Έβαλα το πορτοφόλι μου στην τσάντα, αλλά ξέχασα τα κέρματα και δεν είχα ρέστα για το λεωφορείο.

Έβαλα is the aorist form of βάζω and means I put as a single completed action.

• Έβαλα το πορτοφόλι μου στην τσάντα = I put my wallet in the bag
• Έβαζα would mean something more like I was putting or I used to put

So here Greek uses aorist because the speaker is describing one completed event.

In Greek, possessive expressions normally use the definite article + noun + possessive pronoun:

• το πορτοφόλι μου = my wallet
• η τσάντα μου = my bag
• τα κέρματά μου = my coins

So even though English does not use the, Greek usually does.

Μου here means my.

It is the weak form of the personal pronoun and is very commonly used to show possession:

• το βιβλίο μου = my book
• ο φίλος μου = my friend
• η μητέρα μου = my mother

Literally, it comes from the same pronoun system as to me / of me, but in sentences like this it simply means my.

Στην is just the contracted form of σε την.

• σε + την = στην
• σε + το = στο

So:

• στην τσάντα = in/into the bag
• στο λεωφορείο = on the bus

This contraction is standard and very common in everyday Greek.

After σε / στον / στη / στην / στο, Greek uses the accusative.

For this noun, the accusative singular is:

• nominative: η τσάντα
• accusative: την τσάντα

Since στην = σε την, you get στην τσάντα.

In many feminine nouns like τσάντα, the nominative and accusative look the same in the noun itself, but the article shows the case:

• η τσάντα
• την τσάντα

This is a very important Greek tense contrast.

• ξέχασα is aorist: a single completed action
  
  • I forgot
• είχα is imperfect: an ongoing state or situation in the past
  
  • I had / I didn’t have

So the sentence separates:

1. a completed event: I forgot the coins
2. a background situation/result: I didn’t have change for the bus

That is why δεν είχα ρέστα sounds natural: not having change is treated as a past state.

They are related, but they do not mean exactly the same thing.

• κέρματα = coins
• ρέστα = change (small money, the money you get back, or the small denominations you need)

So in this sentence:

• ξέχασα τα κέρματα = I forgot the coins
• δεν είχα ρέστα = I didn’t have change

You can forget your coins, and as a result you may not have change.

Τα κέρματα is the neuter plural form of το κέρμα.

Singular:

• το κέρμα = the coin

Plural:

• τα κέρματα = the coins

Here it is plural because the speaker forgot more than one coin, or coins in general.

Αλλά means but.

It connects two contrasting ideas:

• Έβαλα το πορτοφόλι μου στην τσάντα = I put my wallet in the bag
• αλλά ξέχασα τα κέρματα = but I forgot the coins

So it marks a contrast: the speaker remembered one thing, but forgot another.

Για το λεωφορείο means something like for the bus or for the bus fare.

In context, it means the speaker did not have the right money needed to take the bus.

• για = for
• το λεωφορείο = the bus

Greek often leaves some ideas understood from context. So δεν είχα ρέστα για το λεωφορείο naturally means I didn’t have change for the bus / for the bus fare.

Δεν is the normal negative particle used with verbs in the indicative:

• έχω = I have
• δεν έχω = I do not have
• είχα = I had
• δεν είχα = I did not have

So δεν είχα ρέστα simply means I didn’t have change.

Greek word order is fairly flexible, but the version here is very natural and neutral.

The sentence as written tells the story in a clear sequence:

1. Έβαλα το πορτοφόλι μου στην τσάντα
2. αλλά ξέχασα τα κέρματα
3. και δεν είχα ρέστα για το λεωφορείο

You can move parts around for emphasis, but the meaning or focus may change. For example:

• Τα κέρματα ξέχασα puts extra emphasis on the coins
• Το πορτοφόλι μου έβαλα στην τσάντα emphasizes my wallet

For learners, the original order is a good model.

Λεωφορείο is pronounced approximately le-o-fo-REE-o.

The stress is on ρί:

• λε-ω-φο-ρεί-ο

A rough English-friendly guide is:

• leh-oh-foh-REE-oh

It has several vowels in a row, so learners often want to rush it, but it helps to say it in parts:

• λεω
• φορείο

Then put it together:

• λεωφορείο