Από τότε που γεννήθηκα, η μαμά μου κρατάει ημερολόγιο με μικρές ιστορίες για εμένα.

Since I was born, my mom has been keeping a diary with little stories about me.

Breakdown of Από τότε που γεννήθηκα, η μαμά μου κρατάει ημερολόγιο με μικρές ιστορίες για εμένα.

• μου: my
• με: with
• η μαμά: the mom
• για: about
• η ιστορία: the story
• εμένα: me
• κρατάω: to keep
• το ημερολόγιο: the diary
• γεννιέμαι: to be born
• από τότε που: since
• μικρός: little

Questions & Answers about Από τότε που γεννήθηκα, η μαμά μου κρατάει ημερολόγιο με μικρές ιστορίες για εμένα.

What does «Από τότε που» literally mean, and is it used like English “since”?

«Από τότε που» literally means “from the time when”.

• Από = from / since
• τότε = then / that time
• που = that / when (introduces a clause)

In English we’d usually translate the whole phrase as “since” in this context:

• Από τότε που γεννήθηκα → Since I was born

It always needs a clause after it, just like “since the time when…”:

• Από τότε που σε γνώρισα… = Since (the time when) I met you…

What tense and voice is «γεννήθηκα», and why isn’t it just a simple active form?

«γεννήθηκα» is:

• 1st person singular
• aorist
• passive (mediopassive)
• of the verb γεννιέμαι (to be born).

So γεννήθηκα literally means “I was born”, not “I borned”.

Greek normally uses a mediopassive verb for “to be born”:

• Present: γεννιέμαι = I am being born / I am born
• Aorist: γεννήθηκα = I was born (a completed event in the past)

There is no natural active form like “I born myself”; you always say γεννήθηκα to mean “I was born.”

Why is «γεννήθηκα» (a past tense) combined with «κρατάει» (a present tense) in the same sentence?

The combination expresses:

• A finished event in the past → γεννήθηκα (I was born)
• An action that started then and continues up to now → κρατάει (she keeps / has been keeping)

So the meaning is:

• Από τότε που γεννήθηκα, η μαμά μου κρατάει ημερολόγιο…
  → Since I was born, my mum keeps a diary… (i.e. has been keeping it and still does)

In Greek, using the present after «Από τότε που…» is normal when the action is ongoing:

• Από τότε που μετακόμισα, δουλεύω εδώ.
  Since I moved, I work here / I’ve been working here.

What does «κρατάει ημερολόγιο» literally mean? Is κρατάει “hold” or “keep”?

Literally, κρατάει means “holds”. However, in this expression:

• κρατάει ημερολόγιο = “keeps a diary”

So:

• κρατάω / κρατάω ημερολόγιο is the natural way to say “to keep a diary / journal.”

It’s an idiomatic extension: κρατάω can mean “hold,” “keep,” or “maintain,” depending on the context:

• κρατάω ένα ποτήρι = I hold a glass
• κρατάω μυστικό = I keep a secret
• κρατάω ημερολόγιο = I keep a diary

What’s the difference between «κρατάει» and «κρατά» here?

Both are 3rd person singular present of κρατάω (to hold / keep).

• κρατάει is slightly more colloquial / spoken.
• κρατά is a bit shorter and more formal / written, but very common too.

In this sentence, you can say either:

• η μαμά μου κρατάει ημερολόγιο…
• η μαμά μου κρατά ημερολόγιο…

Both mean “my mum keeps a diary…” and are correct.

Why is it «η μαμά μου» and not «μου η μαμά» for “my mum”?

In Greek, the possessive pronoun normally comes after the noun:

• η μαμά μου = my mum
  
  • η μαμά = the mum
  • μου = my

This post‑position is the standard pattern:

• το σπίτι μου = my house
• ο φίλος μου = my friend

You can say η μαμά μου or η μητέρα μου; both mean “my mother”, but:

• η μαμά μου is more informal / affectionate (like “mum / mom / mommy”).
• η μητέρα μου is more formal / neutral (“mother”).

