Το βράδυ ανάβω τη λάμπα στο σαλόνι και διαβάζω βιβλίο.

In the evening I turn on the lamp in the living room and read a book.

Breakdown of Το βράδυ ανάβω τη λάμπα στο σαλόνι και διαβάζω βιβλίο.

• και: and
• το βράδυ: in the evening
• σε: in
• διαβάζω: to read
• το βιβλίο: the book
• το σαλόνι: the living room
• η λάμπα: the lamp
• ανάβω: to turn on

Questions & Answers about Το βράδυ ανάβω τη λάμπα στο σαλόνι και διαβάζω βιβλίο.

Why does the sentence start with Το βράδυ instead of just Βράδυ or Στο βράδυ?

Το βράδυ literally means the evening, but as a time expression it is best translated as in the evening / at night.

In Greek, time expressions like:

• το πρωί – in the morning
• το μεσημέρι – at noon
• το βράδυ – in the evening

normally use the definite article το and no preposition.

So:

• Το βράδυ διαβάζω. = I read in the evening.

Βράδυ διαβάζω (without the article) sounds incomplete or wrong in standard modern Greek.
Στο βράδυ would be incorrect here; σε + article is not used with these basic time-of-day nouns in this meaning.

What is the exact meaning and use of the verb ανάβω here? Is it the same as ανοίγω?

In this sentence, ανάβω means I turn on / I switch on / I light (a light, a lamp, a fire, a cigarette, etc.).

• ανάβω τη λάμπα = I turn on the lamp / I light the lamp

You will also hear:

• ανοίγω το φως = I turn on the light (literally: I open the light)

Differences in use:

• ανάβω is very natural with things that produce light or flame: lamps, lights, candles, fire, cigarettes.
• ανοίγω is more general: open doors/windows, turn on devices, etc., but is also used colloquially with το φως.

So here ανάβω τη λάμπα is perfectly idiomatic and perhaps a bit more “literal” than ανοίγω τη λάμπα. Both can be understood, but ανάβω is preferable with λάμπα.

Why is it τη λάμπα with the article, but just βιβλίο with no article? Shouldn’t it be ένα βιβλίο for a book?

Good observation:

• τη λάμπα = the lamp (definite article, feminine accusative singular)
• βιβλίο = (a) book with no article

In English you normally need a or the, but in Greek an object without an article can often be understood as an unspecified, generic thing:

• διαβάζω βιβλίο = I read (a) book / I’m reading a book

This is very natural when:

1. The exact identity of the object is not important.
2. We’re talking about an activity in general (reading, drinking, etc.):
   
   • πίνω καφέ = I drink coffee / I’m having coffee
   • βλέπω τηλεόραση = I watch TV

You can say διαβάζω ένα βιβλίο (I am reading a book, one particular book), but διαβάζω βιβλίο is more neutral and often sounds more idiomatic for the general activity.

With τη λάμπα the speaker clearly means a specific, known lamp in that room (the lamp in the living room), so the definite article is natural.

Why is it τη λάμπα and not την λάμπα? When is the -ν at the end of την dropped?

The full feminine accusative article is την, but in modern spelling you often see it as τη before consonants.

The general modern rule (for both τον and την) is:

• Keep the final -ν before vowels and certain consonants (κ, π, τ, ξ, ψ, γκ, μπ, ντ, τσ, τζ).
• It is often dropped before other consonants.

Here the next word is λάμπα, which begins with λ, so you often see:

• τη λάμπα (most common today)

You could also write την λάμπα; it’s not wrong, just a bit more formal or old-fashioned. Both forms are understood. In speech, many people pronounce a light -n or none at all in this position.

What exactly is στο σαλόνι grammatically? How does στο work?

