Learn Hardcore Greek: Γράφω το νέο λεξιλόγιο στο τετράδιό μου μαζί με τη μετάφραση στα αγγλικά. - I write the new vocabulary in my notebook together with the translation into English.

In Greek, λεξιλόγιο is usually treated as a mass noun, like vocabulary in English. It refers to a whole set of words and is normally neuter singular: το λεξιλόγιο.

το νέο λεξιλόγιο = the new vocabulary (items) as a group.
If you want to focus on the individual words, you can say τις νέες λέξεις (the new words).

So both are possible, but they say slightly different things, just like English vocabulary vs words.

Why do we need the article το in το νέο λεξιλόγιο? Could we just say γράφω νέο λεξιλόγιο?

Greek uses the definite article much more often than English. When you talk about a specific set of new vocabulary you’re working on, Greek normally uses the article:

Γράφω το νέο λεξιλόγιο… = I write the new vocabulary… (the particular new words from today’s lesson, etc.)

If you say γράφω νέο λεξιλόγιο (without το), it sounds more like:

I write new vocabulary (in a more general or vague sense), and in this context it feels unnatural.

So here the article is expected and sounds natural.

What is the difference between νέο λεξιλόγιο and καινούριο λεξιλόγιο?

Both νέος and καινούριος/καινούργιος mean new, and both are grammatically fine here:

το νέο λεξιλόγιο
το καινούριο λεξιλόγιο

Nuance (not a strict rule):

νέος often means new in time or recent / young.
καινούριος often suggests brand‑new, just acquired, not used before.

In this sentence, either works; most speakers won’t feel a big difference. Νέο λεξιλόγιο is very common in teaching contexts.

What exactly is στο in στο τετράδιό μου? Why not σε το τετράδιο μου?

Στο is a contraction of the preposition and the article:

σε + το = στο
σε + τα = στα
σε + την = στην, etc.

So στο τετράδιό μου literally is σε το τετράδιό μου = in my notebook, but in normal Greek you almost always use the contracted form στο (never σε το in speech or standard writing).

Why does τετράδιό in στο τετράδιό μου have two accents?

The base word is τετράδιο (one accent on -τρά-). When you add an enclitic pronoun like μου after a word that is stressed on the antepenultimate (third from the end), Greek spelling adds a second accent on the last syllable of that word:

τετράδιο → τετράδιό μου

So:

One accent shows the normal stress (-τρά-).
The extra accent on -διό appears because of the enclitic μου.

This is a standard stress rule with enclitics. Many learners forget the second accent; it’s a spelling issue, not a change in meaning.

Why is μου placed after τετράδιό? Could I say στο μου τετράδιο?

In modern Greek, weak possessive pronouns (μου, σου, του, της, μας, σας, τους) normally come after the noun:

το τετράδιό μου = my notebook
literally: the notebook my

στο μου τετράδιο sounds wrong in normal modern Greek. You may see μου before the noun in very emphatic, poetic, or older language (e.g. μου το παιδί), but that is not the usual everyday structure.

So for everyday speech and writing, use [article] + [noun] + [μου]: το τετράδιό μου.

What does μαζί με add? How is μαζί με τη μετάφραση different from just με τη μετάφραση?

με on its own often means with in the sense of using / by means of or simply with.
μαζί με literally together with and strongly emphasizes accompaniment or addition.

In μαζί με τη μετάφραση στα αγγλικά:

It highlights that you write the vocabulary and, together with it, the translation, side‑by‑side, in the same place.

If you said only με τη μετάφραση, it could sound more like “with the help of the translation” or “using the translation”, and it’s less clear that you are also writing the translation in the notebook. Μαζί με removes that ambiguity.

Why is it τη μετάφραση and not την μετάφραση?

