Learn Hardcore Greek: Κάθε απόγευμα κάνω μια μικρή βόλτα στο πάρκο. - Every afternoon I take a short walk in the park.

…but when you want the idea of going for a walk as an activity, κάνω βόλτα (often with an adjective like μικρή, μεγάλη, ωραία etc.) is the most common pattern.

Why is it Κάθε απόγευμα (singular “afternoon”) and not a plural like “τα απογεύματα”?

In Greek, when you say “every + time word”, you usually use:

κάθε + singular

So:

κάθε μέρα = every day
κάθε βράδυ = every evening
κάθε Σάββατο = every Saturday
κάθε απόγευμα = every afternoon

The noun after κάθε is grammatically singular, even though in English we say “every afternoon” (also singular) but conceptually think of a repeated series.

You could also say:

Τα απογεύματα κάνω μια μικρή βόλτα στο πάρκο. = In the afternoons I take a small walk in the park.

This is similar in meaning, but κάθε απόγευμα is a bit more explicitly “every single afternoon”.

What is the function of κάθε here exactly? Is it an article or an adjective?

Κάθε is an indefinite adjective/pronoun meaning “every / each”.

In Κάθε απόγευμα κάνω…:

κάθε modifies απόγευμα
together they form the time phrase “every afternoon”

Grammar notes:

κάθε does not change form for gender, number, or case: it always looks the same.
The noun does change normally (e.g. κάθε άνθρωπο, κάθε γυναίκα), but here απόγευμα is neuter and has the same form for nominative and accusative, so you don’t see a change.

It is not an article; the sentence has no definite or indefinite article before απόγευμα.

Why is it μια μικρή βόλτα and not έναν μικρή βόλτα or ένα μικρή βόλτα?

Because βόλτα is a feminine noun.

Indefinite article “a/an” in Greek:

masculine: ένας
feminine: μία / μια
neuter: ένα

So with βόλτα (feminine):

μια (or μία) βόλτα = a walk

The adjective must match the noun in gender, number, and case:

μικρός (masc.)
μικρή (fem.)
μικρό (neut.)

Since βόλτα is feminine singular accusative, the adjective is also feminine singular accusative: μικρή.

So the only correct combination here is:

μια μικρή βόλτα = a small walk

Forms like έναν μικρή βόλτα or ένα μικρή βόλτα are grammatically wrong because the article and adjective wouldn’t agree in gender with βόλτα.

What’s the difference between μια and μία? Which one is right here?

In modern usage, both spellings appear, but there is a functional distinction often taught:

μια (without accent) = indefinite article “a/an” (feminine)
μία (with accent, pronounced mí-a by some speakers) = numeral “one” (feminine)

In everyday writing many people don’t strictly follow this and use μια almost everywhere.

In this sentence, you mean “a small walk”, not “one small walk”, so the indefinite article is intended:

κάνω μια μικρή βόλτα

Writing μία here isn’t wrong in practice—you will see it—but μια is more consistent with the “article vs. numeral” distinction.

Why is it μικρή βόλτα and not βόλτα μικρή? Is the adjective order fixed?

The most neutral, common order in Greek is:

article + adjective + noun
μια μικρή βόλτα

This is like English “a small walk”.

You can put the adjective after the noun (βόλτα μικρή), but then it often sounds:

more poetic or emphatic, or
like you’re contrasting qualities: μια βόλτα μικρή αλλά ωραία (“a walk small but nice”).

In everyday speech, μια μικρή βόλτα is the normal, unmarked order.

What exactly is στο in στο πάρκο?

Στο is a contraction of:

σε (preposition: in, at, to) +
το (neuter singular definite article: the)

So:

σε + το = στο
σε + την = στην
σε + τους = στους

In στο πάρκο:

σε = in/at/to
το πάρκο = the park
στο πάρκο = in the park / to the park

Greek σε covers both location (“in/at”) and direction (“to”), and context usually tells you which is meant. Here, given the idea of walking around inside the park, “in the park” is the natural translation.

What tense and aspect is κάνω here, and why is it used for a habit?

Κάνω is:

present tense,
imperfective aspect,
first person singular: “I do / I make”.

In Greek, the present (imperfective) is used for:

actions happening right now, and
habitual or repeated actions.

So with a time phrase like κάθε απόγευμα, the present tense naturally means:

“Every afternoon, I (usually) take a short walk in the park.”

You don’t need a special “habitual” form; present + κάθε already expresses that.

Can I move κάθε απόγευμα to another place in the sentence?

Yes, Greek word order is fairly flexible. All of these are grammatical, with slightly different emphasis but the same basic meaning:

Κάθε απόγευμα κάνω μια μικρή βόλτα στο πάρκο.
Κάνω κάθε απόγευμα μια μικρή βόλτα στο πάρκο.
Κάνω μια μικρή βόλτα στο πάρκο κάθε απόγευμα.

The most natural/neutral versions are usually the first and third.

Placing κάθε απόγευμα at the beginning highlights the time frame first; placing it at the end feels more like an afterthought or extra information.

Could I just say Κάθε απόγευμα κάνω βόλτα στο πάρκο without μικρή? Does μικρή add anything special?

Yes, you can say:

Κάθε απόγευμα κάνω βόλτα στο πάρκο.

This simply means “Every afternoon I go for a walk in the park.”

Adding μικρή adds the nuance of shortness / briefness:

μια μικρή βόλτα = a short (not long) walk

So the original sentence suggests that the walk is not very long—more like a small daily habit or quick outing.

How would I make this sentence negative in Greek?

To make it negative, put δεν directly before the verb:

Κάθε απόγευμα δεν κάνω μια μικρή βόλτα στο πάρκο.

More natural is often to keep the same word order and just add δεν:

Κάθε απόγευμα δεν κάνω βόλτα στο πάρκο. = Every afternoon I don’t go for a walk in the park.

In speech you’ll often hear δε instead of δεν before consonants, but δεν is the standard written form.