Learn Hardcore Greek: Τώρα σφουγγαρίζω το πάτωμα μόνο μία φορά την εβδομάδα με ένα παλιό σφουγγάρι. - Now I mop the floor only once a week with an old sponge.

Why is the verb σφουγγαρίζω in the present tense here? In English I might say “I am mopping the floor” or “I mop the floor”. Which one is it in Greek?

Greek present tense σφουγγαρίζω covers both:

I mop the floor (in general / as a habit)
I am mopping the floor (right now)

In this specific sentence, because we have μόνο μία φορά την εβδομάδα (only once a week), the meaning is clearly habitual:
Τώρα σφουγγαρίζω το πάτωμα μόνο μία φορά την εβδομάδα…
= Now I (only) mop the floor once a week…

So Greek uses the simple present to express a regular habit, where English uses the simple present too (“I mop the floor…”), but the context “now” also sounds like we’re talking about the current habit, not what is happening at this moment.

What exactly does σφουγγαρίζω mean? Does it mean “to mop” or “to sponge”?

σφουγγαρίζω literally means to wipe/clean using a sponge or mop. In practice, its main everyday meaning is:

to mop (the floor)

It comes from the noun σφουγγάρι (sponge). Historically, floors were washed with a sponge, then the same verb was used for using a mop.

So:

σφουγγαρίζω το πάτωμα = I mop the floor / I sponge-clean the floor
In modern everyday Greek, people will understand it as I mop the floor.

Why is there an article in το πάτωμα? In English we can say “I mop the floor” without “the” sometimes, or with it. Is the article required in Greek?

In Greek, you almost always use the definite article with singular countable nouns in cases like this.

σφουγγαρίζω το πάτωμα literally = I mop *the floor.*

Leaving out the article (σφουγγαρίζω πάτωμα) is grammatically possible but sounds odd or incomplete in normal speech. Greek uses articles more consistently than English does.

So in this context, το is natural and basically required.

What is the difference between πάτωμα and δάπεδο? Can I use δάπεδο here?

Both mean floor, but:

πάτωμα – everyday, colloquial, what you normally say at home:
- Σφουγγαρίζω το πάτωμα.
δάπεδο – more formal/technical, often used in architecture, documents, instructions:
- Το δάπεδο είναι από μάρμαρο. (The floor is made of marble.)

You can say σφουγγαρίζω το δάπεδο, and it’s correct, but for normal home talk πάτωμα is more natural.

Why do we say μόνο μία φορά την εβδομάδα? How is this structure put together grammatically?

The phrase breaks down like this:

μόνο = only
μία = one (feminine form, agreeing with φορά)
φορά = time, occasion
την εβδομάδα = (per) week, literally the week

So literally: only one time the week = only once a week.

Grammar points:

μία agrees in gender with φορά (feminine).
φορά and την εβδομάδα are both in the accusative, which is typical for expressions of frequency and duration.
την εβδομάδα is a fixed pattern meaning per week.

You can use the same pattern with other time units, e.g.:

δύο φορές την ημέρα – twice a day
τρεις φορές τον μήνα – three times a month

Why μία and not μια? Are they different words?

They are the same word: the feminine form of “one” (ένας / μία (or μια) / ένα).

μία – more “full” spelling, slightly more formal or careful.
μια – shorter, very common in everyday writing and speech.

In this sentence you could write:

μόνο μία φορά την εβδομάδα
or
μόνο μια φορά την εβδομάδα

Both are correct and sound the same in most dialects (often pronounced like “mia”).

Why is φορἀ feminine? How do I know to use μία and not έναν?

The noun η φορά (time, occasion) is inherently feminine. Its dictionary form is:

η φορά – the time/occasion
μια/μία φορά – one time / once

So the numeral must agree in gender:

ένας – masculine (e.g. ένας άνθρωπος)
μία / μια – feminine (e.g. μία φορά)
ένα – neuter (e.g. ένα παιδί)

We know φορά is feminine because of:

its article: η φορά
its ending -ά (often, but not always, feminine)

Why do we use την εβδομάδα with the article, instead of just εβδομάδα?

