Learn Hardcore Greek: Βάζω τα βαριά κουτιά στην αποθήκη, γιατί στο υπνοδωμάτιο δεν χωράνε. - I put the heavy boxes in the storage room, because they don’t fit in the bedroom.

Right now / currently: I’m putting the heavy boxes in the storage room...
Habitual / general practice: I put the heavy boxes in the storage room... Context decides. If you wanted to make it clearly right now, you might also hear something like Τώρα βάζω... (Now I’m putting...).

What exactly does βάζω mean here, and how is it different from βάλλω or τοποθετώ?

βάζω is the everyday verb for put / place.

τοποθετώ is more formal: to position / place (instructions, official style).
βάλλω is rare/archaic in Modern Greek (you’ll see it in older or fixed expressions). So βάζω is the most natural choice in normal speech.

Why do we have τα βαριά κουτιά with τα? When is the article required?

The article τα (the) is very common in Greek and often used where English might drop it.

τα βαριά κουτιά usually implies specific boxes already known in the situation. If you meant some heavy boxes (not specific), you could say βαριά κουτιά (no article) or μερικά βαριά κουτιά (some heavy boxes).

Why is βαριά in that form—how does adjective agreement work?

Adjectives agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

κουτιά is neuter plural (and here it’s also accusative as the direct object).
So the adjective becomes βαριά = neuter plural (same form for nominative/accusative in many neuter plurals).

Can the adjective go after the noun: τα κουτιά τα βαριά or τα κουτιά βαριά?

Yes, but it changes emphasis and sometimes meaning.

τα βαριά κουτιά = neutral: the heavy boxes
τα κουτιά τα βαριά = more contrastive/emphatic: the boxes—the heavy ones
τα κουτιά βαριά is possible but less standard in this simple “noun + adjective” sense; it can sound more like a descriptive afterthought (the boxes, heavy (ones)).

Why is it στην αποθήκη and not στην αποθήκα or something else? And what does στην come from?

στην is a contraction of σε + την:

σε την αποθήκη → στην αποθήκη It’s used for “in/into/to the” with feminine singular nouns (like η αποθήκη). Also, the noun is αποθήκη in nominative; after σε/στη(ν) it appears in the form that matches the article την.

Does στην αποθήκη mean “in the storage room” or “into the storage room”?

It can mean either “in” or “into,” because Greek often uses σε/στη(ν) for both location and destination. With a verb of movement/placement like βάζω, it’s typically understood as into/to (destination): I put them into the storage room.

Why is there a comma before γιατί?

Greek often uses a comma before γιατί when it introduces an explanation/reason clause, similar to English “..., because ...”. It’s very common in writing, though you may see variation depending on style.

What’s the difference between γιατί and επειδή here?

Both can mean because, but:

επειδή is more strictly “because/since” in a subordinating way and is often a bit more “written/structured.”
γιατί is extremely common in speech and writing and can also mean why in questions. In this sentence, γιατί = because.

In στο υπνοδωμάτιο δεν χωράνε, what is the subject of χωράνε?

The subject is understood from context: (τα κουτιά). Greek often drops subject pronouns and even repeated nouns when they’re obvious:

...because in the bedroom (they) don’t fit.

Why is it δεν χωράνε and not δεν χωρούν? Are both correct?

Both are correct and mean they don’t fit.

χωρούν is a more “standard/neutral” plural form.
χωράνε is very common in everyday speech (a colloquial or alternative conjugation). You’ll hear both depending on region and register.

How does negation work here—why is δεν placed before χωράνε?

In Greek, the standard negation particle for indicative verbs is δεν, and it normally goes directly before the verb:

δεν χωράνε = they don’t fit You generally don’t move δεν elsewhere in the clause.

Why is it στο υπνοδωμάτιο (neuter) but στην αποθήκη (feminine)? How do I know which article to use?

You use the article that matches the noun’s gender:

το υπνοδωμάτιο = neuter → σε το → στο
η αποθήκη = feminine → σε την → στην Learning the noun with its article (το/η/ο) is the easiest way to keep this straight.