Στη σαλάτα βάζουμε και λίγο ξίδι, όχι μόνο ελαιόλαδο.

Στη is the contracted form of σε + τη(ν), so it means in the or into the.

In this sentence, στη σαλάτα is best understood as in the salad.

A useful thing to notice: the full form can be στην, but the final -ν is often dropped before certain consonants, so στη σαλάτα is perfectly normal.

It already has changed in the way Greek requires. The preposition σε takes the accusative case.

The noun σαλάτα is feminine:

• nominative: η σαλάτα
• accusative: τη(ν) σαλάτα

So στη σαλάτα comes from σε τη(ν) σαλάτα.

In this particular noun, the form σαλάτα itself looks the same in nominative and accusative, but the article shows the case clearly.

Βάζουμε is the 1st person plural present of βάζω: we put / we add.

Greek often uses we in a general way, especially in recipes, instructions, or explanations, much like English can say we add... even when it really means this is what one adds.

So here it is a very natural way to say what people normally put in a salad.

It can mean both, depending on context.

In food-related contexts, βάζω very often corresponds to English add:

• βάζω αλάτι = I add salt
• βάζουμε ξίδι = we add vinegar

So although the basic meaning is put, the most natural English in this kind of sentence is often add.

Here και means also / too, not just a simple and joining two nouns.

So βάζουμε και λίγο ξίδι means we also add a little vinegar.

This is a very common use of και in Greek. It often has the sense of adding one more thing to what is already expected.

Because ξίδι is a neuter singular noun.

The word λίγος changes to match the gender of the noun:

• masculine: λίγος
• feminine: λίγη
• neuter: λίγο

So:

• λίγος καφές = a little coffee
• λίγη ζάχαρη = a little sugar
• λίγο ξίδι = a little vinegar

Here λίγο is functioning as a quantity word: a little.

Because ξίδι is being used as a mass noun with a quantity expression: λίγο ξίδι = a little vinegar.

Greek often leaves out the article with substances or ingredients when speaking in a general, non-specific way:

• λίγο νερό
• λίγη ζάχαρη
• λίγο ξίδι

If you added the article, it would sound more specific:

• το ξίδι = the vinegar

For the same reason: ελαιόλαδο is also a mass noun here, used in a general sense.

So όχι μόνο ελαιόλαδο means not only olive oil, meaning not just olive oil as an ingredient.

If you said όχι μόνο το ελαιόλαδο, that would sound more like not only the olive oil, referring to some specific olive oil already known in the conversation.

Όχι μόνο means not only.

Greek often uses the full pattern:

• όχι μόνο ..., αλλά και ...
• not only ..., but also ...

In this sentence, the speaker uses a shorter version:

• Στη σαλάτα βάζουμε και λίγο ξίδι, όχι μόνο ελαιόλαδο.

The idea is still clear: vinegar is added too, not just olive oil.

A fuller version would be:

• Στη σαλάτα βάζουμε όχι μόνο ελαιόλαδο αλλά και λίγο ξίδι.

Both are natural; the given sentence just phrases it a bit differently for emphasis.

Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

Starting with Στη σαλάτα puts the focus first on the context: as for the salad / in the salad. It sets the scene before saying what gets added.

So the sentence structure is natural and slightly topic-first:

• In the salad, we also add a little vinegar...

If you changed the order, the sentence could still be grammatical, but the emphasis would shift.

The comma marks a small pause before a contrastive afterthought.

It works a bit like English:

• We also add a little vinegar, not just olive oil.

So the part after the comma corrects or expands what someone might assume.

Both are neuter nouns.

Their usual dictionary/article forms are:

• το ξίδι
• το ελαιόλαδο

That helps explain a few things in the sentence:

• λίγο is neuter because it goes with ξίδι
• neuter nouns often have the same form in nominative and accusative singular
• the article, when present, would be το

You could translate it literally, and the grammar matches well enough. But in natural English, especially in a cooking context, we add to the salad or simply we add often sounds better.

So the Greek is literally close to we put into the salad, but idiomatically it usually corresponds to we add to the salad.