Question 1

Why is it Μην and not Δεν?

Accepted Answer

Greek uses μη(ν) to form negative commands and prohibitions. Δεν negates statements. 
- Μην βάλεις... = Don’t put...
- Δεν βάζω... = I don’t put / I’m not putting...

Question 2

Why is it βάλεις and not βάζεις or βάλε?

Accepted Answer

- Negative commands are made with μη(ν) + subjunctive. Here the aorist subjunctive 2nd person singular is βάλεις.
- βάζεις is present (used for habits/ongoing actions; with μην it would ban ongoing/habitual putting).
- βάλε is the positive imperative (Put!), which cannot be used with μην.

Question 3

What’s the difference between Μην βάλεις and Μην βάζεις?

Accepted Answer

Aspect:
- Μην βάλεις (aorist) = Don’t do it this one time / don’t perform that single action.
- Μην βάζεις (present) = Don’t be putting it (now), or don’t do that as a habit.

Question 4

Can I also say Να μην βάλεις το τηλέφωνο...?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Να μην + subjunctive also expresses prohibition/advice. It’s usually a bit softer or more advisory than the bare Μην βάλεις, which can sound more direct/urgent.

Question 5

Should it be Μη βάλεις or Μην βάλεις?

Accepted Answer

Both are seen. Traditional “movable -ν” guidance: use μην before a vowel and before κ, π, τ, ξ, ψ (and clusters like μπ, ντ, γκ, τσ, τζ); use μη elsewhere. Since βάλεις starts with β, the strict rule gives Μη βάλεις. In modern usage many people just keep μην almost everywhere, so Μην βάλεις is very common and acceptable.

Question 6

Why σε νερό and not στο νερό?

Accepted Answer

- σε νερό = in water (any water, non-specific; mass-noun feel).
- στο νερό (= σε + το νερό) = in the water (a specific body/source of water).
Both are grammatically fine; choose based on definiteness.

Question 7

What does μέσα add? Could I omit it?

Accepted Answer

μέσα (σε) emphasizes inside/into. Without it, σε already means in/into; the verb of motion supplies the “into” idea.
- Μην βάλεις το τηλέφωνο στο νερό. (Don’t put the phone in/into the water.)
- Μην βάλεις το τηλέφωνο μέσα στο νερό. (…inside the water, a bit stronger.)

Question 8

What cases are used for το τηλέφωνο and νερό?

Accepted Answer

- το τηλέφωνο is the direct object in the accusative.
- σε governs the accusative, so (σε) νερό is also accusative. 
Mass nouns like νερό are often article-less when indefinite.

Question 9

If I replace the noun with a pronoun, where does it go?

Accepted Answer

Object pronouns go before the verb (and after μην/να/θα):
- Μην το βάλεις (μέσα) στο νερό.
Not: ✗ Μην βάλεις το στο νερό.

Question 10

How do I say “your phone” here?

Accepted Answer

Μην βάλεις το τηλέφωνό σου (στο/μέσα σε) νερό. 
Note the extra accent on τηλέφωνό before the enclitic σου (standard with proparoxytone nouns + enclitics). You can also say το κινητό σου for “your mobile.”

Question 11

Is τηλέφωνο the usual word, or would Greeks say κινητό?

Accepted Answer

In everyday speech, το κινητό (mobile/cell) is very common. το τηλέφωνο is generic (any telephone). Both are fine; pick what you mean:
- Μην βάλεις το κινητό (σου) στο νερό.

Question 12

Why does βάζω become βάλεις?

Accepted Answer

It’s an irregular aorist stem. Key forms:
- Present: βάζω
- Aorist indicative: έβαλα
- Subjunctive: να βάλω, να βάλεις, …
- Positive imperative: βάλε / βάλτε
Negative commands use μη(ν) + subjunctive: Μην βάλεις…

Question 13

Can I move parts around, like Μην βάλεις μέσα σε νερό το τηλέφωνο?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Greek word order is flexible for emphasis. That variant is possible but puts focus on the location. The neutral, most common order here is the original: verb + object + prepositional phrase.

Μην βάλεις το τηλέφωνο μέσα σε νερό.

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