Breakdown of Βάζω ένα ποτήρι νερό και ένα κουτάλι πάνω στο τραπέζι.
το νερό
the water
και
and
ένα
one
το τραπέζι
the table
Questions & Answers about Βάζω ένα ποτήρι νερό και ένα κουτάλι πάνω στο τραπέζι.
What is the exact meaning and form of βάζω in this sentence?
Βάζω is the 1st person singular, present tense, active voice of the verb βάζω.
- Basic meaning: I put / I am putting / I place
- In Greek, the simple present covers both:
- I put (habitual/general action)
- I am putting (action happening right now)
So Βάζω ένα ποτήρι νερό και ένα κουτάλι πάνω στο τραπέζι can mean:
- I put a glass of water and a spoon on the table (general/habitual), or
- I am putting a glass of water and a spoon on the table (right now), depending on context.
Why is it ένα ποτήρι νερό and not something like “ένα ποτήρι του νερού” for “a glass of water”?
In Greek, when one noun directly describes the content or type of another, you often just put the two nouns next to each other, with no “of” word in between.
- ένα ποτήρι νερό literally: a glass water
- Meaning: a glass of water
This structure (noun + noun) is very common:
- μια κούπα καφέ = a cup of coffee
- ένα μπουκάλι κρασί = a bottle of wine
So νερό here is in the accusative singular, just like ποτήρι, and there is no extra word for “of” in this basic construction.
Why is ένα used before both ποτήρι and κουτάλι, and what does it tell us?