Κοιτάζω την οθόνη γιατί περιμένω μήνυμα.

Because οθόνη is the direct object of κοιτάζω (I look at / I am looking at), and Greek normally uses the definite article here.

Also, οθόνη is a feminine noun, so its forms are:

• η οθόνη = the screen (nominative, subject)
• την οθόνη = the screen (accusative, object)

So in Κοιτάζω την οθόνη, the object has to be in the accusative: την οθόνη.

Both are in the accusative, because both are objects of verbs.

• κοιτάζω την οθόνη = I look at the screen
• περιμένω μήνυμα = I wait for / expect a message

A useful detail: μήνυμα is a neuter noun, and neuter nouns often have the same form in the nominative and accusative. So μήνυμα does not visibly change here.

Because Greek often leaves out the indefinite article in cases like this.

So:

• περιμένω μήνυμα = I’m waiting for / expecting a message
• περιμένω ένα μήνυμα = I’m waiting for a message / one message (more explicit)
• περιμένω το μήνυμα = I’m waiting for the message (a specific one)

Without an article, μήνυμα sounds general and natural here. It is a bit like saying I’m expecting a message.

Yes, absolutely.

Περιμένω ένα μήνυμα is correct and natural. It just makes the indefiniteness more explicit, like I’m waiting for a message.

However, περιμένω μήνυμα is also very common and idiomatic in Greek, especially when the idea is general: I’m expecting some message / a message.

So both work, but the version without ένα is very natural in everyday Greek.

Here γιατί means because.

So:

• Κοιτάζω την οθόνη γιατί περιμένω μήνυμα.
  = I’m looking at the screen because I’m expecting a message.

A common point of confusion is that γιατί can also mean why in questions:

• Γιατί κοιτάζεις την οθόνη;
  = Why are you looking at the screen?

So the same word can mean either because or why; the sentence structure tells you which meaning is intended.

Not exactly.

• κοιτάζω = look at
• βλέπω = see

In this sentence, κοιτάζω is the natural choice because the person is directing their eyes toward the screen.

So:

• Κοιτάζω την οθόνη = I’m looking at the screen
• Βλέπω την οθόνη = I see the screen

In English, look and see are different, and Greek makes that distinction too.

Because Greek present tense often covers what English expresses with am/is/are + -ing.

So:

• κοιτάζω can mean I look or I am looking
• περιμένω can mean I wait or I am waiting / I am expecting

In this sentence, the ongoing meaning is the natural one:

• Κοιτάζω την οθόνη γιατί περιμένω μήνυμα.
• I’m looking at the screen because I’m expecting a message.

So Greek does not need a separate continuous form the way English does.

Yes, Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

The given sentence is a very natural, neutral order:

• Κοιτάζω την οθόνη γιατί περιμένω μήνυμα.

You could also say:

• Γιατί περιμένω μήνυμα, κοιτάζω την οθόνη.

That is grammatical, but it gives more emphasis to the reason.

Greek allows movement for emphasis more easily than English, but not every rearrangement sounds equally natural. The original version is probably the best one for a learner to use first.

It is part of the accusative feminine singular article την.

In modern Greek, that final -ν is sometimes dropped in certain contexts, but it is kept before vowels and some consonants. Since the next word is οθόνη, which begins with a vowel, the -ν definitely stays:

• την οθόνη

So here there is nothing optional or strange about it; it is exactly what you should expect.

A rough English-style guide is:

kee-TA-zo teen o-THO-nee ya-TEE peh-ree-ME-no MEE-nee-ma

The stressed syllables are:

• κοιτάζω
• οθόνη
• γιατί
• περιμένω
• μήνυμα

A few sound notes:

• θ in οθόνη is like th in think
• γιατί starts with a sound close to ya-
• οι in κοιτάζω is pronounced like ee in modern Greek

So the sentence is pronounced approximately:

kee-TA-zo teen o-THO-nee ya-TEE peh-ree-ME-no MEE-nee-ma