Learn Hardcore Greek: Αύριο θα φάμε ρύζι με λαχανικά και μια πράσινη σαλάτα. - Tomorrow we will eat rice with vegetables and a green salad.

The verb here is θα φάμε.
φάμε has the ending -με, which marks 1st person plural (we).
So θα φάμε automatically means we will eat, even without a separate εμείς (we).

You can add εμείς for emphasis (Εμείς θα φάμε… = We (as opposed to others) will eat…), but it is not required.

What exactly does θα φάμε mean, and how is it formed?

Θα φάμε is the future simple form of τρώω (I eat).

θα is the particle that usually marks future (similar to will or going to).
φάμε is the 1st person plural form of the aorist stem φά- (from τρώω).

So:

τρώω = I eat / I am eating (present)
θα φάω = I will eat
θα φάμε = we will eat

In modern Greek, future simple is generally θα + aorist/subjunctive form (here: φάμε).

Could this sentence use the present tense instead of θα φάμε to talk about the future?

Yes, Greek can use the present for near or scheduled future, similar to English.

Besides Αύριο θα φάμε ρύζι…, you might also hear:

Αύριο τρώμε ρύζι με λαχανικά και μια πράσινη σαλάτα.

This is like English Tomorrow we’re eating rice…
Both are correct; θα φάμε feels like a neutral we will eat / we are going to eat. Τρώμε can sound a bit more like a plan or arrangement.

Why is Αύριο at the beginning? Could it go somewhere else?

Yes, Αύριο (tomorrow) is flexible in position:

Αύριο θα φάμε ρύζι… (tomorrow is emphasized / set as the topic)
Θα φάμε αύριο ρύζι…
Θα φάμε ρύζι αύριο…
Θα φάμε ρύζι… αύριο.

All are grammatically correct.
Putting Αύριο first is very common and sounds natural for setting the time frame.

Why does ρύζι have no article? Why not το ρύζι?

In Greek, as in English, mass/uncountable nouns like ρύζι (rice), νερό (water), ψωμί (bread) often appear without an article when speaking generally or about an unspecified amount:

Θα φάμε ρύζι. = We will eat (some) rice.

If you say το ρύζι, you usually mean the rice in a more specific sense:

Θα φάμε το ρύζι. = We will eat the rice (the particular rice already known from context: the one we cooked, the one on the table, etc.).

In this sentence, we just mean rice as the dish, so no article is natural.

Why is λαχανικά plural? Could it be singular?

Λαχανικά is the plural of λαχανικό (vegetable).

λαχανικό = vegetable (one item)
λαχανικά = vegetables (plural, or vegetables in general as a category)

In meals we almost always say λαχανικά in the plural, because we usually mean a mix or a serving of vegetables:

ρύζι με λαχανικά = rice with vegetables.

The singular λαχανικό would usually be used when talking about one specific vegetable (e.g. αγαπημένο μου λαχανικό = my favorite vegetable).

Why is there μία / μια only before σαλάτα, but not before ρύζι or λαχανικά?

Article use is different for each noun type:

Μια πράσινη σαλάτα
- σαλάτα is a countable item (a salad), so we use an indefinite article (μια = a / one).
ρύζι and λαχανικά here are treated as dish components / mass or generic plural, so Greek naturally omits the article:
- ρύζι (rice) = an unspecified amount
- λαχανικά (vegetables) = an unspecified assortment

If you said:

Θα φάμε ένα ρύζι και μια σαλάτα.

this sounds much more like:

We will have one rice and one salad (e.g. ordering set portions in a restaurant), not just describing generally what the meal consists of.

What is the difference between μια and μία?

In modern everyday Greek, μια and μία are basically the same word in speech; they’re both pronounced mia.

μια is the more common spelling in informal / neutral texts.
μία can show up in more formal writing or when you want to emphasize the meaning one (the numeral).

In our sentence, μια πράσινη σαλάτα, both spellings are acceptable; μια is very common.

How does πράσινη agree with σαλάτα? Why not πράσινο or πράσινος?

Greek adjectives change form to match the gender, number, and case of the noun they describe.

σαλάτα is feminine, singular, accusative.
The adjective πράσινος (green) has forms:
- masculine: πράσινος
- feminine: πράσινη
- neuter: πράσινο

So it must match the noun:

μια πράσινη σαλάτα (feminine)
ένας πράσινος τοίχος (a green wall – masculine)
ένα πράσινο μήλο (a green apple – neuter)

Can the adjective πράσινη come after σαλάτα, like in some other languages?

Yes, Greek allows both positions, with a slight nuance:

Adjective before noun (most common, neutral):
- μια πράσινη σαλάτα = a green salad
Adjective after noun, usually with a definite article:
- η σαλάτα η πράσινη
  This can sound more specific or contrastive: the salad (the) green one (as opposed to some other salad).

For an indefinite, neutral description like in this sentence, μια πράσινη σαλάτα is the natural choice.

Why is με used here? Could we just say ρύζι, λαχανικά without με?

Με means with, and it explicitly shows that λαχανικά are accompanying the ρύζι:

ρύζι με λαχανικά = rice with vegetables

If you say ρύζι, λαχανικά (with a comma and no με), it sounds more like a list of separate items rather than one dish where rice is served with vegetables.

So με here expresses the idea of accompaniment / combination.

Why is there only one με (before λαχανικά) and not also before μια πράσινη σαλάτα?

Greek often uses a single preposition with coordinated objects:

ρύζι με λαχανικά και μια πράσινη σαλάτα.

The με is understood to apply to both λαχανικά and μια πράσινη σαλάτα; the whole thing is ρύζι with vegetables and a green salad as part of the meal.

You could say:

ρύζι με λαχανικά και με μια πράσινη σαλάτα

but this is more emphatic or stylistic; in simple speech, one με is natural and sufficient.

How is Αύριο pronounced, especially the υ and the ρ together?

Αύριο is pronounced roughly AV-rio:

αυ before a consonant like ρ is pronounced av (like in αύριο, αυγά).
ρ is a trilled or tapped r.
ιο at the end is like yo in yogurt (but shorter), so -ριο ≈ -rio.

So, syllables: Αύ-ριο → AV-rio (stress on the first syllable, marked by the accent on Αύ).

Which words are in the accusative case here, and why?

The direct objects of the verb θα φάμε are in the accusative:

ρύζι (neuter accusative singular – same form as nominative)
λαχανικά (neuter accusative plural – same form as nominative plural)
μια πράσινη σαλάτα:
- μια (feminine accusative singular)
- πράσινη (feminine accusative singular)
- σαλάτα (feminine accusative singular)

They are all what we will eat, so they take the accusative as verb objects.

What is the role of και here? Could we use something else instead?

Και is the basic Greek word for and.

In this sentence it joins two parts of what we are going to eat:

ρύζι με λαχανικά
μια πράσινη σαλάτα

So …με λαχανικά και μια πράσινη σαλάτα = …with vegetables and a green salad.

There isn’t a more natural alternative single word here; και is exactly the right conjunction. You could, in more casual speech, rephrase the whole thing differently, but και remains the normal and.