Πληρώνω τον λογαριασμό στο εστιατόριο.

I pay the bill at the restaurant.

Breakdown of Πληρώνω τον λογαριασμό στο εστιατόριο.

• σε: at
• πληρώνω: to pay
• το εστιατόριο: the restaurant
• ο λογαριασμός: the account

Questions & Answers about Πληρώνω τον λογαριασμό στο εστιατόριο.

What does πληρώνω mean exactly, and what tense/person is it?

Πληρώνω means I pay or I am paying.
It is:

• present tense
• active voice
• 1st person singular (subject = I)

So Πληρώνω τον λογαριασμό στο εστιατόριο. = I pay / I am paying the bill at the restaurant. The same present form in Greek can mean both a general habit and an action happening now, depending on context.

Why do we say τον λογαριασμό and not just λογαριασμό?

Τον is the masculine singular definite article in the accusative case; it means the.
Greek uses the article more often than English. Here:

• ο λογαριασμός = the bill (subject form, nominative)
• τον λογαριασμό = the bill (object form, accusative)

Using τον λογαριασμό makes it clear we are talking about a specific, known bill, not just any bill in general. In everyday speech, the article is normally included here.

Why is the article τον and not το or τη?

Greek definite articles change according to gender, number, and case.

• λογαριασμός is masculine.
• It is the direct object of the verb πληρώνω, so it is in the accusative case.
• Masculine singular accusative article = τον.

So we must say τον λογαριασμό, not το λογαριασμό or τη λογαριασμό.

Why does λογαριασμός change to λογαριασμό here?

Λογαριασμός is the nominative form (dictionary form). In this sentence, it is the object, so we use the accusative case:

• nominative: ο λογαριασμός (the bill – as subject)
• accusative: τον λογαριασμό (the bill – as object)

The ending -ός → -ό (with the article changing ο → τον) is the normal masculine singular pattern for many -ος nouns in the accusative.

What does στο εστιατόριο literally mean, and what is στο?

Στο is a contraction of the preposition σε + the article το:

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

So:

• σε + το εστιατόριο → στο εστιατόριο

Literally it is in/at the restaurant, but in this sentence we translate it as at the restaurant:
Πληρώνω τον λογαριασμό στο εστιατόριο. = I pay the bill at the restaurant.

Why is it στο εστιατόριο and not στον εστιατόριο?

Because εστιατόριο is neuter, not masculine.

• neuter singular article: το
• masculine singular article: ο (accusative τον)

So:

• το εστιατόριο → στο εστιατόριο (neuter)
• If it were masculine (e.g. ο φίλος → στον φίλο)

Since εστιατόριο is neuter, we use σε + το → στο, not στον.

What case is εστιατόριο in, and why?

Εστιατόριο is in the accusative case, singular, neuter.

In modern Greek, the preposition σε (in, at, to) is followed by the accusative case.
So:

• το εστιατόριο (nominative)
• στο εστιατόριο (σε + το in the accusative)

Here στο εστιατόριο is not the direct object of the verb; it is a prepositional phrase indicating place: at the restaurant.

Can I change the word order? For example, can I say Στο εστιατόριο πληρώνω τον λογαριασμό?

Yes, Greek word order is fairly flexible. All of these are correct:

• Πληρώνω τον λογαριασμό στο εστιατόριο.
• Πληρώνω στο εστιατόριο τον λογαριασμό.
• Στο εστιατόριο πληρώνω τον λογαριασμό.

The basic meaning stays the same (I pay the bill at the restaurant), but the emphasis can shift slightly:

• Starting with Στο εστιατόριο puts a bit more emphasis on where you pay.
• Keeping Πληρώνω first sounds more neutral/standard.

Could I say Πληρώνω για τον λογαριασμό στο εστιατόριο?

You could, but it changes the nuance and often sounds less natural.

• Πληρώνω τον λογαριασμό = I pay the bill (direct object, normal and natural).
• Πληρώνω για τον λογαριασμό = I pay for the bill, which can sound redundant or slightly off in Greek, unless you mean something like I am the one covering / taking care of the bill in a specific context.

In most situations, you simply say Πληρώνω τον λογαριασμό.

Can this sentence also mean “I will pay the bill at the restaurant”?

On its own, Πληρώνω τον λογαριασμό στο εστιατόριο. is present tense: I pay / I am paying.

However, Greek present can sometimes be used for planned future actions, especially with a time expression or in a clear future context (similar to English I’m paying tomorrow). Without extra context, though, it is best understood as present.

For a clear future meaning, you would say:

• Θα πληρώσω τον λογαριασμό στο εστιατόριο. = I will pay the bill at the restaurant.

How do I pronounce Πληρώνω τον λογαριασμό στο εστιατόριο?

Approximate pronunciation (stress in CAPS):

• Πληρώνω → pli-RO-no
• τον → ton (short “o”)
• λογαριασμό → lo-ga-ria-SMO
• στο → sto
• εστιατόριο → e-sti-a-TO-ri-o

Flowing together: pli-RO-no ton lo-ga-ria-SMO sto e-sti-a-TO-ri-o.

Why are there accent marks on πληρώνω, λογαριασμό, and εστιατόριο?

Modern Greek uses one accent mark to show the stressed syllable of each word with more than one syllable.

• πληρώνω – stress on ρώ
• λογαριασμό – stress on σμό
• εστιατόριο – stress on τό

The accent mark doesn’t change the meaning here; it just indicates where to put the stress when pronouncing the word.