In Greek, expressions of frequency often use a time word in the accusative with the definite article:

την εβδομάδα – per week
την ημέρα – per day
τον μήνα – per month
τον χρόνο – per year

So:

μία φορά την εβδομάδα – once a week
δύο φορές την ημέρα – twice a day

Saying μία φορά εβδομάδα without την is not natural; the article is part of the standard pattern.

What is the role of μόνο here? Could it go somewhere else in the sentence?

μόνο means only, and it limits what follows it:

μόνο μία φορά την εβδομάδα – only once a week

You can move μόνο to emphasize different parts, but the basic meaning stays similar. Some possible positions:

Τώρα σφουγγαρίζω το πάτωμα μόνο μία φορά την εβδομάδα.
(neutral: I now mop the floor only once a week.)
Τώρα μόνο σφουγγαρίζω το πάτωμα μία φορά την εβδομάδα.
(slight emphasis on “it’s only now that I mop once a week”.)
Μόνο τώρα σφουγγαρίζω το πάτωμα μία φορά την εβδομάδα.
(emphasizes “only now”, as opposed to before.)

The most natural for “I mop the floor only once a week” is the original: μόνο μία φορά την εβδομάδα.

Why is σφουγγάρι neuter, and why is the adjective παλιό also neuter?

Nouns in Greek have grammatical gender. The noun:

το σφουγγάρι – the sponge (neuter)

Because it is neuter, any adjectives and articles referring to it must also be neuter:

ένα παλιό σφουγγάρι
- ένα – neuter indefinite article
- παλιό – neuter form of παλιός / παλιά / παλιό (old)
- σφουγγάρι – neuter noun

They all agree in gender (neuter), number (singular), and case (accusative here, as the object of με).

What does με do in με ένα παλιό σφουγγάρι? Is this like the instrumental case in other languages?

Yes, με here plays the role that some languages express with an instrumental case. It means with / using:

με ένα παλιό σφουγγάρι = with an old sponge

So:

Σφουγγαρίζω το πάτωμα με ένα σφουγγάρι.
= I mop the floor with a sponge.

Greek doesn’t have a separate instrumental case; instead, it uses the preposition με + accusative.

Why is τώρα at the beginning of the sentence? Can it go somewhere else?

τώρα means now, and it can move around quite freely in the sentence. All of these are possible:

Τώρα σφουγγαρίζω το πάτωμα μόνο μία φορά την εβδομάδα…
Σφουγγαρίζω τώρα το πάτωμα μόνο μία φορά την εβδομάδα…
Σφουγγαρίζω το πάτωμα τώρα μόνο μία φορά την εβδομάδα…

The basic meaning stays the same: it refers to the current period / current situation (“These days, I only mop once a week”).

Putting τώρα at the very start is very common and slightly emphasizes the contrast with the past (e.g. “Now, I mop only once a week, not every day like before.”).

Could I say Καθαρίζω το πάτωμα instead of Σφουγγαρίζω το πάτωμα? What’s the difference?

You can, but the meaning is slightly different:

σφουγγαρίζω το πάτωμα – I mop the floor (specifically with water/mop/sponge).
καθαρίζω το πάτωμα – I clean the floor (more general: could be sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, etc.).

So your sentence becomes less specific about the method:

Τώρα καθαρίζω το πάτωμα μόνο μία φορά την εβδομάδα…
= Now I clean the floor only once a week… (not necessarily mopping)

Is there a more natural way in Greek to say “once a week” than μία φορά την εβδομάδα?

μία/μια φορά την εβδομάδα is already the standard and very natural.

Another common option is using κάθε (every):

Τώρα σφουγγαρίζω το πάτωμα κάθε εβδομάδα.
= Now I mop the floor every week.

But this loses the idea of “only *once per week”. To keep the exact meaning “once a week”, *μία φορά την εβδομάδα is what you normally use.