Μαγειρεύω συχνά κοτόπουλο με πατάτες στον φούρνο.

I often cook chicken with potatoes in the oven.

Breakdown of Μαγειρεύω συχνά κοτόπουλο με πατάτες στον φούρνο.

• με: with
• σε: in
• συχνά: often
• ο φούρνος: the oven
• μαγειρεύω: to cook
• το κοτόπουλο: the chicken
• η πατάτα: the potato

Questions & Answers about Μαγειρεύω συχνά κοτόπουλο με πατάτες στον φούρνο.

Why is there no word for I in the sentence? How do we know it means I cook?

In Greek, the personal pronoun (like I, you, he/she) is often dropped because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• Μαγειρεύω ends in -ω, which is the 1st person singular ending in the present tense.
• So μαγειρεύω by itself already means I cook.

You would only add εγώ (εγώ μαγειρεύω) if you wanted to emphasize I (e.g. I cook, not someone else).

What does the tense of μαγειρεύω express? Is it “I cook now” or “I often cook / I cook generally”?

The Greek present tense (here μαγειρεύω) can express:

1. An action happening right now:
   
   • Μαγειρεύω κοτόπουλο. = I am cooking chicken (right now).
2. A habitual / repeated action, especially with an adverb like συχνά (often):
   
   • Μαγειρεύω συχνά κοτόπουλο… = I often cook chicken…

In this sentence, because of συχνά, it clearly means a habit or routine, not something happening only at this moment.

Why is συχνά (often) placed after μαγειρεύω? Can it go in other positions?

Yes, συχνά is flexible in word order. All of these are natural:

• Μαγειρεύω συχνά κοτόπουλο…
• Συχνά μαγειρεύω κοτόπουλο…
• Κοτόπουλο μαγειρεύω συχνά… (more marked/emphatic)

The most neutral positions are:

• Just after the verb: Μαγειρεύω συχνά κοτόπουλο…
• Or at the very beginning: Συχνά μαγειρεύω κοτόπουλο…

Putting it elsewhere is usually for emphasis or stylistic reasons.

Why is κοτόπουλο in that form? What case is it, and why no article (το κοτόπουλο)?

Κοτόπουλο here is:

• Accusative singular neuter: the direct object of μαγειρεύω (What do I cook? → chicken).
• There is no article because the sentence talks about chicken in general, not some specific chicken.

Compare:

• Μαγειρεύω κοτόπουλο. = I cook chicken (as a dish / in general).
• Μαγειρεύω το κοτόπουλο. = I am cooking the chicken (a specific one you and I know about).

Greek often omits the article with non‑specific / generic food, substances, etc., especially in this kind of habitual statement.

Why is πατάτες plural while κοτόπουλο is singular?

This is mostly about how these foods are normally conceptualized:

• Κοτόπουλο is treated like a mass noun (chicken meat), so singular is common: κοτόπουλο.
• Πατάτες (potatoes) are usually thought of as countable separate pieces, so the plural is normal: πατάτες.

You could say:

• Μαγειρεύω πατάτα. – but that would sound like “I cook a/one potato,” which is unusual as a general dish.

What does με mean here? Is it always translated as with?

In this context, με is the preposition with:

• κοτόπουλο με πατάτες = chicken with potatoes.

Common uses of με:

• with (accompaniment): Πηγαίνω με τον φίλο μου. – I go with my friend.
• by (means): Πηγαίνω με το λεωφορείο. – I go by bus.

In this example it clearly shows that potatoes are accompanying the chicken as part of the same dish.

Why do we say στον φούρνο and not just σε φούρνο? What does the article do?

Στον φούρνο is σε + τον φούρνο (“in the oven”).

Here the article τον is used because:

• We mean “in the oven” as the usual cooking device in this context (like “in the oven” in English, not “in some oven or other”).
• In Greek, locations and familiar objects are often used with the definite article:
  
  • στο σχολείο – at (the) school
  • στο σπίτι – at home / at the house
  • στον φούρνο – in the oven

Σε φούρνο (without article) would usually mean “in an oven” in a more indefinite or contrastive way and sounds less natural here.

What exactly is στον? Why not σε τον?

Στον is just a contracted form:

• σε + τον = στον

This contraction is standard and obligatory in normal speech and writing.

Similarly:

• σε + το = στο (neuter)
• σε + την = στην (feminine)

So:

• στον φούρνο – in the oven (masculine)
• στο τραπέζι – on the table (neuter)
• στην κουζίνα – in the kitchen (feminine)

Why is φούρνο in that form? What case is it?

Φούρνο is:

• Accusative singular masculine of ο φούρνος (the oven).

Prepositions like σε take the accusative case in Modern Greek, so:

• ο φούρνος (nominative – subject form)
• στον φούρνο (accusative – after σε)

So the structure is:

• στον (σε + τον) + φούρνο (accusative) → στον φούρνο

Can the word order change, for example: Συχνά μαγειρεύω κοτόπουλο με πατάτες στον φούρνο?

Yes. That version is completely correct and natural:

• Συχνά μαγειρεύω κοτόπουλο με πατάτες στον φούρνο.

Word order in Greek is more flexible than in English because endings show the function of words. Some common alternatives:

• Μαγειρεύω συχνά κοτόπουλο… (neutral, adverb after verb)
• Συχνά μαγειρεύω κοτόπουλο… (slight emphasis on “often”)

Both are fine; the difference is mostly about emphasis and rhythm, not grammar.

Is μαγειρεύω specifically “to cook on the stove,” or can it also mean “to bake/roast in the oven”?

Μαγειρεύω is a general verb for cooking, like to cook in English. It includes:

• Cooking on the stove
• Baking or roasting in the oven
• In general, preparing food by heat

There is also ψήνω, which focuses more on baking/roasting/grilling. You could say:

• Ψήνω κοτόπουλο με πατάτες στον φούρνο.
  = I roast/bake chicken with potatoes in the oven.

But μαγειρεύω … στον φούρνο is perfectly natural and common.

How are the main words in this sentence stressed and pronounced? Anything tricky for English speakers?

Stress (accent) marks show the stressed syllable:

• Μαγειρεύω → ma‑yi‑RE‑vo (μα‑γι‑ρεύ‑ω)
  
  • γ before ε/ι is like a soft “y” sound: γι = yi.
• συχνά → sikh‑NA (σι‑χνά)
  
  • χ is a voiceless kh sound (like German Bach).
• κοτόπουλο → ko‑TO‑pu‑lo (κο‑τό‑που‑λο)
• πατάτες → pa‑TA‑tes (πα‑τά‑τες)
• φούρνο → FOUR‑no (not like English “four,” but Greek ου = oo): FOO‑rno (φούρ‑νο)

Each word has one stress, and you always stress the syllable with the written accent.