στο is a contraction of:

• σε (in, at, to)
• το (the, neuter singular)

So:

• σε + το σαλόνι → στο σαλόνι = in the living room

This contraction is extremely common and feels like a single word:

• στο σπίτι = at home / in the house
• στο σχολείο = at school
• στο αυτοκίνητο = in the car

Similarly, for masculine and feminine nouns you have:

• σε + τον → στον (e.g. στον κήπο – in the garden)
• σε + την → στην (e.g. στην κουζίνα – in the kitchen)

Why is there no subject pronoun εγώ? How do we know it means I?

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

• ανάβω ends in -ω, which here marks 1st person singular → I turn on
• διαβάζω also has -ω → I read

So the subject εγώ is understood from the verb forms.

You can say Εγώ το βράδυ ανάβω τη λάμπα…, but that adds emphasis on I (as in I do it, not someone else). The neutral, most natural version usually drops the subject pronoun.

What kind of present tense is ανάβω / διαβάζω? Does it mean I do or I am doing?

In modern Greek, the present tense (imperfective aspect) usually covers both:

• I do X (habitually, regularly)
• I am doing X (right now)

So:

• Το βράδυ ανάβω τη λάμπα και διαβάζω βιβλίο.

can mean:

1. Habitual action:
   
   • In the evenings, I (usually) turn on the lamp in the living room and read a book.
2. A description of what happens on a particular evening (context-dependent):
   
   • This evening, I turn on the lamp in the living room and read a book.

Most often, with Το βράδυ it is understood as a habit/routine. Context will clarify whether it’s about a specific evening or a general habit.

Can I change the word order, for example Το βράδυ στο σαλόνι ανάβω τη λάμπα και διαβάζω βιβλίο?

Yes, Greek word order is fairly flexible, but changes in order can give different emphasis. Some possibilities:

• Το βράδυ ανάβω τη λάμπα στο σαλόνι και διαβάζω βιβλίο.
  – Neutral: in the evening, I turn on the lamp in the living room and read a book.

• Το βράδυ στο σαλόνι ανάβω τη λάμπα και διαβάζω βιβλίο.
  – Slightly more emphasis on στο σαλόνι (in the living room in the evening I turn on the lamp…).

• Το βράδυ ανάβω στο σαλόνι τη λάμπα και διαβάζω βιβλίο.
  – Possible, but less natural; the “normal” order is usually verb + direct object + place, i.e. ανάβω τη λάμπα στο σαλόνι.

Greek tends to keep:

1. Verb
2. Direct object (τη λάμπα)
3. Place expression (στο σαλόνι)

But moving parts around is often allowed, mainly to change what is emphasized.

What is the difference between βράδυ and νύχτα? Could I say Τη νύχτα ανάβω τη λάμπα…?

Both refer to the later part of the day, but they are not identical:

• βράδυ = evening / early night (roughly from sunset until later at night)
• νύχτα = night (the dark hours, often when people sleep)

Typical uses:

• Το βράδυ βγαίνω έξω. = I go out in the evening.
• Τη νύχτα κοιμάμαι. = I sleep at night.

You can say:

• Τη νύχτα ανάβω τη λάμπα στο σαλόνι και διαβάζω βιβλίο.

but that now suggests you do this at night, when it’s normally dark and people are sleeping.

The original Το βράδυ… sounds like a more ordinary evening routine.

What cases are the nouns in this sentence, and why? (Το βράδυ, τη λάμπα, στο σαλόνι, βιβλίο)

The cases are:

• Το βράδυ – accusative neuter singular

  • Used here as a time expression meaning in the evening. Time expressions often use the accusative.

• τη λάμπα – accusative feminine singular

  • This is the direct object of ανάβω (what do I turn on? the lamp).

• στο σαλόνι – accusative neuter singular after σε

  • σε + το σαλόνι → στο σαλόνι
  • Prepositions in Greek are typically followed by the accusative case.

• βιβλίο – accusative neuter singular

  • Direct object of διαβάζω (what do I read? a book).

So all the nouns here are in the accusative, but for slightly different reasons: time expression, direct object, and object of a preposition.