Learn Hardcore Greek: Στην τελευταία συνάντηση μίλησα περισσότερο ελληνικά.

It is in the accusative because it is the object of the preposition «σε» (in/at/to). In Greek, most prepositions (including σε) are followed by the accusative case.

So the phrase is:

στην τελευταία συνάντηση
- στην = σε + την (fem. acc. sg.)
- τελευταία = fem. acc. sg.
- συνάντηση = fem. acc. sg.

All three words agree in gender, number, and case.

Why does «τελευταία» have that ending, and why does it come before «συνάντηση»?

«τελευταία» means “last” and is an adjective. Greek adjectives must agree with the noun in:

gender
number
case

Since «συνάντηση» is feminine singular accusative, «τελευταία» also appears as feminine singular accusative: τελευταία.

As for word order: in Greek, adjectives usually come before the noun when they are directly modifying it:

η τελευταία συνάντηση – the last meeting
η μεγάλη συνάντηση – the big meeting

You can put adjectives after the noun in some structures, but that usually requires the article again, e.g. η συνάντηση η τελευταία (more marked/emphatic style). The normal, neutral way is «η τελευταία συνάντηση».

Where is the word “I” in the Greek sentence? Why isn’t «εγώ» used?

Greek is a “pro‑drop” language: subject pronouns (I, you, he, etc.) are often omitted because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

The verb «μίλησα» (I spoke) has the -σα ending for 1st person singular, so it already means “I spoke”. Therefore, the «εγώ» is understood and usually left out:

Μίλησα περισσότερο ελληνικά. = I spoke more Greek.
Εγώ μίλησα περισσότερο ελληνικά. = I (as opposed to someone else) spoke more Greek.

You add «εγώ» mainly for emphasis or contrast.

What tense is «μίλησα», and why not «μιλούσα»?

Both come from the verb μιλάω / μιλώ (to speak):

μίλησα – aorist (simple past), “I spoke” (a completed event)
μιλούσα – imperfect (past continuous), “I was speaking / I used to speak”

In this sentence:

«Στην τελευταία συνάντηση μίλησα περισσότερο ελληνικά.»
→ presents it as a single, completed event: in that specific meeting, at some point or overall, you spoke more Greek than before.

If you said:

Στην τελευταία συνάντηση μιλούσα περισσότερο ελληνικά.
→ you would be stressing the ongoing nature during that meeting (you were in the process of speaking more Greek, or repeatedly/duratively).

In everyday use, «μίλησα» is the natural choice to report how the meeting went.

Is «μίλησα» from «μιλάω» or «μιλώ», and are both correct?

Yes. The verb appears in two common present forms:

μιλάω – I speak
μιλώ – I speak

These are just two variants of the same verb; both are correct. Many modern Greek verbs have a “‑άω/‑ώ” alternation.

The aorist (simple past) form is «μίλησα» for both variants:

(εγώ) μιλάω / μιλώ → μίλησα
(εσύ) μιλάς → μίλησες
(αυτός/αυτή/αυτό) μιλάει / μιλά → μίλησε

So regardless of whether you say μιλάω or μιλώ in the present, the past here is μίλησα.

What exactly is «περισσότερο» here – an adjective or an adverb? Why not «πιο πολύ»?

In this sentence, «περισσότερο» functions as an adverb, meaning “more” in the sense of “to a greater extent / more often / more intensely”.

μίλησα περισσότερο ελληνικά
≈ I spoke more Greek (than before / than usual).

It modifies the verb phrase “spoke Greek”, not a noun.

You could also say:

μίλησα πιο πολύ ελληνικά

«πιο πολύ» is very common in spoken Greek and means virtually the same thing here:

περισσότερο – a bit more “standard” or “neutral”
πιο πολύ – very everyday and colloquial

In this context, «μίλησα περισσότερο ελληνικά» and «μίλησα πιο πολύ ελληνικά» are both natural.

What does «ελληνικά» literally mean, and why is it in the plural with no article?

«ελληνικά» is the neuter plural form of the adjective «ελληνικός, -ή, -ό» (Greek).

