Breakdown of Κράτησε το δηλητήριο μακριά από τα παιδιά.
από
from
το παιδί
the child
μακριά
far
κρατάω
to keep
Questions & Answers about Κράτησε το δηλητήριο μακριά από τα παιδιά.
What form is Κράτησε?
Κράτησε is the singular imperative of the verb κρατώ / κρατάω (to keep, hold).
So here it means Keep ...
It is addressed to one person.
If you were speaking to more than one person, or using the polite plural, you would say Κρατήστε.
Why is it Κράτησε and not κράτα?
Both are imperatives of κρατώ / κρατάω, but they are not exactly the same.
- κράτα = imperfective imperative
- κράτησε = perfective imperative
In many everyday instructions, warnings, and one-time actions, Greek often uses the perfective imperative, so Κράτησε το δηλητήριο μακριά... sounds very natural for a warning or instruction.
A rough way to think about it:
- κράτα = keep holding / keep keeping
- κράτησε = keep / make sure you keep
In this sentence, Κράτησε fits the sense of a practical instruction.
Why is there a το before δηλητήριο?