Learn Hardcore Greek: Μου αρέσει να βλέπω τη θάλασσα μέσα από το παράθυρο στο ξενοδοχείο. - I like to see the sea through the window at the hotel.

English: I like the sea.
Subject: I
Object: the sea
Greek: Μου αρέσει η θάλασσα.
Literal structure: The sea pleases me.
Subject: η θάλασσα (what is pleasing)
Indirect object: μου (to me)

So in Μου αρέσει να βλέπω τη θάλασσα…, the real (grammatical) subject of αρέσει is the whole clause να βλέπω τη θάλασσα μέσα από το παράθυρο στο ξενοδοχείο (the activity of seeing the sea), and μου means to me.

You almost never say Εγώ αρέσω η θάλασσα; that would be wrong. Αρέσω can mean I am pleasing (e.g. Νομίζω ότι του αρέσω = I think he likes me), but you do not use it to say I like X. For that, you always use Μου αρέσει / Μου αρέσουν + something.

Why is it μου and not με in Μου αρέσει?

Greek has different forms of the pronoun I / me depending on grammatical role:

εγώ = I (subject)
με = me (direct object, accusative)
μου = (to) me / my (indirect object or possessive, genitive)

The verb αρέσει takes the person who experiences the liking in the genitive case, not the accusative. So you say:

Μου αρέσει η θάλασσα. = The sea is pleasing to me.
Του αρέσει η θάλασσα. = The sea is pleasing to him.
Σας αρέσει η θάλασσα; = Is the sea pleasing to you?

Using με would be wrong here. Με is used with verbs that take a direct object:

Με βλέπεις; = Do you see me?
Με αγαπάει. = He/she loves me.

So: αρέσει + μου, βλέπω + με.

Why is it αρέσει (singular) and not αρέσουν in this sentence?

The verb αρέσει agrees in number with the thing that is liked (the subject), not with the person who likes it.

In the sentence:

Μου αρέσει να βλέπω τη θάλασσα…
The subject is the whole action να βλέπω τη θάλασσα…, which counts as one thing, so you use the singular: αρέσει.

Compare:

Μου αρέσει η θάλασσα. = I like the sea. (one thing → αρέσει)
Μου αρέσουν οι θάλασσες. = I like seas. (plural → αρέσουν)
Μου αρέσει να διαβάζω. = I like reading. (activity, singular)
Μου αρέσουν τα βιβλία. = I like books. (plural noun)

What exactly does να do in να βλέπω? Is it like the English to?

Να introduces what in traditional grammar is called the subjunctive. Modern Greek doesn’t have an infinitive form like English to see, to go. Instead, it uses να + verb.

So:

να βλέπω ≈ to see / to be seeing
να πάω ≈ to go
να διαβάζω ≈ to read / to be reading

In Μου αρέσει να βλέπω τη θάλασσα…, the να-clause functions like a noun phrase:

Μου αρέσει [να βλέπω τη θάλασσα…].
= I like [seeing the sea…].

So yes, functionally it’s similar to English to here, but grammatically it’s the marker of the subjunctive.

Why is it να βλέπω and not να δω? What is the difference?

Greek verbs have two main aspects in the να-forms:

Imperfective aspect: να βλέπω
Ongoing, repeated, or habitual action.
Focus on the process or duration: seeing / watching.
Perfective aspect: να δω
A single, complete event.
Focus on the result or one-time occurrence: to see (once, at some point).

In your sentence:

Μου αρέσει να βλέπω τη θάλασσα…
Means I enjoy the activity of looking at the sea, general/habitual.

If you said Μου αρέσει να δω τη θάλασσα, it would sound odd, because να δω suggests one specific moment of seeing, which doesn’t match I like (in general). You use να δω in things like:

Θέλω να δω τη θάλασσα. = I want to see the sea (at least once).
Πρέπει να δω τη θάλασσα. = I must see the sea.

For general likes/preferences, the imperfective (να βλέπω, να τρώω, να διαβάζω) is the norm.

Why do we say τη θάλασσα and not just θάλασσα?

Greek uses the definite article much more often than English, especially with:

General categories
Abstract nouns
Things that are clear from context

In να βλέπω τη θάλασσα, τη θάλασσα can mean either:

The specific sea you can see from that hotel, or
The sea in general, as a type of view

Both ways, Greek tends to use the article:

Μου αρέσει η θάλασσα. = I like the sea / the seaside.
Σ’ αρέσει ο χειμώνας; = Do you like winter?

