Learn Hardcore Greek: Στις διακοπές κάνω βόλτα στην παραλία το βράδυ. - On vacation I take a walk on the beach in the evening.

στις = on / during / in the (literally σε
- τις, “in/to the” – feminine plural)
διακοπές = holidays, vacation
κάνω = I do / I make (1st person singular, present)
βόλτα = a walk, a stroll, a ride
στην = on / at / to the (literally σε
- την, “in/to the” – feminine singular)
παραλία = beach, seafront
το = the (neuter singular)
βράδυ = evening, night (early night)

So the natural meaning is: “On vacation I take a walk on the beach in the evening.”

Why is διακοπές (vacation/holidays) in the plural in Greek?

In Greek, διακοπές (diakopés) is almost always used in the plural when it means “vacation” or “holidays.”

διακοπή (singular) literally means interruption, cut, break (e.g. διακοπή ρεύματος = power cut).
For vacation, you say οι διακοπές (the holidays / the vacation), and after a preposition you see the plural form τις διακοπές → στις διακοπές.

This is similar to English using the plural in the holidays, the summer holidays, but in Greek even a single period of vacation takes the plural:

Πάω διακοπές. = I’m going on vacation.

What exactly is στις and how should I understand it: “on”, “in”, or “during”?

στις is a contraction of σε + τις:

σε = in / at / on / to (a very general preposition)
τις = the (feminine, plural, accusative)

Combined: σε τις → στις

In this context, στις διακοπές is best understood as “during the holidays / on vacation”.

So:

Literally: στις διακοπές = in the holidays
Natural English: on vacation, during the holidays

The preposition σε is very flexible, and which English preposition you choose (in, on, at, during) depends on context. Here, “during” or “on (vacation)” is best.

Why is the verb κάνω used with βόλτα? Why not just a verb like “to walk”?

Greek often uses κάνω (I do / make) with a noun to express an action that English usually has a simple verb for.

κάνω βόλτα literally = I do a walk / a stroll
Natural English: I go for a walk, I take a walk, I go for a stroll.

Some common patterns:

κάνω μπάνιο = I have a bath / I go swimming
κάνω γυμναστική = I exercise / I work out
κάνω ταξίδι = I take a trip

You can use a simple walking verb:

περπατάω στην παραλία = I walk on the beach

But κάνω βόλτα suggests a relaxed, leisurely walk or stroll, often for pleasure rather than simply moving from A to B. That nuance is very close to English “go for a walk.”

Is βόλτα a noun? Why is there no article (like “μια βόλτα”)?

Yes, βόλτα is a feminine noun meaning walk / stroll / outing / ride.

You will hear both:

κάνω βόλτα
κάνω μια βόλτα

Both are correct and very common. μια βόλτα (a walk) makes the noun explicitly indefinite, but in this set phrase, the article is often dropped without changing the meaning.

Think of it like English:

“I go walking” vs “I go for a walk”

Greek allows this kind of article-dropping with fixed expressions using κάνω + noun. So in your sentence, κάνω βόλτα = I take a walk / I go for a walk.

Why do we say στην παραλία and not just σε παραλία? What is στην?

στην is a contraction of σε + την:

σε = in / at / on / to
την = the (feminine, singular, accusative)

So:

σε την παραλία → στην παραλία = on/at/to the beach

We use the article because we are talking about a specific or understood beach in context (e.g. the beach near the hotel, the main beach of the town, etc.). Greek uses the definite article more often than English, even when English might just say “on the beach” or sometimes “on the beach” without emphasizing which one.

σε παραλία (without the article) is grammatically possible but much less common and would sound like “on (some) beach / on a beach” in a more vague, indefinite sense. The natural expression in most contexts is στην παραλία.

Is παραλία feminine? How can I recognise its form in this sentence?

Yes, παραλία (paralía, “beach”) is a feminine noun in the singular.

In your sentence it appears as:

στην παραλία

Because:

στην = σε + την (feminine singular article, accusative case)
παραλία here is also in the accusative singular, governed by the preposition σε.

For many feminine nouns in -α, the nominative and accusative singular forms are identical (e.g. η χώρα, τη χώρα). So in writing you can’t see the case from the noun alone; you see it from the article/pronoun: την παραλία tells you it’s feminine singular accusative.

