Learn Hardcore Greek: Παίρνω πάντα μαζί μου σακίδιο με νερό, σνακ και έναν μικρό φακό. - I always take a backpack with me with water, snacks and a small flashlight.

Greek focuses less on the direction (towards or away from the speaker) than English does. So παίρνω often covers both take and bring, especially with μαζί μου (with me), which already shows the idea of carrying something with you.

Why is παίρνω in the present tense? Is it talking about right now or in general?

Here παίρνω is present simple with a habitual meaning:

Παίρνω πάντα μαζί μου σακίδιο...
= I always take a backpack with me... (as a general habit)

Greek uses the present tense for:

actions happening now
habits and general routines

So this sentence is about what the speaker usually/always does, not necessarily what they are doing at this exact moment.

Where can I put πάντα in the sentence? Is παίρνω πάντα the only correct order?

Πάντα (always) can move a bit. The most natural options here are:

Παίρνω πάντα μαζί μου σακίδιο...
Πάντα παίρνω μαζί μου σακίδιο...

Both mean the same: I always take a backpack with me...
The difference is only slight emphasis:

Παίρνω πάντα...: neutral, common.
Πάντα παίρνω...: a bit more emphasis on “always”.

But you can’t just put πάντα anywhere. For example:

❌ Παίρνω μαζί μου πάντα σακίδιο... is possible but sounds less natural here; it tends to emphasize “with me” or the object position in a slightly odd way in this sentence.

What is the role of μαζί μου? Could I say με μένα instead?

Μαζί μου literally means “together with me”, and in practice it means “with me” / “on me” / “in my possession”.

Παίρνω πάντα μαζί μου σακίδιο...
= I always take a backpack with me.

You could say με μένα (with me), but:

μαζί μου is the normal, idiomatic choice in this context.
με μένα would sound more contrastive, like stressing with me (as opposed to someone else).

So here, μαζί μου is the best and most natural expression.

Why is there no article (like ένα) before σακίδιο? Why not ένα σακίδιο?

Both are grammatically correct:

Παίρνω πάντα μαζί μου σακίδιο...
Παίρνω πάντα μαζί μου ένα σακίδιο...

The difference is nuance:

σακίδιο without article:
– more generic/indefinite: I always take a backpack (some backpack, not specified).
– very natural when talking about a habit or typical equipment.
ένα σακίδιο:
– still indefinite, but slightly more specific: a backpack (one backpack).
– may draw a bit more attention to the fact that it’s one backpack.

In casual speech, Greeks often omit the article with direct objects in general statements like this.

What gender is σακίδιο, and why does it end in -ο?

Σακίδιο is neuter.

Singular: το σακίδιο
Plural: τα σακίδια

Many neuter nouns in Greek end in -ο (or -ι, -μα, etc.), so the -ο ending is typical for neuter, not masculine. In the sentence, it appears without the article, but its gender is still neuter.

What exactly does με mean here in σακίδιο με νερό, σνακ και έναν μικρό φακό?

Here με means “with” in the sense of “containing / equipped with”:

σακίδιο με νερό, σνακ και έναν μικρό φακό
= a backpack with water, snacks and a small torch/flashlight.

So με links the backpack to the items it contains or carries. It’s very similar to English “a bag with X, Y and Z inside it”.

Why is there no article before νερό and σνακ?

In Greek, you often omit the article for:

mass nouns used in a general way:
- νερό (water) here means “some water”, not “the water”.
indefinite plural or indefinite items in lists, especially equipment/food:
- σνακ here means “some snacks”.

So:

σακίδιο με νερό, σνακ...
= a backpack with water, snacks... (not specific water or specific snacks)

Adding an article (e.g. το νερό) would make it more specific/definite, which is not needed here.

What is the grammar of σνακ? Is it masculine, feminine, or neuter? Does it change form?

Σνακ is a loanword from English and in practice it is:

treated as neuter
and usually indeclinable (same form in all cases and numbers)

So you commonly see:

Singular: το σνακ
Plural: τα σνακ

Some speakers might also use a Greek-looking plural σνακς, but τα σνακ is very common and safe to use.

Why is it έναν μικρό φακό and not ένα μικρό φακό?

Because φακός is masculine, and in the accusative singular the article is έναν, not ένα.

Nominative: ο φακός (the torch/flashlight)
Accusative: τον φακό (the torch — object)
Indefinite:
- ένας φακός (nominative)
- έναν φακό (accusative)

So the correct phrase is:

έναν μικρό φακό = a small torch/flashlight (as object of the verb)

Why do we say μικρό φακό and not μικρός φακός?

Because μικρός must agree with φακός in case, number and gender.

φακός is masculine.
In this sentence it is the direct object of παίρνω, so it’s in the accusative singular: φακό.
The adjective μικρός in masculine accusative singular is μικρό.

So:

Nominative: μικρός φακός – a small torch (subject)
Accusative: μικρό φακό – a small torch (object)

In the sentence it’s an object, so μικρό φακό is correct.

Does the adjective always come before the noun, like in έναν μικρό φακό?

The normal, neutral order in Greek is:

article + adjective + noun
e.g. έναν μικρό φακό, ένα μεγάλο σπίτι, το καινούριο βιβλίο

You can put the adjective after the noun (e.g. έναν φακό μικρό) but that usually sounds:

marked or emphatic
more like poetic, stylistic, or with special focus on the adjective

In everyday speech, stick to adjective before noun in this kind of phrase.

Is the comma usage in νερό, σνακ και έναν μικρό φακό the same as in English lists?

Very similar:

Items are separated by commas, and
και (= and) is placed before the last item.

So:

νερό, σνακ και έναν μικρό φακό
= water, snacks and a small torch/flashlight

Greek does not normally use an “Oxford comma” (a comma before και) in simple lists like this, so:

❌ νερό, σνακ, και έναν μικρό φακό is not standard in Greek punctuation.

Could I replace παίρνω with κουβαλάω here? Would it change the meaning?

You could say:

Κουβαλάω πάντα μαζί μου σακίδιο με νερό, σνακ και έναν μικρό φακό.

The difference:

παίρνω = take/bring (more neutral, about deciding to take something with you)
κουβαλάω = carry, often with a nuance of effort, weight, or burden

So κουβαλάω makes you picture more the act of physically carrying it (maybe it’s heavy), whereas παίρνω is the standard, neutral choice for “I always take/bring a backpack with me”.