Μετά γεμίζω δύο μεγάλα κουτιά με βιβλία και ρούχα, αλλά αφήνω έξω τα απαραίτητα.

Μετά means after / then. At the beginning of a sentence, it often works like then in English, showing the next step in a sequence.

So:

• Μετά γεμίζω... = Then I fill...

In everyday Greek, this is a very natural way to continue a story or describe actions one after another.

Γεμίζω is the 1st person singular present form: I fill.

Greek often uses the present tense when describing:

• routines
• instructions
• a sequence of actions in a narrative

So even if English might sometimes say Then I fill..., Then I’m filling..., or even Then I fill up..., Greek simply uses the present here very naturally.

The form breaks down like this:

• γεμίζω = I fill
• dictionary form: γεμίζω

This means two big boxes.

Here is how it works:

• δύο = two
• μεγάλα = big (neuter plural accusative / nominative)
• κουτιά = boxes

Why μεγάλα?

Because κουτιά is:

• neuter
• plural

So the adjective has to agree with the noun.

Singular and plural comparison:

• ένα μεγάλο κουτί = one big box
• δύο μεγάλα κουτιά = two big boxes

The singular is κουτί = box.

So:

• το κουτί = the box
• τα κουτιά = the boxes

In this sentence, κουτιά is plural because there are δύο of them.

Greek uses με for with after γεμίζω, just like English says fill something with something.

So:

• γεμίζω δύο μεγάλα κουτιά με βιβλία και ρούχα
• I fill two big boxes with books and clothes

Structure:

• γεμίζω = I fill
• κουτιά = the thing being filled
• με βιβλία και ρούχα = what I fill them with

This is a very common pattern in Greek:

• γεμίζω το ποτήρι με νερό = I fill the glass with water

Because they are being mentioned in a general, indefinite way:

• with books and clothes

Not:

• with the books and the clothes

Greek often omits the article in this kind of context, especially when talking about materials, contents, or things in a general sense.

Compare:

• με βιβλία και ρούχα = with books and clothes
• με τα βιβλία και τα ρούχα = with the books and the clothes (specific ones)

They are in the accusative plural after με.

In Modern Greek, με is followed by the accusative.

So:

• με βιβλία
• με ρούχα

Both nouns happen to be neuter plural, and in many neuter nouns the nominative and accusative plural look the same, so you may not notice a visible change.

Αλλά means but.

It connects the two parts of the sentence:

• Μετά γεμίζω δύο μεγάλα κουτιά με βιβλία και ρούχα
• αλλά αφήνω έξω τα απαραίτητα

So the meaning is:

• Then I fill two big boxes with books and clothes, but I leave out the essentials.

Αφήνω means I leave, and έξω literally means outside / out.

Together, αφήνω έξω often means:

• I leave out
• I leave outside, depending on context

In this sentence, the meaning is most likely leave out: not putting certain important things into the boxes.

So:

• αφήνω έξω τα απαραίτητα = I leave out the essentials

That word order is very natural in Greek.

• αφήνω έξω τα απαραίτητα

Greek word order is often flexible, but verb + adverb is very common. Here έξω modifies the action of αφήνω.

You could sometimes hear other word orders in different contexts, but this one is standard and straightforward.

Literally, it means the necessary things.

• απαραίτητος / απαραίτητη / απαραίτητο = necessary
• τα απαραίτητα = the necessary ones / the necessary things

In natural English, this is often translated as:

• the essentials
• the necessary things

This is a very common Greek pattern: an adjective in the neuter plural with the article can act like a noun.

Examples:

• τα καλά = the good things
• τα βασικά = the basics
• τα απαραίτητα = the essentials

Because it is functioning as the direct object of αφήνω.

So it needs the accusative plural form. Since it is being used in a general, abstract way meaning the necessary things, Greek uses the neuter plural:

• τα απαραίτητα

This is the same form you would also see as nominative neuter plural, so the form itself does not change here.

Yes. The sentence is very natural Greek prose:

• Μετά = time marker first
• γεμίζω = verb
• δύο μεγάλα κουτιά = direct object
• με βιβλία και ρούχα = prepositional phrase
• αλλά = contrast
• αφήνω έξω τα απαραίτητα = second clause

Greek does not always follow English word order exactly, but this sentence is quite straightforward. It moves from:

1. when the action happens
2. what the speaker does
3. what gets filled
4. with what
5. a contrasting action

So it is a good example of natural, standard Greek sentence structure.