Learn Hardcore Greek: Στο εστιατόριο δοκιμάζω πάντα κάτι διαφορετικό. - At the restaurant I always try something different.

Using the definite article (το εστιατόριο) here sounds natural because the speaker is talking about a general, regular situation, almost like when I’m (the kind of person who is) at a restaurant, I always do X.

In Greek, the definite article is often used:

with generalizations or routines
with places, especially when you mean at the restaurant, at the office as a type of situation, not a specific, newly introduced restaurant

Σε ένα εστιατόριο (in a/one restaurant) is also grammatically correct, but it shifts the focus to some restaurant (not necessarily a usual or known one). The original sentence feels more like a general habit.

Does στο εστιατόριο mean in the restaurant, at the restaurant, or to the restaurant?

Literally, σε often corresponds to in / at / to, depending on context. Here:

Στο εστιατόριο δοκιμάζω πάντα κάτι διαφορετικό.
Means something like: When I’m at a restaurant / When I go to a restaurant, I always try something different.

English has to choose one preposition; Greek σε can cover:

in the restaurant (location inside)
at the restaurant (more general location)
to the restaurant (direction), especially when combined with a motion verb

In this specific sentence, we understand a situation (when I am at a restaurant), not the movement, so at the restaurant is the most natural English translation.

What form of the verb is δοκιμάζω?

Δοκιμάζω is:

person: 1st person
number: singular
tense: present
mood: indicative
voice: active

So it means I try / I am trying / I taste.

The basic dictionary form is also δοκιμάζω, and this same form is used for I in the present tense. Other present forms are:

εγώ δοκιμάζω – I try
εσύ δοκιμάζεις – you try (singular)
αυτός/αυτή/αυτό δοκιμάζει – he/she/it tries
εμείς δοκιμάζουμε – we try
εσείς δοκιμάζετε – you try (plural/polite)
αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά δοκιμάζουν(ε) – they try

Why doesn’t the sentence include εγώ for “I”? How do we know it means “I try”?

Greek is a pro-drop language: subject pronouns are usually omitted because the verb ending already shows the person.

δοκιμάζω ends in -ω, which marks 1st person singular in the present tense.

So:

(Εγώ) δοκιμάζω = I try
In normal speech and writing, people usually just say δοκιμάζω, unless they want to emphasize I.

If you say Εγώ δοκιμάζω πάντα κάτι διαφορετικό, you are stressing I (as opposed to someone else) always try something different.

Does δοκιμάζω mean “try” or “taste”? Is it about making an effort or about food?

Δοκιμάζω can cover both ideas, depending on context:

To taste / to try food or drink
- Δοκιμάζω το φαγητό. – I taste/try the food.
To try out / test something
- Θέλω να δοκιμάσω αυτό το πρόγραμμα. – I want to try out this program.

When you’re talking about a restaurant and something different, the most natural interpretation is I try / taste something different (on the menu). So here it’s about choosing and tasting different dishes, not just making a general effort.

Why is πάντα placed after δοκιμάζω? Can it go in other positions?

Πάντα means always and is quite flexible in position. Common options:

Πάντα δοκιμάζω κάτι διαφορετικό.
Δοκιμάζω πάντα κάτι διαφορετικό. ← your sentence
Στο εστιατόριο πάντα δοκιμάζω κάτι διαφορετικό.
Στο εστιατόριο δοκιμάζω πάντα κάτι διαφορετικό. ← full original

All of these are grammatical. The differences are mostly about rhythm and emphasis, not basic meaning.

Putting πάντα right after the verb (δοκιμάζω πάντα) is very natural.
Putting it at the beginning (Πάντα δοκιμάζω…) emphasizes the always a bit more.
Putting it after στο εστιατόριο (Στο εστιατόριο πάντα…) emphasizes that it’s when you’re at a restaurant that this always happens.

So the chosen order is just one natural, neutral-sounding option.

What is the difference between πάντα and πάντοτε?