The full feminine accusative singular article is την. In modern usage, the final -ν is often dropped before many consonants:

την → τη before words starting with consonants like μ, ν, λ, ρ, σ, ζ, etc.
The -ν is usually kept before vowels and some consonants (κ, π, τ, ξ, ψ, μπ, ντ, γκ, τσ, τζ).

Since μετάφραση begins with μ, it is perfectly standard to write and say:

τη μετάφραση

You might still sometimes see την μετάφραση; it’s not “wrong”, but τη μετάφραση follows the common modern rule.

Why do we use the article with μετάφραση at all? Why not just μαζί με μετάφραση στα αγγλικά?

Again, Greek likes definite articles more than English. Here we’re talking about a specific translation: the translation of that vocabulary into English. So Greek uses the article:

μαζί με τη μετάφραση στα αγγλικά
= together with the translation into English (of that vocabulary).

Without the article (μαζί με μετάφραση στα αγγλικά) sounds quite odd and incomplete to a native speaker.

Why is it στα αγγλικά? What exactly is going on grammatically there?

Στα is another contraction:

σε + τα = στα

Αγγλικά is the neuter plural form of the adjective αγγλικός (English). In Greek, language names are often neuter plural adjectives used as nouns:

τα αγγλικά = (the) English (language / subject)
τα ελληνικά = Greek (language)

So:

στα αγγλικά = in/into English (literally “in the English [language]”).

Also note:

In Greek, language names are normally not capitalized: αγγλικά, ελληνικά.
You might see Αγγλικά capitalized when referring to the school subject (as a course title), but as a language name in running text, αγγλικά is standard lowercase.

In English we say “translation into English”. Why does Greek use σε in τη μετάφραση στα αγγλικά?

The preposition σε is quite flexible in Greek; it covers meanings that English splits into in, at, to, into.

With verbs or nouns of translating, Greek typically uses σε (often contracted as στο / στα):

μεταφράζω το κείμενο στα αγγλικά = I translate the text into English.
η μετάφραση στα αγγλικά = the translation into English.

So although English uses into, Greek keeps σε; the context (translation) makes the meaning clear.

Can I change the word order? For example, can I say Γράφω στο τετράδιό μου το νέο λεξιλόγιο μαζί με τη μετάφραση στα αγγλικά?

Yes. Modern Greek word order is fairly flexible, especially with objects and adverbial phrases. All of these are possible and natural:

Γράφω το νέο λεξιλόγιο στο τετράδιό μου μαζί με τη μετάφραση στα αγγλικά.
Γράφω στο τετράδιό μου το νέο λεξιλόγιο μαζί με τη μετάφραση στα αγγλικά.
Στο τετράδιό μου γράφω το νέο λεξιλόγιο μαζί με τη μετάφραση στα αγγλικά.

Small differences in order can slightly change what is emphasized, but all of these are correct and would normally be understood the same way in context.

Why is there no εγώ? Is Γράφω on its own enough to mean I write?

Yes. In Greek, the verb ending shows the person and number:

γράφω = I write
γράφεις = you (sg) write
γράφει = he/she/it writes

Because of that, subject pronouns (εγώ, εσύ, αυτός, etc.) are usually dropped unless you want to emphasize or contrast:

Γράφω το νέο λεξιλόγιο… = I write the new vocabulary…
Εγώ γράφω το νέο λεξιλόγιο… = I (as opposed to someone else) write the new vocabulary…

So Γράφω alone is the normal form here.

Does Γράφω mean I’m writing (right now) or I usually write? How is the present tense used here?

Modern Greek present tense covers both:

present continuous: I am writing (right now)
simple present / habitual: I write (as a habit)

So Γράφω το νέο λεξιλόγιο στο τετράδιό μου… can mean:

I’m writing the new vocabulary in my notebook… (right now), or
I write the new vocabulary in my notebook… (this is what I usually do).

Context decides. If you want to make the habitual meaning very clear, you can add an adverb:

Συνήθως γράφω το νέο λεξιλόγιο… = I usually write the new vocabulary…