Questions & Answers about Πρώτα πήγα στην τουαλέτα και μετά έκανα μπάνιο.
What does the word στην mean here, and why isn’t it written as σε την?
Στην is the contracted form of σε + την and means “to the/at the/in the” with a feminine singular noun. Since τουαλέτα is feminine, you get στην τουαλέτα. Because the verb πήγα (I went) implies motion, στην here means “to the”: “I went to the toilet.”
Why is there a final -ν in στην before τουαλέτα?
Modern Greek often keeps the final -ν of words like την/στην/έναν before a vowel and before certain consonants: κ, π, τ, μπ, ντ, γκ, ξ, ψ (often ζ as well). Τουαλέτα starts with τ, so the -ν is kept: στην τουαλέτα. In casual speech you may hear variation, but this is the standard rule.
Where is the word “I”? Why isn’t εγώ used?
Greek is a “pro‑drop” language: subject pronouns are usually omitted because the verb ending shows the person. Πήγ-α and έκαν-α both end in -α (1st person singular), so “I” is understood. Use εγώ only for emphasis (e.g., Εγώ πρώτα πήγα… “I, for my part, first went…”).
Why is it πήγα and not πήγαινα?
Πήγα is the aorist (simple past, perfective aspect) and is used for completed, one‑off events in sequence. Πήγαινα is the imperfect (past continuous/habitual), meaning “I was going/I used to go.” In a timeline like “first… then…”, Greek uses the aorist: completed steps.