What exactly is «ημερολόγιο» – a diary, a journal, or a calendar?

«το ημερολόγιο» can mean:

1. Diary / journal – a book where you write personal notes or stories
2. Calendar – especially a wall or desk calendar

In this sentence:

• κρατάει ημερολόγιο με μικρές ιστορίες για εμένα
  clearly means “she keeps a diary/journal with little stories about me.”

Context decides whether ημερολόγιο is more like “diary” or “calendar.” Here it is definitely diary/journal.

What does «με μικρές ιστορίες» add, and what does με mean here?

«με μικρές ιστορίες» literally means “with small stories.”

• με = with
• μικρές = small / little / short (feminine plural)
• ιστορίες = stories (feminine plural)

Functionally, it means:

• “a diary containing little stories”
  or
• “a diary filled with short stories” about the speaker.

So με here shows content / accompaniment, not “using stories as a tool.”
It’s similar to English:

• a diary *with short stories about me*

Why is «μικρές» used with «ιστορίες»? What is it agreeing with?

Greek adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.

• ιστορίες = feminine plural, accusative
• So the adjective must also be: feminine plural, accusative → μικρές

Hence:

• μικρές ιστορίες = small / short stories

You could similarly say:

• ωραίες ιστορίες (nice stories)
• παλιές ιστορίες (old stories)

All adjectives change to match ιστορίες in gender (feminine), number (plural), and case (accusative).

What does «για εμένα» mean exactly, and how is it different from «για μένα»?

Both «για εμένα» and «για μένα» mean “for me / about me” here.

• εμένα and μένα are both stressed (strong) forms of μου / με (1st person singular object).
• για εμένα is slightly more formal or emphatic.
• για μένα is more common in everyday speech.

In this sentence:

• μικρές ιστορίες για εμένα
  = “little stories about me / for me.”

The nuance:

• για εμένα can hint at stronger emphasis: for me personally.
• But in most casual contexts, για μένα would sound more natural.

Could the sentence use just «μου» instead of «για εμένα» to mean “about me”?

Not in exactly the same way.

• ημερολόγιο μου (correct: το ημερολόγιό μου) = “my diary” – it expresses possession, not topic.
• ιστορίες μου (correct: ιστορίες μου) = “my stories” (stories that belong to me or that I tell).

But «για εμένα» / «για μένα» means:

• “about me” / “concerning me” / “for me” as the topic.

So:

• κρατάει ημερολόγιο με μικρές ιστορίες για εμένα
  = she keeps a diary whose content is stories about me
  not necessarily that the diary belongs to me.

If you said:

• κρατάει το ημερολόγιό μου
  it would simply mean “she keeps my diary”, with a different meaning.

Why is there a comma after «Από τότε που γεννήθηκα»?

The comma separates:

1. a subordinate time clause:
   
   • Από τότε που γεννήθηκα = Since I was born
2. the main clause:
   
   • η μαμά μου κρατάει ημερολόγιο με μικρές ιστορίες για εμένα
     = my mum keeps a diary with little stories about me.

In Greek, as in English, when a subordinate clause comes first, it is normally followed by a comma:

• Όταν γυρίσω, θα σε πάρω τηλέφωνο.
  When I come back, I’ll call you.

Here the comma marks the end of the time expression and the beginning of the main statement.

Can this sentence be rephrased more simply without changing the meaning much?

Yes, you can keep the same meaning with small stylistic changes, for example:

• Από τότε που γεννήθηκα, η μαμά μου γράφει ημερολόγιο με μικρές ιστορίες για μένα.
  (Since I was born, my mum writes a diary with little stories about me.)

Minor changes:

• γράφει ημερολόγιο instead of κρατάει ημερολόγιο (still OK and natural)
• για μένα instead of για εμένα (more colloquial)

The core structure Από τότε που γεννήθηκα, η μαμά μου … ημερολόγιο με μικρές ιστορίες για (ε)μένα stays the same.