Learn Hardcore Greek: Συνηθίζω να πίνω καφέ κάθε πρωί πριν από τη δουλειά. - I usually drink coffee every morning before work.

Πίνω καφέ κάθε πρωί… = a simple statement of a routine: I drink coffee every morning…
Συνηθίζω να πίνω καφέ κάθε πρωί… = emphasizes the habit as such: I have the habit of drinking coffee every morning / I tend to drink coffee every morning.

So it’s a bit stronger in focusing on the habit, not just the fact.

Why do we need να before πίνω? Is it like “to” in English?

Yes, να here is roughly comparable to English “to” before a verb, but grammatically it’s different.

Greek has no infinitive like “to drink”.
Instead, it uses να + verb to form a kind of subjunctive or “non-finite” verb form.

In Συνηθίζω να πίνω καφέ…:

να introduces the verb πίνω as the thing you are in the habit of doing.
You can think of it like: “I am used to drink(ing) coffee…”, where να πίνω is functioning where English would use “to drink / drinking”.

You cannot say Συνηθίζω πίνω καφέ. After συνηθίζω (when it’s followed by a verb), you must have να.

Why is it πίνω and not πιω after να?

Greek has two basic “aspects” for many verbs:

Imperfective (ongoing / repeated): πίνω
Aorist (single, whole event): πιω

In this sentence we are talking about a regular, repeated habit (every morning), so Greek uses the imperfective form:

να πίνω καφέ = to drink coffee (habitually, generally)

If you used να πιω here, it would sound like a single act (“to have a coffee once”), which clashes with κάθε πρωί (“every morning”).

So:

Συνηθίζω να πίνω καφέ κάθε πρωί = I’m in the habit of (habitually) drinking coffee every morning.
Συνηθίζω να πιω καφέ would be odd in this habitual context.

Could I just say Πίνω καφέ κάθε πρωί πριν από τη δουλειά without Συνηθίζω? What changes?

Yes, that is perfectly correct:

Πίνω καφέ κάθε πρωί πριν από τη δουλειά.

Differences in nuance:

Πίνω καφέ κάθε πρωί… = neutral description of your routine.
Συνηθίζω να πίνω καφέ κάθε πρωί… = adds the idea that this is a settled habit / usual practice, not just a factual routine.

In many everyday situations, you could use either, depending on whether you want to emphasize “this is my habit” or simply “this is what I do”.

Why is there no article before καφέ? Could I say τον καφέ?

In πίνω καφέ, καφέ is treated like an indefinite / mass noun, so Greek often omits the article, similar to English “I drink coffee” (not “the coffee”).

Πίνω καφέ = I drink coffee (in general).
Πίνω τον καφέ = I drink the coffee (a specific coffee that is known in the context: the one on the table, my coffee, etc.).

In your sentence, we’re talking about the general habit of drinking coffee, so no article is most natural:

Συνηθίζω να πίνω καφέ κάθε πρωί…

What form is καφέ here? Why is it stressed like that and without final -ς?

The base (dictionary) form is ο καφές (masculine, nominative singular).

In the sentence, καφέ is:

Accusative singular: (πίνω) καφέ
Object of the verb πίνω (“I drink coffee”).

Declension (singular):

Nominative: ο καφές (subject)
Accusative: τον καφέ (object)

The accent stays on the same syllable (the -φές part), but the final -ς drops in the accusative:

καφές → καφέ

What does κάθε πρωί literally mean, and why is there no article?

κάθε πρωί literally means “every morning / each morning”.

κάθε = every / each
πρωί = morning

With κάθε + noun, Greek does not use the article:

κάθε μέρα = every day
κάθε μήνα = every month
κάθε πρωί = every morning

So κάθε πρωί is the natural way of saying “every morning”, without an article.

Why is it πριν από τη δουλειά? Can I say just πριν τη δουλειά or just πριν από τη δουλειά? What’s the role of από here?

Both πριν τη δουλειά and πριν από τη δουλειά are used in modern Greek and are generally understood the same way in everyday speech:

πριν τη δουλειά = before work
πριν από τη δουλειά = before work

Details:

πριν = before
από = from (here it works together with πριν, almost like a fixed pair)

In modern spoken Greek:

πριν από + noun is very common and slightly more explicit.
πριν + noun is also common and a bit shorter.

So you could say:

πίνω καφέ πριν (από) τη δουλειά
κάθε πρωί πριν (από) τη δουλειά

Your original sentence with πριν από is completely natural.

Why is it τη δουλειά and not just δουλειά without the article?

η δουλειά means “work / job”.

In many everyday expressions about your regular work schedule, Greek often uses the definite article:

πάω στη δουλειά = I go to (my) work
είμαι στη δουλειά = I’m at work
πριν από τη δουλειά = before (my/the) work

It’s similar to English saying “before work” but Greek tends to say “before the work”.

You could sometimes hear πριν από δουλειά, but πριν από τη δουλειά is more standard and natural for “before (going to) work”.

Why do we write τη δουλειά and not την δουλειά?

The full form of the feminine accusative article is την, but in practice:

την often becomes τη before a word starting with a consonant (especially in everyday writing and speech).

So:

την Ελλάδα (starts with vowel → keep the ν)
τη δουλειά (starts with consonant → ν often drops)

You will see both την δουλειά and τη δουλειά in writing; both are understood. Modern spelling usually omits the ν before consonants, especially in more casual texts. Your sentence uses that common shorter form.

Can I move κάθε πρωί or πριν από τη δουλειά to other positions in the sentence?

Yes. Greek word order is fairly flexible. All of these are grammatically correct, with small differences in emphasis:

Συνηθίζω να πίνω καφέ κάθε πρωί πριν από τη δουλειά.
(neutral; both time phrases at the end)
Συνηθίζω κάθε πρωί να πίνω καφέ πριν από τη δουλειά.
(slight emphasis on “every morning” as part of the habit)
Κάθε πρωί συνηθίζω να πίνω καφέ πριν από τη δουλειά.
(stronger emphasis on “every morning”)
Συνηθίζω να πίνω καφέ πριν από τη δουλειά κάθε πρωί.
(focuses a bit more on “before work”; “every morning” is tacked on)

Meaning stays basically the same; you just shift focus slightly depending on what you put early in the sentence.

What tense is συνηθίζω here? Does it mean “I am used to” (a state) or “I get used to” (a process)?

Συνηθίζω is present tense, first person singular of the verb συνηθίζω.

Depending on context, συνηθίζω in the present can mean either:

I am used to / I usually… (a current habit or state):
- Συνηθίζω να πίνω καφέ το πρωί. = I’m in the habit of drinking coffee in the morning.
I get used to / I’m getting used to (a process of becoming accustomed):
- Συνηθίζω τη νέα δουλειά. = I’m getting used to the new job.

In your sentence, with κάθε πρωί and a stable routine, it clearly has the habit / usual behavior meaning:
“I usually / I’m in the habit of drinking coffee every morning before work.”