Βλέπω τον πελάτη στο εστιατόριο.

I see the customer at the restaurant.

Breakdown of Βλέπω τον πελάτη στο εστιατόριο.

• σε: at
• βλέπω: to see
• το εστιατόριο: the restaurant
• ο πελάτης: the customer

Questions & Answers about Βλέπω τον πελάτη στο εστιατόριο.

What does each word in Βλέπω τον πελάτη στο εστιατόριο mean, and what are their grammatical roles?

• Βλέπω (vlépo) = I see

  • Verb, present tense, 1st person singular.

• τον (ton) = the

  • Definite article, masculine, singular, accusative case. It marks the direct object as masculine.

• πελάτη (peláti) = customer

  • Noun, masculine, singular, accusative case (direct object of the verb).

• στο (sto) = in the / at the

  • Contraction of the preposition σε (in/at) + the article το (the, neuter accusative).

• εστιατόριο (estiatório) = restaurant

  • Noun, neuter, singular, accusative case, object of the preposition σε.

So the structure is:
Subject (I) – Verb (see) – Direct object (the customer) – Prepositional phrase (in/at the restaurant).

Why is it τον πελάτη and not ο πελάτης?

Greek changes the form of the article and the noun depending on the case:

• ο πελάτης = the customer (masculine, singular, nominative case)

  • Used for the subject of the sentence:
    
    • Ο πελάτης τρώει. = The customer is eating.

• τον πελάτη = the customer (masculine, singular, accusative case)

  • Used for the direct object of the verb:
    
    • Βλέπω τον πελάτη. = I see the customer.

In this sentence, the customer is not doing the action, but is the one being seen, so Greek uses the accusative: τον πελάτη.

Why does πελάτη end in -η here, when the dictionary form is πελάτης?

The dictionary form πελάτης is the nominative case (used for subjects). In Βλέπω τον πελάτη, the noun is in the accusative case (direct object), and many masculine nouns in -ης change to -η in the accusative:

• ο πελάτης → τον πελάτη (customer)
• ο μαθητής → τον μαθητή (student)
• ο τουρίστας → τον τουρίστα (tourist – different pattern but same idea)

So -ης → -η is a regular pattern for many masculine nouns of this type when they become the object.

What exactly is στο? Is it one word or two words combined?

στο is a contraction of two words:

• σε (se) = preposition, roughly in / at / to
• το (to) = the, neuter, singular, accusative

σε + το → στο

So στο εστιατόριο literally is σε το εστιατόριο, but in real Greek you virtually always use the contracted form στο εστιατόριο.

Does στο εστιατόριο mean in the restaurant or at the restaurant?

It can mean either in the restaurant or at the restaurant. Greek σε is quite flexible and covers several English prepositions:

• στο εστιατόριο can be:
  • in the restaurant (inside the building)
  • at the restaurant (as a location, not focusing on inside vs outside)

The exact nuance usually comes from context. On its own, στο εστιατόριο is naturally understood as being at / in the restaurant as a place.

How would I say “I see a customer in the restaurant” instead of “the customer”?

To say a customer, you use the indefinite article:

• Βλέπω έναν πελάτη στο εστιατόριο.

Breakdown:

• έναν = a / one (masculine, singular, accusative)
• πελάτη = customer (masculine, singular, accusative)

So:

• Βλέπω τον πελάτη = I see the customer
• Βλέπω έναν πελάτη = I see a customer

How would the sentence change for a female customer or for plural customers?

Female customer (singular):

• Βλέπω την πελάτισσα στο εστιατόριο.
  
  • την = the (feminine, singular, accusative)
  • πελάτισσα = female customer (feminine, singular, accusative)

Male customers (plural):

• Βλέπω τους πελάτες στο εστιατόριο.
  
  • τους = the (masculine, plural, accusative)
  • πελάτες = customers (masculine, plural, accusative)

Female customers (plural):

• Βλέπω τις πελάτισσες στο εστιατόριο.
  
  • τις = the (feminine, plural, accusative)
  • πελάτισσες = female customers (feminine, plural, accusative)

Is it possible to change the word order, for example Στο εστιατόριο βλέπω τον πελάτη? Does the meaning change?

Yes, Greek allows flexible word order. These are all possible:

• Βλέπω τον πελάτη στο εστιατόριο.
• Στο εστιατόριο βλέπω τον πελάτη.
• Τον πελάτη βλέπω στο εστιατόριο.

They all essentially mean “I see the customer in/at the restaurant.”

The basic meaning doesn’t change, but emphasis can shift:

• Στο εστιατόριο βλέπω τον πελάτη.

  • Slight extra focus on στο εστιατόριο (It is in the restaurant that I see him).

• Τον πελάτη βλέπω στο εστιατόριο.

  • Slight focus on τον πελάτη (It’s the customer that I see, not someone else).

For a learner, the original order Βλέπω τον πελάτη στο εστιατόριο is the most neutral and safe.

How do you pronounce this sentence, and where is the stress in each word?

Stressed syllables are in capitals in the transliteration:

• Βλέπω → vlÉ-po
• τον → ton (one syllable, no written stress mark)
• πελάτη → pe-LÁ-ti
• στο → sto (one syllable, no written stress mark)
• εστιατόριο → es-ti-a-TÓ-ri-o

So spoken smoothly:

VLE-po ton pe-LA-ti sto es-ti-a-TO-ri-o.

Each Greek word has one stressed syllable, marked by the accent (´) in writing on vowels:
Βλέπω, πελάτη, εστιατόριο.

What is the difference between βλέπω and other Greek verbs like κοιτάζω or παρακολουθώ?

• βλέπω = to see

  • Neutral: using your eyes, perceiving something:
    
    • Βλέπω τον πελάτη. = I see the customer.

• κοιτάζω = to look (at)

  • Focus on the intentional action of looking:
    
    • Κοιτάζω τον πελάτη. = I am looking at the customer.

• παρακολουθώ = to watch / to follow / to attend

  • More intense/continuous: watching a show, following a lesson, etc.
    
    • Παρακολουθώ μια ταινία. = I’m watching a movie.

In your sentence, βλέπω is exactly the right verb for “I see the customer in the restaurant.”

How would I say “I saw the customer in the restaurant” in the past tense?

You would typically use the aorist (simple past):

• Είδα τον πελάτη στο εστιατόριο.

Breakdown:

• Είδα (Ída) = I saw (aorist, 1st person singular of βλέπω)
• The rest stays the same: τον πελάτη στο εστιατόριο.

So:

• Βλέπω τον πελάτη στο εστιατόριο. = I see the customer in the restaurant.
• Είδα τον πελάτη στο εστιατόριο. = I saw the customer in the restaurant.