are often neuter in Greek, and the article has to match the noun:

• το φορτηγάκι = neuter singular
• that is why you see το, not ο or η

The ending -άκι is a very common diminutive ending in Greek. It often gives the idea of:

• something small
• something cute
• or sometimes just a more everyday, informal version of a noun

So φορτηγάκι comes from φορτηγό and literally suggests something like small truck or little truck. In real usage, it can refer to a small delivery truck, light truck, or van, depending on context.

Not always exactly. It depends on context.

Literally, φορτηγάκι is closer to small truck / light truck / little truck. But in everyday translation, it may be rendered as van if that fits the situation.

So it is best to think of it as a small cargo vehicle, with the exact English word chosen from context.

Έφτασε is the aorist form, which is the normal Greek tense for a completed event in the past.

More specifically, it is:

• 3rd person singular
• aorist
• from the verb φτάνω or φθάνω = arrive / reach

So έφτασε means arrived or reached, depending on context. In this sentence, arrived is the natural sense.

That έ- is called the augment. It often appears in past tenses in Greek, especially in the aorist and imperfect.

So in έφτασε, the έ- helps mark the verb as past.

You do not translate it separately. It is just part of the past-tense form.

Because Greek can naturally say έφτασε σήμερα for a completed event that happened today.

English sometimes prefers has arrived today or arrived today, depending on context. Greek does not match English tense usage exactly. The Greek aorist is very common here and sounds perfectly normal.

So even though σήμερα means today, using έφτασε is not strange at all.

Greek often does not need subject pronouns like he, she, or it, because the verb ending already shows the person and number.

Here, έφτασε already tells you it is 3rd person singular, and the noun το φορτηγάκι makes the subject clear anyway.

So Greek usually avoids an extra pronoun unless there is special emphasis or contrast.

Yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

The sentence Το φορτηγάκι έφτασε σήμερα is a very natural, neutral order. But you could also say:

• Σήμερα έφτασε το φορτηγάκι.
• Έφτασε σήμερα το φορτηγάκι.

These are all grammatical, but the emphasis changes slightly:

• putting σήμερα earlier emphasizes today
• starting with έφτασε can emphasize the event of arriving

So the original sentence is not the only possible order, just a neutral one.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

to for-ti-GHA-ki EF-ta-se SI-me-ra

A few useful points:

• the stress is shown by the accent marks: φορτηγάκι, έφτασε, σήμερα
• φτ in έφτασε sounds like ft
• γ in φορτηγάκι is not a hard English g; it is softer, closer to a throaty gh sound

So the stress falls like this:

• φορτηγάκι
• έφτασε
• σήμερα