Literally:

ελληνικά = Greek things / Greek (as a neuter plural adjective used as a noun)

In practice, in modern Greek, neuter plural adjectives like this are used to refer to languages or subjects of study:

Τα ελληνικά – Greek (the language)
Τα αγγλικά – English
Τα γαλλικά – French

In your sentence:

μίλησα ελληνικά – I spoke Greek (no article, like English “I spoke Greek”).

The article «τα» is often dropped when you speak of using the language in general:

Μιλάω ελληνικά. – I speak Greek.
Ξέρω αγγλικά. – I know English.

You tend to keep the article when you treat it more as “the Greek language” as a school subject or object:

Μαθαίνω τα ελληνικά. – I am learning Greek (the language).

So here «ελληνικά» is plural neuter, functioning as a noun meaning “Greek (language)”, but without the article.

Why is «ελληνικά» not capitalized like “Greek” in English?

In modern Greek, adjectives are not capitalized, and words for nationalities and languages are treated as adjectives, not as separate proper nouns.

η ελληνική γλώσσα – the Greek language
τα ελληνικά – (the) Greek (language)
ένας Έλληνας – a Greek man
ελληνικός πολιτισμός – Greek culture

So «ελληνικά» is written with a lowercase ε. This is normal and correct.

Only proper names like «Ελλάδα» (Greece), «Αθήνα» (Athens) are capitalized.

What’s the difference between «μίλησα ελληνικά» and «μίλησα στα ελληνικά»?

Both relate to speaking Greek, but there is a nuance:

μίλησα ελληνικά
- Literally: I spoke Greek.
- Very direct: you used the Greek language.
μίλησα στα ελληνικά
- Literally: I spoke in Greek.
- Structure: σε + τα ελληνικά → στα ελληνικά.
- Slightly more explicit about using that language as a medium (in Greek rather than in another language).

In many everyday contexts, they can be used interchangeably, but:

μίλησα ελληνικά is shorter and more common in simple statements of ability or behavior.
μίλησα στα ελληνικά can sound a bit more explicit/contrastive, especially if the language choice is the point:
- Πρώτα μίλησα στα αγγλικά και μετά μίλησα στα ελληνικά.
  → First I spoke in English and then in Greek.

Your sentence with emphasis on quantity could also be:

Στην τελευταία συνάντηση μίλησα περισσότερο στα ελληνικά.

Natural and very clear: “At the last meeting I spoke more in Greek.”

Can I change the word order, for example put «περισσότερο» or «ελληνικά» in different positions?

Greek word order is fairly flexible, but some orders sound more natural than others. Your original:

Στην τελευταία συνάντηση μίλησα περισσότερο ελληνικά.
(At the last meeting I spoke more Greek.)

Other natural possibilities:

Στην τελευταία συνάντηση μίλησα ελληνικά περισσότερο.
– also possible, but a bit less common; emphasis may fall slightly more on “more” at the end.
Μίλησα περισσότερο ελληνικά στην τελευταία συνάντηση.
– fronting the verb phrase; still natural, maybe emphasizing the action rather than the time.

Less natural or more emphatic:

Περισσότερο ελληνικά μίλησα στην τελευταία συνάντηση.
– Strong focus on “more Greek” (as opposed to another language).

Completely unusual:

Στην τελευταία συνάντηση περισσότερο μίλησα ελληνικά.
– This sounds awkward in standard modern Greek.

So yes, you can move words around, but the original order is the most neutral and idiomatic.

How would I say “At the last meeting I was speaking more Greek” with more emphasis on the ongoing action?

To emphasize the ongoing / continuous nature in the past, you use the imperfect:

Στην τελευταία συνάντηση μιλούσα περισσότερο ελληνικά.

This suggests that throughout that meeting, or over some continuous period during it, you were speaking more Greek (not just as a simple completed fact, but as an ongoing behavior).

Comparing:

μίλησα = I spoke (simple, completed)
μιλούσα = I was speaking / I used to speak (ongoing, repeated, or habitual in the past)