Learn Hardcore Greek: Στη βόλτα μας κοιτάμε το φεγγάρι και μερικά αστέρια. - On our walk we look at the moon and some stars.

In modern Greek, σε + τη(ν) usually contracts to στη, unless a clear ν sound is needed before certain consonants (κ, π, τ, ξ, ψ, μπ, ντ, γκ, τσ, τζ).
So you more often see στη βόλτα than στην βόλτα in writing, and they sound almost the same in speech.

What does Στη βόλτα μας literally mean, and why is σε used?

Στη βόλτα μας literally means in/at/on our walk.

Greek uses σε very broadly:

for place: σε σπίτι = at home
for time/occasion/context: στη δουλειά = at work, στη βόλτα = on (during) the walk

So here σε is not physical location inside the walk, but the occasion:
Στη βόλτα μας κοιτάμε… ≈ During our walk we look…

Why does μας (our) come after βόλτα and not before, like in English?

In Greek, unstressed possessive pronouns like μου, σου, του, της, μας, σας, τους usually come after the noun:

η βόλτα μας = our walk
το σπίτι σου = your house
το βιβλίο μου = my book

You can put the possessive before the noun, but then you need another word, δικός / δική / δικό, and the meaning is more emphatic:

η δική μας βόλτα = our walk (as opposed to someone else’s)

In this sentence, the neutral, normal way is η βόλτα μας.

What’s the difference between κοιτάμε and κοιτάζουμε?

They are two forms of the same verb, “to look (at)”:

κοιτάμε: colloquial / shorter form
κοιτάζουμε: more “full” form, often a bit more formal

Both mean we look (at) / we are looking (at) and both are correct.
You will hear and see κοιτάμε very often in everyday speech.

Is there a difference between κοιτάμε and βλέπουμε?

Yes:

κοιτάμε = we look (at) / we are looking (at)
– implies intention: you direct your eyes toward something
βλέπουμε = we see
– more passive: something comes into your field of vision

So κοιτάμε το φεγγάρι = we look at the moon (on purpose).
Βλέπουμε το φεγγάρι = we see the moon (we happen to see it).

Why is it το φεγγάρι? What does το tell me about the noun?

Το is the neuter singular definite article: the.

Greek articles show gender, number, and case. By seeing το, you know that:

φεγγάρι is neuter
it is singular
and here it’s in the accusative case, because it is the direct object of κοιτάμε.

So:

το φεγγάρι = the moon (neuter singular accusative)

Why is φεγγάρι in the accusative case here?

Because it is the direct object of the verb κοιτάμε.

In κοιτάμε το φεγγάρι, Greek answers the question:

“What do we look at?” → το φεγγάρι.

Direct objects of verbs usually appear in the accusative case, so φεγγάρι takes the form το φεγγάρι.

What does μερικά mean, and why is it in that form before αστέρια?

μερικά means some / several / a few.

It is in the neuter plural form to agree with αστέρια, which is also neuter plural.

μερικός (masculine), μερική (feminine), μερικό (neuter, singular)
μερικοί (masculine plural), μερικές (feminine plural), μερικά (neuter plural)

Since αστέρια (stars) is neuter plural, you must use μερικά αστέρια.

Why is it αστέρια and not αστέριας or something else? How does the plural work here?

αστέρι is a neuter noun:

singular: το αστέρι (the star)
plural: τα αστέρια (the stars)

Neuter nouns ending in -ι often form the plural in -ια.

So:

αστέρι → αστέρια
παιδί (child) → παιδιά (children)
σπίτι (house) → σπίτια (houses)

That is why we say μερικά αστέρια for some stars.

Could I change the word order to Κοιτάμε το φεγγάρι και μερικά αστέρια στη βόλτα μας? Would it still be correct?

Yes, that word order is also grammatically correct:

Στη βόλτα μας κοιτάμε το φεγγάρι και μερικά αστέρια.
Κοιτάμε το φεγγάρι και μερικά αστέρια στη βόλτα μας.

Both mean essentially the same thing.

Placing Στη βόλτα μας at the beginning slightly emphasizes the occasion/time (during our walk), while putting it at the end feels more like an extra detail added after the main action. But both are natural.

Why does Greek say Στη βόλτα μας κοιτάμε… instead of using a word like “during” as in English?

Greek often uses σε + noun to express ideas like during, on, or at the time of:

Στη δουλειά τρώμε στις 2. = At work / During work we eat at 2.
Στο μάθημα μιλάμε ελληνικά. = In class we speak Greek.
Στη βόλτα μας κοιτάμε το φεγγάρι. = During our walk we look at the moon.

So σε + time/occasion noun replaces an English preposition like during, on, or at depending on context.

How is Στη βόλτα μας κοιτάμε το φεγγάρι και μερικά αστέρια pronounced, especially the contracted parts?

Roughly in IPA:
[sti ˈvolta mas ciˈtame to feˈɣari ce meˈrika aˈsteria]

Key points:

Στη = [sti] (like stee)
βόλτα = [ˈvolta] (stress on βό)
κοιτάμε = [ciˈtame] (the κοι is like kee, stress on τά)
φεγγάρι = [feˈɣari] (soft ɣ like a voiced h in the back of the throat)
μερικά = [meˈrika] (stress on κά)
αστέρια = [aˈsteria] (stress on στέ)

The contraction Στη is smooth; you do not pause between σε and τη—it’s just one syllable: sti.