Why do we say το βράδυ with the article το? Can we just say βράδυ?

Time expressions in Greek often use the neuter singular article το:

το πρωί = in the morning
το μεσημέρι = at noon / midday
το απόγευμα = in the afternoon
το βράδυ = in the evening
τη νύχτα = at night (feminine)

το βράδυ therefore means “in the evening / at night (evening time).”

You can sometimes drop the article, but:

το βράδυ is the normal, idiomatic way to say “in the evening”.
Bare βράδυ is more likely in phrases like καλό βράδυ (good evening / have a nice evening) or as a bare noun.

So in your sentence, το βράδυ is the standard, natural choice.

The verb κάνω is in the present tense. Does this mean I do it every vacation, right now, or in the future?

Greek present tense is used broadly. κάνω (I do) here can express:

a habitual or general action during vacations:
Στις διακοπές κάνω βόλτα… = On vacation, I (usually) take a walk…
a plan / near future if the context is about upcoming holidays:
This vacation, I’m going to walk on the beach in the evenings.

Greek often uses the present to talk about:

habits: Κάθε μέρα τρώω στις δύο. = I eat at two every day.
planned future: Αύριο πάω στο γιατρό. = I’m going to the doctor tomorrow.

Here, in isolation, the most natural reading is “Whenever I’m on vacation, I (tend to) walk on the beach in the evening.”

Is the word order fixed? Can I move parts of the sentence around?

Greek word order is relatively flexible as long as you keep phrases together and the meaning remains clear.

Your sentence:

Στις διακοπές κάνω βόλτα στην παραλία το βράδυ.

Possible variants (all acceptable, with slight emphasis changes):

Στις διακοπές, το βράδυ κάνω βόλτα στην παραλία.
(Emphasis on in the evening during the holidays.)
Το βράδυ, στις διακοπές, κάνω βόλτα στην παραλία.
(Strong focus on in the evening; “In the evening, when I’m on vacation, I walk on the beach.”)
Κάνω βόλτα στην παραλία το βράδυ στις διακοπές.
(Neutral but a bit heavier at the end; still understandable.)

However, you normally keep:

κάνω βόλτα together,
στην παραλία together,
το βράδυ together,
στις διακοπές together.

The original word order is very natural and neutral.

How do you pronounce the sentence? Where is the stress on each word?

Stresses are marked with the accent:

Στις – stis (one syllable, no accent needed)
διακοπές – dia-ko-PÉS (stress on the last syllable)
κάνω – KÁ-no (stress on the first syllable)
βόλτα – VÓL-ta (stress on the first syllable)
στην – stin (one syllable)
παραλία – pa-ra-LÍ-a (stress on the third syllable from the start)
το – to (one syllable)
βράδυ – VRÁ-thi (stress on the first syllable; “δ” here is like “th” in this)

Putting it together (with approximate Latin transcription):

Στις διακοπές κάνω βόλτα στην παραλία το βράδυ.
Stis diakopés káno vólta stin paralía to VRÁthi.

Which case do διακοπές and παραλία take after σε / στις / στην?

In Modern Greek, the preposition σε always governs the accusative case.

So grammatically we have:

στις διακοπές = σε + τις διακοπές
→ διακοπές is in the accusative plural (form is the same as nominative plural for this noun)
στην παραλία = σε + την παραλία
→ παραλία is in the accusative singular

Even though διακοπές looks the same in nominative and accusative plural, its role here (after σε) is accusative. The articles τις and την clearly show this.

Is there any difference between διακοπές and other “holiday” words like γιορτές or άδεια?

Yes, they’re related but not the same:

διακοπές = vacation, holidays
Time off, usually a longer break: summer vacation, Christmas vacation, etc.
Πάω διακοπές. = I’m going on vacation.
γιορτές = festivities, (religious/public) holidays
Refers to festive days like Christmas, Easter, New Year’s, etc.
Τι θα κάνεις στις γιορτές; = What will you do for the holidays?
άδεια = leave (from work), permit
Used for official time off from work:
Παίρνω άδεια. = I take leave (from my job).

In your sentence, στις διακοπές clearly means when I’m on vacation / during my vacation, not just “during the festive days.”