Learn Hardcore Greek: Ο ταχυδρόμος παραδίδει το πακέτο το πρωί. - The mail carrier delivers the package in the morning.

So the basic structure is:
Subject – Verb – Object – Time
Ο ταχυδρόμος παραδίδει το πακέτο το πρωί.
The postman delivers the package in the morning.

Why is it Ο ταχυδρόμος but το πακέτο and το πρωί? Why does the article change?

Because the article agrees with the gender of the noun:

Ο is the masculine singular nominative article
- ο ταχυδρόμος → a masculine noun: the postman
το is the neuter singular nominative/accusative article
- το πακέτο → neuter noun: the package
- το πρωί → neuter noun: the morning

So:

Masculine: ο (sg), οι (pl)
Neuter: το (sg), τα (pl)

How do I know that Ο ταχυδρόμος is the subject and το πακέτο is the object? The word order looks like English, but is that the only clue?

The main clue is case, not just word order:

Ο ταχυδρόμος is nominative → typical subject case
το πακέτο is accusative → typical direct object case

For neuter nouns, the nominative and accusative forms are identical (το πακέτο in both cases), so you mostly rely on:

The position in the sentence (subject usually comes before the verb).
The fact that there is already a clear nominative subject (ο ταχυδρόμος).

Greek can change word order more freely because case endings show who is doing what, but in simple sentences it often mirrors English: Subject–Verb–Object.

Why do we use the article with Ο ταχυδρόμος? In English we might just say “A postman delivers the package in the morning”.

Modern Greek uses the definite article much more than English:

Ο ταχυδρόμος is usually understood as the postman (a specific one)
If you wanted to say a postman in Greek, you’d normally say ένας ταχυδρόμος.

In many neutral, context-free example sentences, Greek prefers the definite article, even where English could use either a or the. So:

Ο ταχυδρόμος παραδίδει το πακέτο το πρωί.
Literally: The postman delivers the package in the morning.

What tense and person is παραδίδει? How is it formed?

παραδίδει is:

Present tense
3rd person singular
Verb: παραδίδω (I deliver)

Mini-paradigm in the present:

(εγώ) παραδίδω – I deliver
(εσύ) παραδίδεις – you deliver (singular)
(αυτός/αυτή/αυτό) παραδίδει – he/she/it delivers
(εμείς) παραδίδουμε – we deliver
(εσείς) παραδίδετε – you deliver (plural / formal)
(αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά) παραδίδουν(ε) – they deliver

Here αυτός (he) is understood from the verb ending, so we don’t need to say it.

Does παραδίδει mean a one-time action or a habitual action like “delivers (regularly)”?

The present tense in Greek usually expresses:

Habitual / repeated actions:
- Ο ταχυδρόμος παραδίδει το πακέτο το πρωί.
  → He (usually/regularly) delivers the package in the morning.

It can also describe:

Actions happening right now, if context makes that clear.

So this sentence most naturally suggests a habit / routine, similarly to English “The postman delivers the package in the morning.”

Why is there no word for “in” before το πρωί? Why isn’t it “στο πρωί” or something like that?

Greek very often uses bare accusative nouns with an article to express time:

το πρωί – (in) the morning
το βράδυ – (in) the evening
κάθε μέρα – every day
την Κυριακή – (on) Sunday

So το πρωί by itself already means “in the morning”.
You do not say στο πρωί in this meaning.

Contrast:

Το πρωί παραδίδει το πακέτο. → In the morning, he delivers the package.
Στο πρωί της Δευτέρας… → At the morning of Monday… (rare and very specific/poetic)

Why do we repeat το in το πακέτο το πρωί? Could we just say το πακέτο πρωί?

Each noun phrase in Greek normally has its own article:

το πακέτο – the package
το πρωί – the morning

They are two separate phrases:

παραδίδει [το πακέτο] [το πρωί]
delivers [the package] [in the morning]

Leaving out the article would sound wrong here:

✗ παραδίδει το πακέτο πρωί – ungrammatical / very unnatural

So you need το before both πακέτο and πρωί.

How is το πρωί pronounced, especially the οι?

Pronunciation (rough guide):

το – [to], like “toh”
πρωί – [proˈi]

Details:

πρ → like pr in “pro”
ω → like o in “bought” (a long o sound)
οι → pronounced /i/ (like ee in “see”)

The stress mark (´) in πρωί shows that the second syllable is stressed:
πρω-Ί → pro-EE.

Can I change the word order? For example, can I say Το πακέτο παραδίδει ο ταχυδρόμος το πρωί?

Yes, Greek allows more flexible word order, but:

Ο ταχυδρόμος παραδίδει το πακέτο το πρωί.
→ neutral, straightforward statement.
Το πακέτο παραδίδει ο ταχυδρόμος το πρωί.
→ emphasizes το πακέτο (the package), something like:
“It’s the package that the postman delivers in the morning.”

The cases (ο – nominative, το – accusative) still tell you who is subject and who is object. Changing word order usually changes emphasis, not basic meaning.

Why don’t we say the pronoun αυτός for he? Shouldn’t it be Αυτός ο ταχυδρόμος παραδίδει…?

Greek is a pro-drop language: subject pronouns are often omitted, because the verb ending already shows the person:

παραδίδει → clearly 3rd person singular (he/she/it)

You only add pronouns like αυτός when you want to:

Emphasize who is doing the action (contrast):
- Αυτός παραδίδει το πακέτο, όχι ο Γιάννης.
  He delivers the package, not Giannis.
Make something extra clear in context.

In this simple sentence there is no need for αυτός.

Is πακέτο always neuter? How does it change in plural?

Yes, πακέτο is a neuter noun.

Singular:

το πακέτο – the package

Plural:

τα πακέτα – the packages

Pattern:
-ο → -α in the plural for many neuter nouns.

Example:

Το πακέτο είναι βαρύ. – The package is heavy.
Τα πακέτα είναι βαριά. – The packages are heavy.

Is there a simpler or more common verb than παραδίδει for “delivers / hands over”?

Yes, you might also hear:

δίνει – gives (from δίνω)
- Ο ταχυδρόμος δίνει το πακέτο το πρωί.
  → The postman gives the package in the morning.

But παραδίδω is the more precise word for “deliver, hand over (officially)”, which fits well with a postman. So in a postal/delivery context, παραδίδει is very natural.