Learn Hardcore Greek: Η μαμά μου γράφει πάντα μια κάρτα με ευχές για υγεία και επιτυχία. - My mom always writes a card with wishes for health and success.

You can say just μαμά μου in some emotional or vocative contexts (calling someone: Μαμά μου! = My mum!), but in a normal sentence the article is standard: Η μαμά μου γράφει…

What exactly does γράφει express here? Is it “is writing” or “writes” or “usually writes”?

Greek present tense γράφει can cover all these English meanings, depending on context:

Η μαμά μου γράφει μια κάρτα τώρα.
→ My mum is writing a card now.
Η μαμά μου γράφει πάντα μια κάρτα…
→ My mum always writes a card… (habitual action)

So in this sentence, the combination with πάντα (always) makes γράφει clearly habitual: she always does this, she regularly writes a card. Greek doesn’t need a special “usually/used to” form here; simple present is enough.

Why is πάντα placed after γράφει? Can I change the word order?

Yes, you can change the word order. All of these are possible:

Η μαμά μου γράφει πάντα μια κάρτα…
Η μαμά μου πάντα γράφει μια κάρτα…
Πάντα η μαμά μου γράφει μια κάρτα…

They all basically mean My mum always writes a card, but the nuance / emphasis shifts slightly:

γράφει πάντα: fairly neutral, very natural word order.
πάντα γράφει: a bit more emphasis on the always, as in “she always writes”.
Πάντα η μαμά μου γράφει…: strong emphasis on always or on my mum in particular (e.g. compared to others).

For everyday use, γράφει πάντα or πάντα γράφει are the most common.

What is the function of μια in μια κάρτα? Could we omit it?

Μια is the feminine form of the indefinite article (like a/an in English):

μια κάρτα = a card

Grammatically, μια shows that κάρτα is:

feminine
singular
accusative (object of the verb)

If you say just γράφει πάντα κάρτα, it sounds incomplete or unnatural in this context. Greek normally uses ένας / μία / ένα with countable nouns when you mean a/an.

You could omit it only in special set phrases or very telegraphic style (e.g. in notes or headlines), but in normal speech and writing you say μια κάρτα.

Why is it με ευχές and not για ευχές or something else?

The preposition με here means with in the sense of containing / accompanied by:

μια κάρτα με ευχές
→ a card with wishes (a card that contains wishes)

If you used για, it would sound like the purpose is to get wishes, e.g.:

μια κάρτα για ευχές
→ a card for wishes (a card intended for writing wishes on it)

So:

με ευχές = the card already has wishes written in it.
για ευχές = the card is meant to be used for wishes (different idea).

In your sentence, we want the first meaning, so με ευχές is correct.

What does ευχές mean exactly, and why is it in the plural?

Ευχές is the plural of ευχή:

ευχή = a wish
ευχές = wishes / greetings / good wishes

In the context of cards, ευχές is almost always plural, because we usually offer more than one wish, even if it’s formulaic:

Ευχές για υγεία, ευτυχία και αγάπη.
→ Wishes for health, happiness, and love.

So με ευχές για υγεία και επιτυχία = with wishes for health and success, using ευχές in its normal plural “greetings” sense.

Why don’t we use any article before υγεία and επιτυχία?

Υγεία (health) and επιτυχία (success) are abstract, uncountable concepts here, mentioned in a general sense. In Greek, as in English, such abstract nouns often appear without an article when they are meant generically:

θέλω υγεία = I want health (good health in general)
εύχομαι επιτυχία = I wish (you) success

If you add the article:

για την υγεία και την επιτυχία

it sounds more like you’re referring to some specific health/success that is already known or defined by the context, or it sounds slightly more formal or “heavy”.

So για υγεία και επιτυχία feels natural and general: for (good) health and (general) success.

What does για express in για υγεία και επιτυχία?

Here για expresses the idea of “for (the purpose / benefit of)”:

ευχές για υγεία = wishes for health
ευχές για επιτυχία = wishes for success

This use of για + noun is very common to show the goal, benefit, or subject of something:

φάρμακο για τον πονοκέφαλο = medicine for headache
δώρο για τα γενέθλια = a present for the birthday
ευχές για καλά Χριστούγεννα = wishes for a merry Christmas

Can you break down the gender, number, and case of the main words in the sentence?

Yes:

Η – definite article, feminine, singular, nominative
μαμά – noun, feminine, singular, nominative (subject)
μου – possessive pronoun (my), unstressed form, agrees in meaning, not in gender/case
γράφει – verb, 3rd person singular, present indicative
πάντα – adverb (always, invariable)
μια – indefinite article, feminine, singular, accusative
κάρτα – noun, feminine, singular, accusative (direct object)
με – preposition (with)
ευχές – noun, feminine, plural, accusative (object of με)
για – preposition (for)
υγεία – noun, feminine, singular, accusative (object of για)
και – conjunction (and)
επιτυχία – noun, feminine, singular, accusative (second object of για)

Why is μου placed after μαμά (as in Η μαμά μου) and not before, like in English “my mum”?

In Greek, possessive pronouns like μου, σου, του usually come after the noun and follow the article:

η μαμά μου = my mum
ο φίλος σου = your friend
το σπίτι του = his house

So the pattern is typically:

[article] + [noun] + [possessive pronoun]

Putting the possessive before the noun (μου μαμά) is not standard; it sounds incorrect, except in a few fixed or emphatic expressions with extra words (e.g. η δικιά μου μαμά = my own mum).