Για τη σούπα πρώτα βράζω νερό στην κατσαρόλα και μετά προσθέτω ρύζι.

For the soup I first boil water in the pot and then add rice.

Breakdown of Για τη σούπα πρώτα βράζω νερό στην κατσαρόλα και μετά προσθέτω ρύζι.

• το νερό: the water
• και: and
• μετά: then
• για: for
• σε: in
• πρώτα: first
• η σούπα: the soup
• το ρύζι: the rice
• η κατσαρόλα: the pot
• βράζω: to boil
• προσθέτω: to add

Questions & Answers about Για τη σούπα πρώτα βράζω νερό στην κατσαρόλα και μετά προσθέτω ρύζι.

What is the role of Για τη σούπα at the start of the sentence?

Για τη σούπα means for the soup and functions as a prepositional phrase giving the purpose of the action.

• It answers: For what purpose am I boiling water and adding rice? → For the soup.
• Starting the sentence with Για τη σούπα puts extra emphasis on the purpose, a bit like saying in English: “For the soup, I first boil water in the pot and then add rice.”

You could also move it:

• Πρώτα βράζω νερό στην κατσαρόλα για τη σούπα... – same meaning, slightly different emphasis (focus more on the sequence of actions than on the purpose).

Why is it τη σούπα and not η σούπα or always την σούπα?

• σούπα is feminine, so its definite article is:
  • η σούπα in the nominative (subject)
  • τη(ν) σούπα in the accusative (object or after many prepositions)

Here we have για τη σούπα, and:

1. για always takes the accusative, so we must use τη or την.
2. Modern spelling rules: the final -ν of την is usually dropped before most consonants, and σ is one of those.
   • So τη σούπα is the standard form.
   • Some people still write την σούπα; it’s not wrong, just less in line with the usual modern rule.

So:

• η σούπα – subject (The soup is hot.)
• για τη(ν) σούπα – object of για (for the soup)

Why is there no article before νερό and ρύζι?

Both νερό (water) and ρύζι (rice) are mass nouns here and are used in a non-specific, indefinite sense:

• βράζω νερό – I boil (some) water.
• προσθέτω ρύζι – I add (some) rice.

If you add the article το, you usually point to specific water or rice:

• Βράζω το νερό. – I boil the water (the particular water we mentioned).
• Προσθέτω το ρύζι. – I add the rice (the rice we prepared / measured earlier).

In recipes and general instructions, Greek often omits the article with mass nouns when the quantity is not specified or not important.

What exactly is πρώτα, and how is it different from πρώτος?

• πρώτα is an adverb: it means first, first of all, firstly (in order).

  • Πρώτα βράζω νερό... – First, I boil water...

• πρώτος / πρώτη / πρώτο is an adjective meaning first (as in first person, first day, etc.):

  • ο πρώτος μήνας – the first month
  • η πρώτη φορά – the first time

So:

• πρώτα → tells you when / in what order something happens.
• πρώτος → describes a noun as the first in a sequence.

Why are βράζω and προσθέτω in the present tense instead of an imperative?

In Greek recipes and instructions, the present tense, 1st person singular is very common:

• Πρώτα βράζω νερό... και μετά προσθέτω ρύζι.

This is similar to English recipe style:

• “First I boil water in the pot and then I add rice.”

It’s called the “present of instruction” or “recipe present”. It describes a general procedure step by step, not a one-time personal action.

You could use the imperative:

• Πρώτα βράσε νερό... και μετά πρόσθεσε ρύζι. – First boil water... then add rice.

Both are correct; they just sound slightly different in style. The given sentence is neutral and typical in written instructions.

What does στην in στην κατσαρόλα consist of?

στην is a contraction of:

• σε (in, at, on) + την (the, feminine accusative singular) → σε την → στην

So:

• στην κατσαρόλα = σε την κατσαρόλα = in the pot / saucepan

Other similar contractions:

• σε + τον → στον (e.g. στον φούρνο – in the oven)
• σε + το → στο (e.g. στο ψυγείο – in the fridge)
• σε + τη → στη (when the -ν can drop)

Here we keep ν in στην because the next consonant is κ, and by standard rules ν is kept before letters like κ, π, τ, ξ, ψ, γκ, μπ, ντ, τσ, τζ and vowels.

What gender and case are σούπα and κατσαρόλα, and how can I tell?

