Learn Hardcore Greek: Κάθε βράδυ μαζεύω τα βιβλία μου από το τραπέζι. - Every night I clear my books off the table.

Using an article here (η κάθε βραδιά, etc.) would sound unusual or would emphasize “each particular evening” in a more marked way. For normal “every X” (habitual) expressions, it’s just κάθε + noun, no article.

Does κάθε βράδυ mean “every night” or “every evening”? Is there a difference?

Βράδυ covers both “evening” and the earlier part of “night” in Greek. Context decides how you translate it:

Κάθε βράδυ βλέπω τηλεόραση.
→ Every evening I watch TV.
Κάθε βράδυ δουλεύω μέχρι αργά.
→ Every night I work until late.

If you want to make it feel more like late night, Greek often uses νύχτα:

Κάθε νύχτα = every night (late, dark hours)

Here, κάθε βράδυ is most naturally “every evening,” but “every night” is also fine depending on context.

What exactly does μαζεύω mean here? Is it “pick up,” “gather,” or “tidy up”?

Μαζεύω is quite flexible; its core idea is “gather together / collect.” In this sentence it naturally means:

to pick up and put away
to collect and tidy up

So μαζεύω τα βιβλία μου από το τραπέζι implies taking the books from the table and putting them where they belong. Possible English translations:

I pick up my books from the table.
I put my books away from the table.
I clear my books off the table.

Context decides which English verb sounds best, but μαζεύω itself covers that whole idea of “gather and remove.”

Why is μαζεύω in the present tense if it describes a habit?

In Greek, the simple present is the normal tense for habits and routines, just like in English:

Κάθε βράδυ μαζεύω τα βιβλία μου.
→ Every evening I pick up my books.

The presence of κάθε (“every”) already makes it clear that this is a repeated, habitual action. You don’t need a separate tense for that; the plain present (μαζεύω) is enough.

If you wanted to talk about a past habit, you would switch to the imperfect:

Κάθε βράδυ μάζευα τα βιβλία μου.
→ Every evening I used to pick up my books.

Why do we say τα βιβλία with the article? Could you also just say μαζεύω βιβλία?

Greek uses the definite article much more than English, especially when the thing is specific or known:

τα βιβλία μου = my (specific) books
βιβλία (without article) = (some) books / books in general

In this sentence, we’re talking about my particular books that are on the table, so the article is natural:

μαζεύω τα βιβλία μου από το τραπέζι
→ I pick up my (specific) books from the table.

If you said:

Μαζεύω βιβλία από το τραπέζι.

it would sound like “I pick up books from the table” in a more non‑specific or generic sense, not clearly “my books.” The article + μου combination makes them very clearly “my (definite) books.”

Why is μου placed after τα βιβλία? Can it go before the noun?

In Greek, short possessive pronouns like μου, σου, του, της, μας, σας, τους usually come after the noun:

το βιβλίο μου = my book
τα βιβλία μου = my books
το σπίτι σου = your house

You can put a possessive before a noun with a different form:

το δικό μου βιβλίο = my (own) book
τα δικά μου βιβλία = my own books

This adds emphasis, like saying “my own books (not someone else’s).”

So:

τα βιβλία μου = my books (neutral)
τα δικά μου βιβλία = my books (as opposed to other people’s)

What case are τα βιβλία and το τραπέζι, and why?

Both τα βιβλία and το τραπέζι are in the accusative case, because:

τα βιβλία is the direct object of μαζεύω (what do I pick up? → the books).
το τραπέζι is the object of the preposition από (from where? → from the table).

Forms:

το βιβλίο (nom. sg.) → το βιβλίο (acc. sg.)
τα βιβλία (nom. pl.) → τα βιβλία (acc. pl.)
το τραπέζι (nom. sg.) → το τραπέζι (acc. sg.)

Neuter nouns have the same form in nominative and accusative, so they look identical in writing; the function in the sentence (subject vs object) tells you which case they are.

What is the role of από in από το τραπέζι? Could we use another preposition?

Από basically means “from” and often carries the idea “from / off a surface or place.”

Here:

από το τραπέζι = from the table / off the table

Some contrasts:

στο τραπέζι = on the table / to the table
πάνω στο τραπέζι = on top of the table
κάτω από το τραπέζι = under the table

You wouldn’t replace από with σε here, because σε means “to / in / at / on,” not “from.” You want to express removal, so από is the correct preposition.

Why is it από το τραπέζι and not απ’ το τραπέζι? Are both correct?

Both are correct; the difference is pronunciation and style, not grammar.

από το τραπέζι – full form (more careful, often in writing)
απ’ το τραπέζι – elided, more natural in fast / casual speech

The vowel ο at the end of από drops before το, and you’re left with απ’ το. In writing, you’ll see both, with από το being slightly more formal or careful.

Can the word order change? For example, can I say Μαζεύω κάθε βράδυ τα βιβλία μου από το τραπέζι?

Yes, word order in Greek is quite flexible. All of these are possible and natural, just with slightly different rhythm or emphasis:

Κάθε βράδυ μαζεύω τα βιβλία μου από το τραπέζι.
(Neutral; starts with the time expression.)
Μαζεύω κάθε βράδυ τα βιβλία μου από το τραπέζι.
(Slight emphasis on the action “I pick up…”)
Μαζεύω τα βιβλία μου από το τραπέζι κάθε βράδυ.
(Emphasis at the end on the frequency “every evening.”)

Basic rule: time expressions like κάθε βράδυ can go at the beginning or at the end, and the sentence stays correct.

What are the genders of βιβλίο and τραπέζι, and how can I tell?

Both βιβλίο and τραπέζι are neuter nouns.

Clues:

Common neuter endings: -ο, -ι, -μα
→ το βιβλίο, το τραπέζι, το γράμμα, etc.

So we have:

το βιβλίο – the book (singular)
τα βιβλία – the books (plural)
το τραπέζι – the table (singular)
τα τραπέζια – the tables (plural)

The articles το / τα signal neuter gender as well.

Is there any difference between κάθε βράδυ μαζεύω τα βιβλία μου and saying something like συμμαζεύω τα βιβλία μου?

Yes, there is a nuance:

μαζεύω = I gather / pick up / collect (basic verb)
συμμαζεύω = I tidy up / straighten up more thoroughly

In many everyday contexts, μαζεύω is enough to mean “pick up and put away.”
Συμμαζεύω can imply a more complete tidying, like organizing and making a place neat, not just removing items.

So:

Κάθε βράδυ μαζεύω τα βιβλία μου από το τραπέζι.
→ I pick up / clear my books off the table.
Κάθε βράδυ συμμαζεύω το δωμάτιο.
→ Every evening I tidy up the room.