Κρατάω τις καλές συνταγές στην κουζίνα.

I keep the good recipes in the kitchen.

Breakdown of Κρατάω τις καλές συνταγές στην κουζίνα.

• καλός: good
• σε: in
• η κουζίνα: the kitchen
• η συνταγή: the recipe
• κρατάω: to keep

Questions & Answers about Κρατάω τις καλές συνταγές στην κουζίνα.

Where is the word I in the Greek sentence? Why isn’t it written?

Greek usually leaves out subject pronouns (like I, you, we) because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• Κρατάω is 1st person singular: I keep / I hold.
• So εγώ (I) is understood from the verb and is normally omitted unless you want to emphasize it:
  Εγώ κρατάω τις καλές συνταγές στην κουζίνα. = I (not someone else) keep the good recipes in the kitchen.

Does κρατάω mean keep or hold? How is it used?

Κρατάω can mean both, depending on context:

1. Hold (physically in your hands)

   • Κρατάω το βιβλίο. = I’m holding the book.

2. Keep / store / retain (have something somewhere or for some time)

   • Κρατάω τα ρούχα στην ντουλάπα. = I keep the clothes in the wardrobe.
   • Your sentence: Κρατάω τις καλές συνταγές στην κουζίνα. = I keep the good recipes in the kitchen.

It’s a very common everyday verb. Another verb for keep/store is φυλάω, but κρατάω is perfectly natural here.

Why is it κρατάω and not κρατώ? Are both correct?

Yes, both forms exist and are correct:

• Κρατάω – more colloquial, everyday modern spoken Greek.
• Κρατώ – a bit more formal / written, but still used in speech.

They have the same meaning and the same tense (present).
In normal conversation, κρατάω is more common.

What does τις mean, and why is it τις and not οι?

Τις here is the definite article (the) for:

• feminine
• plural
• accusative case

The noun συνταγές is:

• gender: feminine
• number: plural
• case: accusative (as the direct object of κρατάω)

So the article must agree and becomes τις.

Compare:

• οι καλές συνταγές = the good recipes (subject → nominative plural)
• βλέπω τις καλές συνταγές = I see the good recipes (object → accusative plural)

In your sentence, τις καλές συνταγές is the object of κρατάω, so accusative τις is required, not οι.

How do τις καλές συνταγές and the adjective order work?

The phrase is:

• τις – definite article, feminine plural accusative
• καλές – adjective, feminine plural accusative
• συνταγές – noun, feminine plural accusative

In Greek, the most basic pattern is:

article + adjective + noun

So:

• τις καλές συνταγές = the good recipes

All three (article, adjective, noun) must agree in:

• gender: feminine
• number: plural
• case: accusative

Why is it καλές and not καλή?

Because καλές has to match συνταγές in gender, number, and case.

• συνταγή (recipe) → singular, feminine, nominative
  
  • η καλή συνταγή = the good recipe
• συνταγές (recipes) → plural, feminine, nominative (or accusative, same form)
  
  • οι καλές συνταγές = the good recipes (subject)
  • βλέπω τις καλές συνταγές = I see the good recipes (object)

In your sentence, τις καλές συνταγές is plural, feminine, accusative, so καλές is the correct adjective form.

What is the singular of συνταγές and how is the plural formed?

Singular:

• η συνταγή = the recipe

Plural:

• οι συνταγές = the recipes (as subject)
• τις συνταγές = the recipes (as object)

The pattern is a common one:

• feminine noun ending in -ή → plural in -ές
  
  • η στιγμή → οι στιγμές (moment → moments)
  • η γραμμή → οι γραμμές (line → lines)
  • η συνταγή → οι συνταγές (recipe → recipes)

What exactly is στην? Why not σε την?

Στην is a contraction of:

• σε (in, at, to)
• την (the, feminine singular accusative article)

So:

• σε + την κουζίνα → στην κουζίνα

This contraction is standard and almost always used in speech and writing.

Other similar contractions:

• σε + τον → στον (e.g. στον κήπο = in the garden)
• σε + το → στο (e.g. στο σπίτι = at home)

Why is κουζίνα in the accusative case after σε / στην?

Modern Greek no longer uses a separate dative case. Prepositions like σε take the accusative.

So:

• η κουζίνα (nominative) = the kitchen (as subject)
• στην κουζίνα (σε + την κουζίνα, accusative) = in the kitchen / to the kitchen

In your sentence, στην κουζίνα is a prepositional phrase indicating location: in the kitchen.

Does στην κουζίνα go with κρατάω or with τις καλές συνταγές?

Grammatically, it modifies the verb κρατάω, telling you where the keeping happens:

• Κρατάω τις καλές συνταγές – I keep the good recipes.
• Κρατάω τις καλές συνταγές στην κουζίνα. – I keep the good recipes *in the kitchen.*

So it answers the question: Where do you keep them? – In the kitchen.

Can I change the word order, for example put στην κουζίνα first?

Yes. Greek word order is quite flexible, and the basic meaning stays the same. For example:

• Στην κουζίνα κρατάω τις καλές συνταγές.
  Emphasis a bit more on in the kitchen.

• Τις καλές συνταγές τις κρατάω στην κουζίνα.
  Extra emphasis on the good recipes (maybe contrasting them with other recipes).

All these are grammatically correct; changes mainly affect emphasis and rhythm, not the core meaning.