Both σούπα and κατσαρόλα are:

• Feminine, ending in -α
• Accusative singular in this sentence

Details:

1. σούπα

   • Dictionary form: η σούπα (feminine, “the soup”).
   • After για, which always takes accusative: για τη(ν) σούπα.

2. κατσαρόλα

   • Dictionary form: η κατσαρόλα (feminine, “the pot / saucepan”).
   • After σε, also accusative: σε την κατσαρόλα → στην κατσαρόλα.

For many feminine nouns in -α, nominative and accusative singular look the same (e.g. η σούπα / τη σούπα), so the article and the preposition tell you the case.

Is βράζω transitive or intransitive here? What exactly is boiling?

In this sentence βράζω is transitive:

• βράζω νερό – I boil water (I cause the water to boil).

You can also see βράζω used intransitively:

• Το νερό βράζει. – The water is boiling.

So:

• Here: Subject = (I), Verb = βράζω, Object = νερό.
• The verb describes what you actively do to the water.

What is the difference between προσθέτω ρύζι, βάζω ρύζι, and ρίχνω ρύζι?

All three can appear in cooking contexts, but they differ in nuance:

• προσθέτω ρύζι – add rice

  • More neutral/formal, common in written recipes and instructions.
  • Emphasizes adding something to what is already there.

• βάζω ρύζι (στην κατσαρόλα) – put rice (in the pot)

  • Everyday, very common in speech.
  • Focus on the act of putting something somewhere.

• ρίχνω ρύζι (μέσα) – literally throw/drop rice (in)

  • Colloquial, vivid; often used in speech in cooking contexts.
  • Suggests a quick movement of throwing or pouring in.

In a recipe-style sentence like the one you gave, προσθέτω ρύζι is the most “textbook” and neutral choice.

Could I change the word order, for example to Πρώτα βράζω νερό στην κατσαρόλα για τη σούπα? Does it change the meaning?

Yes, you can change the word order. Greek is fairly flexible with word order, and the basic meaning stays the same.

Some natural variants:

• Για τη σούπα πρώτα βράζω νερό στην κατσαρόλα και μετά προσθέτω ρύζι.
  → Slight emphasis on “for the soup” (purpose comes first).

• Πρώτα βράζω νερό στην κατσαρόλα για τη σούπα και μετά προσθέτω ρύζι.
  → Emphasis on the sequence of actions (first this, then that). Για τη σούπα is more of an afterthought.

• Πρώτα, για τη σούπα, βράζω νερό στην κατσαρόλα...
  → Stronger, more “spoken” emphasis on the purpose.

All are grammatically fine; the choice mainly affects emphasis and rhythm, not basic meaning.

What does και μετά mean exactly, and are there alternatives?

και μετά literally means “and after (that)” and is used to show the next step in a sequence:

• ...και μετά προσθέτω ρύζι.
  → “...and then I add rice.”

Other options with a similar meaning:

• και τότε προσθέτω ρύζι – and then I add rice (slightly more narrative).
• έπειτα προσθέτω ρύζι – afterwards I add rice (a bit more formal/“bookish”).
• μετά προσθέτω ρύζι – then I add rice (without και, still fine).

In recipes, και μετά and μετά are very common and natural.

How do you pronounce the whole sentence, and where are the main stresses?

Approximate pronunciation (with stressed syllables in CAPS):

• Για τη σούπα → /ya ti SU‑pa/
• πρώτα → /PRO‑ta/ (the ω is like “o” in “door” but shorter)
• βράζω → /VRA‑zo/ (Greek β = v, and ζ = z)
• νερό → /ne‑RO/
• στην κατσαρόλα → /stin ka‑tsa‑RO‑la/
• και μετά → /ce me‑TA/
• προσθέτω → /pros‑THE‑to/ (the σθ is like “s” + “th” in “this”)
• ρύζι → /RI‑zi/

Full sentence, roughly:

Για τη ΣΟΥπα ΠΡΩτα ΒΡΑζω νεΡΟ στην κατσαΡΟλα και μεΤΑ προΣΘΕτω ΡΥζι.

Key points for English speakers:

• γ before ι or ε (as in για) sounds like y in yes → για = /ya/.
• β always sounds like v, never like English b.
• Most words have one main stressed syllable, marked in spelling by the accent (´).