Προτιμώ τα μακαρόνια με πολύ τυρί και λίγο ελαιόλαδο.

I prefer pasta with a lot of cheese and a little olive oil.

Breakdown of Προτιμώ τα μακαρόνια με πολύ τυρί και λίγο ελαιόλαδο.

• λίγος: little
• και: and
• πολύς: much
• με: with
• προτιμάω: to prefer
• τα μακαρόνια: the pasta
• το τυρί: the cheese
• το ελαιόλαδο: the olive oil

Questions & Answers about Προτιμώ τα μακαρόνια με πολύ τυρί και λίγο ελαιόλαδο.

Why is there no word for “I” in the Greek sentence? Why don’t we see εγώ?

In Greek, the subject pronoun (εγώ = I) is usually dropped because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• Προτιμώ is 1st person singular: I prefer.
• So εγώ προτιμώ would be understood, even if you just say προτιμώ.

You can add εγώ for emphasis or contrast:

• Εγώ προτιμώ τα μακαρόνια = I (as opposed to others) prefer pasta.

Why is it προτιμώ and not προτιμάω?

Both forms exist and are correct. They are just two variants of the same verb:

• προτιμώ – shorter, more common in writing and speech.
• προτιμάω – longer, a bit more colloquial in feel but also standard.

They are interchangeable in meaning: I prefer.

Examples:

• Προτιμώ τον καφέ.
• Προτιμάω τον καφέ.

Both mean: I prefer coffee.

Why is it τα μακαρόνια (plural) instead of something singular like “pasta”?

In Greek, μακαρόνια is grammatically plural (neuter plural), even when it refers to pasta in general as a dish.

• το μακαρόνι = a single piece of macaroni
• τα μακαρόνια = pasta / macaroni (as food on a plate)

So τα μακαρόνια is the natural way to say pasta in everyday Greek, even though English uses a mass noun (pasta) in the singular.

Grammar details:

• τα = definite article, neuter plural accusative
• μακαρόνια = neuter plural accusative noun

Why do we use the definite article τα in τα μακαρόνια, when in English we just say “pasta” without “the”?

Greek uses the definite article more often than English, especially with general categories like foods:

• Μου αρέσει ο καφές. = I like coffee.
• Τρώω τα μακαρόνια. = I eat pasta.

So τα μακαρόνια here is the natural Greek way to say pasta, not the pasta in a strict English sense. You could leave the article off (προτιμώ μακαρόνια), but προτιμώ τα μακαρόνια is more typical and sounds more complete.

Why are μακαρόνια, τυρί, and ελαιόλαδο in the accusative case?

The accusative case is used:

1. For the direct object of the verb:

   • Προτιμώ τα μακαρόνια.
     τα μακαρόνια is what you prefer → direct object → accusative.

2. After the preposition με (with):

   • με πολύ τυρί
   • με λίγο ελαιόλαδο

In Greek, με always takes the accusative, so τυρί and ελαιόλαδο appear in the accusative singular.

What exactly does με mean in με πολύ τυρί και λίγο ελαιόλαδο?

με is the basic preposition meaning with.

Here it links the main dish (τα μακαρόνια) to what comes with it:

• τα μακαρόνια με πολύ τυρί = pasta with a lot of cheese
• … και λίγο ελαιόλαδο = and a little olive oil

So the structure is:

• Προτιμώ (I prefer)
• τα μακαρόνια (pasta)
• με … (with …)

Why is it πολύ τυρί and not πολύς τυρί or πολλό τυρί?

πολύ here works like an adverb meaning a lot (of) with an uncountable noun:

• πολύ τυρί = a lot of cheese
• πολύ νερό = a lot of water
• πολύ χρόνο = a lot of time

When πολύς / πολλή / πολύ is a regular adjective with a countable noun, it agrees in gender, number, and case:

• πολύς καφές (masc. sing.) = a lot of coffee (countable cups, for example)
• πολλές γάτες (fem. pl.) = many cats

But for mass/uncountable nouns in the singular (like τυρί, νερό, λάδι), everyday Greek prefers the invariable πολύ in front: πολύ τυρί, πολύ νερό, etc.

Why is it λίγο ελαιόλαδο and not λίγος ελαιόλαδος?

Same idea as with πολύ:

• λίγο here is used in an adverbial way: a little / a bit (of).
• ελαιόλαδο (olive oil) is an uncountable noun.

So you get:

• λίγο ελαιόλαδο = a little (bit of) olive oil
• λίγο νερό = a little water
• λίγο ψωμί = a little bread

The forms λίγος / λίγη / λίγο as adjectives are used with countable nouns:

• λίγος χρόνος = little time / not much time
• λίγες μέρες = few days

What is the difference between πολύ and λίγο in this sentence?

They are both quantity words, but they express opposite amounts:

• πολύ τυρί = a lot of cheese
• λίγο ελαιόλαδο = a little olive oil

So the sentence says the speaker prefers:

• plenty of cheese
• but only a small amount of olive oil

Can the word order change? For example, could I say Προτιμώ με πολύ τυρί και λίγο ελαιόλαδο τα μακαρόνια?

Greek word order is flexible, but not every permutation sounds natural.

The most natural here is:

• Προτιμώ τα μακαρόνια με πολύ τυρί και λίγο ελαιόλαδο.

Other possible but less common versions:

• Τα μακαρόνια με πολύ τυρί και λίγο ελαιόλαδο τα προτιμώ.
  (Focus on these pasta with a lot of cheese and a little olive oil.)

But Προτιμώ με πολύ τυρί και λίγο ελαιόλαδο τα μακαρόνια sounds awkward, because με πολύ τυρί και λίγο ελαιόλαδο naturally sticks right after τα μακαρόνια, the thing being described.

How do you pronounce μακαρόνια, τυρί, and ελαιόλαδο?

Stress is shown by the accent mark. Each word has one stressed syllable:

• μακαρόνια → ma-ka-RÓ-nia → [makaˈronia]
• τυρί → ty-RÍ → [tiˈri]
• ελαιόλαδο → e-le-Ó-la-tho → [eleˈolaðo]

Notes:

• αι is pronounced like e in pet.
• δ is a soft sound, like th in this, not like English d.
• υ in τυρί is pronounced like i in machine.

Could I say “I like pasta with a lot of cheese…” using αρέσει instead of προτιμώ?

Yes, but the structure changes:

• Προτιμώ τα μακαρόνια με πολύ τυρί και λίγο ελαιόλαδο.
  = I prefer pasta with a lot of cheese and a little olive oil.

With αρέσει (to like), the person becomes an indirect object:

• Μου αρέσουν τα μακαρόνια με πολύ τυρί και λίγο ελαιόλαδο.
  = I like pasta with a lot of cheese and a little olive oil.

Key difference:

• προτιμώ = I prefer (direct verb)
• μου αρέσουν = they are pleasing to me → I like them

Is there any difference in meaning if I say πολύ ελαιόλαδο instead of λίγο ελαιόλαδο?

Yes. It changes the amount and slightly the preference profile:

• με πολύ τυρί και λίγο ελαιόλαδο
  → You like it very cheesy but not very oily.

• με πολύ τυρί και πολύ ελαιόλαδο
  → You like a lot of both: a lot of cheese and a lot of olive oil.

Grammatically both are fine; they just describe different tastes.