If you said να βλέπω θάλασσα, it’s still possible, but it changes nuance slightly: it sounds more like to see some sea / any sea, more indefinite, and is less neutral/natural in this context. The safest normal version is τη θάλασσα.

Why is it τη θάλασσα and not η θάλασσα? What is this τη form?

Η θάλασσα is a feminine noun. Greek articles change form depending on the case:

Feminine singular:

η θάλασσα = nominative (subject)
τη θάλασσα = accusative (direct object)

In your sentence:

να βλέπω τη θάλασσα…
Here, τη θάλασσα is what you see, so it is the direct object, and Greek uses the accusative → τη.

Compare:

Η θάλασσα είναι όμορφη. = The sea is beautiful. (subject → nominative η)
Βλέπω τη θάλασσα. = I see the sea. (object → accusative τη)

What does μέσα από mean exactly, and how is it different from just από?

από on its own can mean from, out of, by, via.
μέσα από literally means from inside (something) → through.

In the sentence:

…να βλέπω τη θάλασσα μέσα από το παράθυρο…
= …to see the sea through the window…

Nuances:

από το παράθυρο = from the window / out of the window
(can already mean through the window in practice)
μέσα από το παράθυρο = more clearly: from inside, through the glass, emphasizing you’re inside looking through it

You can say both:

Βλέπω τη θάλασσα από το παράθυρο.
Βλέπω τη θάλασσα μέσα από το παράθυρο.

The second feels a bit more visual and explicit about looking through the window pane.

Could I leave out μέσα and just say από το παράθυρο in this sentence?

Yes, absolutely.

Μου αρέσει να βλέπω τη θάλασσα από το παράθυρο στο ξενοδοχείο.
is completely natural and commonly said.

With από το παράθυρο: default, very common way to say from / through the window.
With μέσα από το παράθυρο: adds a slight emphasis on from the inside looking out, often a bit more descriptive or poetic.

Neither is wrong; από το παράθυρο might be even more frequent in everyday speech.

What is στο in στο ξενοδοχείο? How is it formed?

Στο is a contraction of the preposition σε + the neuter definite article το:

σε + το = στο

So:

σε = in, at, to, on (very general preposition)
το ξενοδοχείο = the hotel
στο ξενοδοχείο = at the hotel / in the hotel

Similarly:

σε + την = στην (feminine)
σε + τον = στον (masculine)

Examples:

Στο σπίτι. = at home / in the house.
Στην κουζίνα. = in the kitchen.
Στον κήπο. = in the garden.

In στο ξενοδοχείο, does στο mean “at the hotel” or “to the hotel”? How do I know?

Σε / στο can mean both in/at and to, depending on the verb:

With a verb of motion → usually to:
- Πηγαίνω στο ξενοδοχείο. = I am going to the hotel.
- Τρέχω στο σπίτι. = I run to the house.
With a verb of being / location / perception → usually in/at:
- Είμαι στο ξενοδοχείο. = I am at the hotel.
- Μου αρέσει να βλέπω τη θάλασσα… στο ξενοδοχείο.
  = I like to see the sea… at the hotel.

So you read στο as at / in or to based on the context and the main verb.

Why is μου placed before αρέσει? Can I say Αρέσει μου?

Clitic pronouns like μου, σου, του, της, μας, σας, τους normally go before the verb in simple statements:

Μου αρέσει.
Μου το δίνεις.
Του μιλάω.

After the verb is possible in some cases, but more restricted and usually sounds emphatic or old-fashioned in this structure:

Αρέσει μου sounds poetic/archaic or dialectal, not standard neutral speech.

For everyday, standard modern Greek, you should say:

Μου αρέσει να βλέπω τη θάλασσα…
not Αρέσει μου να βλέπω τη θάλασσα…

Could I use κοιτάω instead of βλέπω? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say:

Μου αρέσει να κοιτάω τη θάλασσα μέσα από το παράθυρο στο ξενοδοχείο.

Difference in nuance:

βλέπω = to see (neutral perception: the sea is visible to me)
κοιτάω / κοιτάζω = to look (actively look at, gaze at)

So:

να βλέπω τη θάλασσα = to see the sea (it’s in my field of vision)
να κοιτάω τη θάλασσα = to (actively) look at / watch the sea

In this context, both are natural. Κοιτάω emphasizes the intentional act of looking; βλέπω is a bit more neutral.