Μετά το πλύσιμο απλώνω τα ρούχα στην απλώστρα στο μπαλκόνι.

After washing, I hang the clothes on the drying rack on the balcony.

Breakdown of Μετά το πλύσιμο απλώνω τα ρούχα στην απλώστρα στο μπαλκόνι.

• σε: on
• μετά: after
• το ρούχο: the garment
• το μπαλκόνι: the balcony
• το πλύσιμο: the washing
• απλώνω: to hang
• η απλώστρα: the drying rack

Questions & Answers about Μετά το πλύσιμο απλώνω τα ρούχα στην απλώστρα στο μπαλκόνι.

Why is μετά followed by το πλύσιμο (accusative) and not another case?

In Modern Greek, the preposition μετά (meaning after) normally takes the accusative:

• μετά + accusative → after
  So you say μετά το πλύσιμο = after the washing. (You’ll also see μετά από + accusative; it often adds emphasis or can sound a bit more explicit: μετά από το πλύσιμο.)

What exactly does το πλύσιμο mean here—washing (the action) or the laundry?

Το πλύσιμο can mean the act of washing or a wash / the wash cycle / the washing (as an event) depending on context.
In this sentence it’s the event/time point: after the washing is done. Greek often uses a neuter noun like πλύσιμο to talk about an action as a “thing.”

Why is there no word for my/I—shouldn’t it be εγώ απλώνω?

Greek normally drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the person.

• απλώνω already means I spread / I hang out.
  You only add εγώ if you want emphasis or contrast (e.g., I do it, not someone else).

What does απλώνω literally mean, and is it the normal verb for hanging laundry?

Απλώνω literally means to spread out / to extend / to lay out. For laundry it’s the standard everyday verb meaning to hang out (clothes) to dry—even though the core idea is “spreading them out” so they dry.

Why is τα ρούχα neuter plural, and why does it use τα?

Ρούχο (a garment/clothing item) is neuter, so the plural ρούχα stays neuter plural.
Neuter plural nominative/accusative uses τα:

• το ρούχο (one item)
• τα ρούχα (clothes)

Is ρούχα always plural? How would I say “a piece of clothing”?

In everyday speech, ρούχα is very commonly used as a plural meaning clothes.
If you want “a piece/item of clothing,” you can say:

• ένα ρούχο = one garment
  Or more specific: ένα μπλουζάκι, ένα παντελόνι, etc.

Why do we say στην απλώστρα—what case is that, and why στην?

Στην is σε + την (contracted), and it requires the accusative after σε.

• σε
  • place = to/in/on (location or direction)
• την απλώστρα is feminine accusative singular
  So στην απλώστρα = on the drying rack / on the clothesline (depending on what απλώστρα refers to).

What is an απλώστρα exactly—clothesline or drying rack?

Απλώστρα can refer to a clothes-drying setup, and in many contexts it means a drying rack/stand (often foldable). In some contexts it can be used more generally for the place/thing you hang laundry on. If someone specifically means a clothesline, they may also say σκοινί/σύρμα (για άπλωμα), but απλώστρα is extremely common for a rack.

Why does the sentence have both στην απλώστρα and στο μπαλκόνι? Isn’t that redundant?

They give two different location details:

• στην απλώστρα = where the clothes are placed (the surface/object)
• στο μπαλκόνι = where that rack is located (the broader place)
  So it’s like: I hang the clothes on the rack (which is) on the balcony.

What does στο mean, and when do I use στο/στη/στον?

Στο is σε + το (contracted). Greek commonly merges σε with the article:

• στο = σε το (neuter)
• στη / στην = σε τη(ν) (feminine)
• στον = σε τον (masculine)
  Here μπαλκόνι is neuter (το μπαλκόνι), so you get στο μπαλκόνι.

Why is it στο μπαλκόνι (accusative) and not something like genitive for location?

With the preposition σε (and its contractions στο/στη/στον), Greek uses the accusative to express location or destination. So σε + accusative covers meanings like in, on, to depending on context.

Is the present tense απλώνω describing something happening right now, or a habit?

It can be either. The simple present in Greek commonly expresses:

• habit/routine: “After washing, I (usually) hang the clothes…”
• right now (if context supports it): “After washing, I’m hanging the clothes…”
  If you want to make “right now” clearer, you might add something like τώρα (now).

How is the stress/pronunciation handled in απλώνω, ρούχα, απλώστρα, μπαλκόνι?

Greek stress is marked with an accent, and it’s pronounced on that syllable:

• απλώνω → stress on -πλώ-
• ρούχα → stress on ρού-
• απλώστρα → stress on -πλώ-
• μπαλκόνι → stress on -κό-
  Keeping the stress correct is important because it’s part of the word’s standard form.