Both πάντα and πάντοτε mean always.

Πάντα is more common in everyday modern Greek.
Πάντοτε sounds a bit more formal, literary, or emphatic, but it is also used in speech.

In your sentence you could say:

Στο εστιατόριο δοκιμάζω πάντα κάτι διαφορετικό.
Στο εστιατόριο δοκιμάζω πάντοτε κάτι διαφορετικό.

Both are correct. The first one sounds more casual and typical.

What exactly is κάτι grammatically, and how is it used?

Κάτι is an indefinite pronoun, neuter singular, meaning something (or anything in some contexts).

Key points:

It does not take an article: not το κάτι, just κάτι.
It often appears in object position:
- Θέλω κάτι. – I want something.
- Βλέπω κάτι. – I see something.

In your sentence:

δοκιμάζω πάντα κάτι διαφορετικό
= I always try something different.

Κάτι here is the direct object of δοκιμάζω (I try what? → something).

Why is διαφορετικό in the neuter form? Why not διαφορετικός or διαφορετική?

Adjectives in Greek agree in gender, number, and case with the noun or pronoun they describe.

The adjective’s base form: διαφορετικός, -ή, -ό
- masculine: διαφορετικός
- feminine: διαφορετική
- neuter: διαφορετικό

Here, it describes κάτι.

κάτι is treated as neuter singular.
So the adjective must also be neuter singular → διαφορετικό.

That’s why we say:

κάτι διαφορετικό – something different
and not
κάτι διαφορετικός or κάτι διαφορετική.

Is κάτι διαφορετικό one phrase, or can I separate the words?

It is a noun phrase made of:

κάτι – something (indefinite pronoun, neuter singular)
διαφορετικό – different (adjective, neuter singular)

They belong together as one unit (the object of the verb), but in the sentence they already appear as two separate words:

δοκιμάζω πάντα κάτι διαφορετικό

You cannot move διαφορετικό away from κάτι without sounding unnatural. For example:

✗ δοκιμάζω κάτι πάντα διαφορετικό – possible but unusual/awkward.
✓ δοκιμάζω πάντα κάτι διαφορετικό – natural.

So they form a tight phrase and normally stay next to each other.

Is there any case ending visible in εστιατόριο, κάτι, or διαφορετικό here?

Yes and no:

εστιατόριο:
Nominative and accusative singular of neuter nouns in -ο have the same form.
In στο εστιατόριο, we know it is accusative because:
- σε (→ στο) takes its object in the accusative.
- το εστιατόριο (the full form) is neuter accusative singular.
κάτι:
This pronoun is invariable in modern Greek (it doesn’t change form for case), so its case is understood from its function. Here it is the direct object → accusative.
διαφορετικό:
This is the neuter accusative singular form of the adjective, agreeing with κάτι. For neuter adjectives, nominative and accusative singular also look the same.

So grammar-wise, several words are in the accusative, but for neuter words the nominative and accusative forms are identical, which is why you don’t see a change in spelling.

Could the whole sentence be ordered differently, like Πάντα στο εστιατόριο δοκιμάζω κάτι διαφορετικό?

Yes, Greek word order is fairly flexible, especially for adverbs and prepositional phrases. These are all grammatical:

Στο εστιατόριο δοκιμάζω πάντα κάτι διαφορετικό.
Στο εστιατόριο πάντα δοκιμάζω κάτι διαφορετικό.
Πάντα στο εστιατόριο δοκιμάζω κάτι διαφορετικό.
Πάντα δοκιμάζω κάτι διαφορετικό στο εστιατόριο.

They all convey roughly the same idea. Subtle differences:

Starting with Στο εστιατόριο makes the location/situation the starting point.
Starting with Πάντα emphasizes the habit/frequency.
Moving στο εστιατόριο to the end (…κάτι διαφορετικό στο εστιατόριο) can sound a bit like you are adding the place as extra information.

The original order is a natural, neutral way to express the idea.