Learn Hardcore Greek: Βάζω ένα ποτήρι νερό και ένα κουτάλι πάνω στο τραπέζι. - I put a glass of water and a spoon on the table.

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?

Ένα is the indefinite article in Greek for neuter singular nouns (“a / an” in English).

ένα ποτήρι = a glass
ένα κουτάλι = a spoon

Both ποτήρι and κουτάλι are neuter gender nouns, so they use ένα.

Quick pattern:

ο / ένας = masculine (the / a)
η / μία (μια) = feminine
το / ένα = neuter

Here, ένα agrees in gender (neuter) and number (singular) with each noun it modifies.

What case are ένα ποτήρι νερό and ένα κουτάλι in, and why?

They are in the accusative case, because they are direct objects of the verb βάζω.

(Εγώ) βάζω τι; → ένα ποτήρι νερό
(Εγώ) βάζω τι; → ένα κουτάλι

In Greek, the thing that directly receives the action of the verb (“what?” or “whom?” after the verb) is typically in the accusative.

What does πάνω στο τραπέζι literally mean, and is πάνω necessary?

Literally:

πάνω = on top (above, on)
στο τραπέζι = on the table / at the table (literally “in/at the table” from σε + το)

So:

πάνω στο τραπέζι = on top of the table, on the table (surface)

Is πάνω necessary?

στο τραπέζι alone can mean at the table or on the table, depending on context.
πάνω στο τραπέζι makes it clearer that the objects are placed on the surface of the table, not just “at” the table.

So it’s not strictly required for grammar, but it adds clarity and emphasis to the location (“on top of the table”).

What exactly is στο in πάνω στο τραπέζι? Why not σε το τραπέζι?

Στο is a contraction of:

σε + το → στο
σε = in / at / on / to (general preposition)
το = the (neuter singular definite article)

So:

σε το τραπέζι (not used in normal modern speech)
στο τραπέζι (correct, contracted form) = on/at the table

Greek regularly contracts:

σε + το → στο
σε + τα → στα
σε + τον → στον
σε + την → στη(ν)

What is the role of και in this sentence, and could the sentence be split?

Και means and. It links two direct objects of the same verb:

βάζω → ένα ποτήρι νερό και ένα κουτάλι

So a more explicit breakdown is:

Βάζω ένα ποτήρι νερό
(και βάζω) ένα κουτάλι
πάνω στο τραπέζι.

You could split it into two separate sentences:

Βάζω ένα ποτήρι νερό πάνω στο τραπέζι.
Βάζω ένα κουτάλι πάνω στο τραπέζι.

But in normal speech, combining them with και is more natural when the action and the place are shared.

Can the word order change? For example, can I say Βάζω πάνω στο τραπέζι ένα ποτήρι νερό και ένα κουτάλι?

Yes, Greek word order is fairly flexible, especially for adverbials like πάνω στο τραπέζι.

All of these are grammatically correct:

Βάζω ένα ποτήρι νερό και ένα κουτάλι πάνω στο τραπέζι.
Βάζω πάνω στο τραπέζι ένα ποτήρι νερό και ένα κουτάλι.
Πάνω στο τραπέζι βάζω ένα ποτήρι νερό και ένα κουτάλι.

The meaning stays the same: I put a glass of water and a spoon on the table.
The different orders can slightly change emphasis, but not the basic meaning.

In English we say “a glass of water”; does Greek ever use a word like “of” here, or is it always just ποτήρι νερό?

In this kind of container + content expression, Greek usually just uses two nouns together without a separate “of” word:

ποτήρι νερό = glass of water
μπουκάλι κρασί = bottle of wine
φλιτζάνι τσάι = cup of tea

Greek can use a genitive form (something like “of”), but that’s more common in other structures or for emphasis or a different nuance, not in this everyday pattern.
For a simple “a glass of water,” ένα ποτήρι νερό is the natural, standard phrase.

How would I change this sentence if the subject is “we” instead of “I”?

You only need to change the verb βάζω to the 1st person plural:

Εμείς βάζουμε ένα ποτήρι νερό και ένα κουτάλι πάνω στο τραπέζι.
- εμείς = we (often omitted if context is clear)
- βάζουμε = we put / we are putting

You can also omit εμείς, because the verb ending -ουμε already shows the subject:

Βάζουμε ένα ποτήρι νερό και ένα κουτάλι πάνω στο τραπέζι.