Βάζω το τηλέφωνο στην τσάντα μου όταν πάω στο γραφείο.

I put my phone in my bag when I go to the office.

Breakdown of Βάζω το τηλέφωνο στην τσάντα μου όταν πάω στο γραφείο.

• πάω: to go
• μου: my
• το τηλέφωνο: the phone
• το γραφείο: the office

Questions & Answers about Βάζω το τηλέφωνο στην τσάντα μου όταν πάω στο γραφείο.

What tense is βάζω here, and why is it used?

Βάζω is the present tense, active voice, 1st person singular of the verb βάζω (to put).

In this sentence it expresses a habitual action: something you regularly do whenever you go to the office. Greek uses the simple present for habits, just like English does in I put the phone in my bag when I go to the office.

There is also another related form, βάλω (aorist stem), which you would see after να or θα (for example να βάλω, θα βάλω) to talk about a single, completed act. Here, because we’re talking about a general routine, βάζω (present) is the natural choice.

Why do we say το τηλέφωνο and not just τηλέφωνο?

Greek uses the definite article (here το) much more often than English.

• το τηλέφωνο literally = the phone
• In this context it means my (or our) phone, the one that is understood from the situation.

In Greek, when you talk about specific, known things (your phone, your bag, the office you work at), you normally use the definite article:

• το τηλέφωνο = the (known) phone
• η τσάντα = the (known) bag
• το γραφείο = the (known) office / my workplace

So Βάζω το τηλέφωνο… is the natural everyday way to say I put (my) phone….

What does στην mean, and why isn’t it σε την?