Το δηλητήριο προκαλεί σοβαρά προβλήματα.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

to thee-lee-TEE-rio pro-ka-LEE so-va-RA pro-VLEE-ma-ta

A more precise note:

• το = to
• δηλητήριο = dilitírio
• προκαλεί = prokalí
• σοβαρά = sovará
• προβλήματα = provlímata

A few useful sound tips:

• δ sounds like th in this
• β sounds like v
• η, ι, υ, ει, οι usually sound like ee
• The accent mark shows which syllable gets the stress

So the stressed syllables here are:

• δηλητήριο
• προκαλεί
• σοβαρά
• προβλήματα

Greek uses the definite article much more often than English.

So το δηλητήριο literally means the poison, but depending on context it can also mean poison in a general sense. Greek often prefers the article where English would not use one.

For example:

• Το νερό είναι κρύο. = Water is cold.
• Το δηλητήριο προκαλεί σοβαρά προβλήματα. = Poison causes serious problems.

So the article does not always mean a specific, previously mentioned poison.

προκαλεί is the:

• present tense
• active voice
• 3rd person singular

It comes from the verb προκαλώ, which means to cause, to bring about, or sometimes to provoke depending on context.

So:

• προκαλώ = I cause
• προκαλείς = you cause
• προκαλεί = he/she/it causes

In this sentence, it means causes.

Because Greek usually does not need subject pronouns when the verb ending already shows the person and number.

In English, you must say it causes. In Greek, προκαλεί already means he/she/it causes, so adding a separate pronoun is usually unnecessary.

That is why Greek is called a pro-drop language.

You could add a pronoun for emphasis in some contexts, but normally you would not.

Because σοβαρά agrees with προβλήματα.

Here:

• πρόβλημα / προβλήματα is a neuter noun
• προβλήματα is plural
• so the adjective must also be neuter plural

That gives:

• masculine singular: σοβαρός
• feminine singular: σοβαρή
• neuter singular: σοβαρό
• masculine/feminine plural: σοβαροί / σοβαρές
• neuter plural: σοβαρά

So σοβαρά προβλήματα = serious problems.

Because πρόβλημα is a neuter noun, and its plural is προβλήματα.

So:

• singular: το πρόβλημα
• plural: τα προβλήματα

You may also notice that the stress changes:

• PRÓ-vli-ma
• pro-vlÍ-ma-ta

This happens because Greek stress must stay within the last three syllables of a word. When the plural ending adds an extra syllable, the stress often shifts to follow that rule.

In this sentence:

• το δηλητήριο is nominative because it is the subject
• σοβαρά προβλήματα is accusative because it is the direct object

However, with many neuter nouns, the nominative and accusative forms look the same. That is why learners can find sentences like this tricky at first.

So how do you know which is which? Usually by:

• word order
• the role in the sentence
• meaning

Here, the poison is clearly the thing doing the causing, and serious problems are the thing being caused.

The most neutral word order here is:

Το δηλητήριο προκαλεί σοβαρά προβλήματα.

That is basically subject + verb + object, which is very common in Greek.

But Greek word order is more flexible than English. You can move things around for emphasis, contrast, or style.

For example, you might also hear:

• Σοβαρά προβλήματα προκαλεί το δηλητήριο.

This can sound more emphatic, as if highlighting serious problems.

So the original order is the most straightforward one, but not the only possible one.

Here it is an adjective, not an adverb.

It describes προβλήματα, so it must agree with that noun:

• σοβαρά προβλήματα = serious problems

Greek σοβαρά can also be an adverb in other contexts, meaning something like seriously:

• Μιλάει σοβαρά. = He/She is speaking seriously.

So the form may look the same, but the function is different.

Not always. It can be literal, but it can also be used metaphorically.

Literal:

• Το δηλητήριο του φιδιού... = The snake’s venom/poison...

Metaphorical:

• Το μίσος είναι δηλητήριο. = Hatred is poison.

In your sentence, without extra context, the most natural reading is literal poison, but Greek can definitely use the word figuratively too.

Sometimes, yes, depending on context.

In everyday Greek, δηλητήριο is the general word for poison, but in real usage people may also use it in contexts where English would specifically say venom.

If someone wants to be more biologically precise, context usually makes it clear. But for normal learning purposes, δηλητήριο is best learned as poison.

In Modern Greek, the accent mark shows which syllable is stressed.

So:

• δηλητήριο
• προκαλεί
• σοβαρά
• προβλήματα

This is very important, because stress is part of the correct pronunciation, and sometimes it can even distinguish forms.

Unlike in English, Greek spelling normally tells you where the stress goes, which is very helpful once you get used to reading it.