Μπορείς να βάλεις αγγούρι και ελιές στη σαλάτα, αρκεί να μην ξεχάσεις το ξίδι.

Μπορείς να literally means you can / you are able to.

In Greek, this form can work in a few ways depending on context:

• You can... = permission or possibility
• Can you...? = a question, if said with question intonation or a question mark

In this sentence, since the meaning is already given, it is most naturally understood as You can put...

So:

• Μπορείς να βάλεις... = You can put...

Greek usually does not need subject pronouns when the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

Here, μπορείς means you can:

• the ending -εις tells you it is 2nd person singular: you

So Greek often says:

• Μπορείς = you can

Adding εσύ (you) is possible, but only when you want emphasis or contrast.

After να, Greek normally uses the subjunctive form, not the ordinary present indicative.

So:

• βάζεις = you put / you are putting / you usually put
• να βάλεις = to put / that you put in a subjunctive-type structure

In this sentence, να βάλεις is used because:

• it comes after μπορείς να
• the action is seen as a single, complete act: putting ingredients into the salad

This is the aorist subjunctive form:

• βάζω → να βάλω
• να βάλεις = for you to put

No. Βάλεις is not past tense here.

Even though it comes from the aorist stem, in this sentence it is part of the subjunctive, not the past.

A useful shortcut:

• aorist in forms with να often shows a complete one-time action
• it does not automatically mean past

So:

• έβαλες = you put / you placed → past
• να βάλεις = to put / that you put → not past

This is very natural in Greek.

• αγγούρι in the singular can mean cucumber as an ingredient, almost like some cucumber
• ελιές is plural because olives are often thought of as separate items

So the Greek is basically:

• αγγούρι = cucumber / some cucumber
• ελιές = olives

You could also hear αγγούρια in some contexts, but αγγούρι is perfectly normal when talking about salad ingredients.

Greek can leave out the article when talking about ingredients or indefinite things in a general way.

So:

• αγγούρι και ελιές means cucumber and olives
• it sounds like naming items to add, not referring to specific previously mentioned ones

This is similar to English ingredient lists:

• Add cucumber and olives not necessarily
• Add the cucumber and the olives

Στη is a contraction of:

• σε = in / into / to
• τη(ν) = the (feminine accusative article)

So:

• σε τη σαλάτα → στη σαλάτα

That means:

• in the salad or
• into the salad

This contraction is extremely common in modern Greek:

• στο = σε + το
• στη = σε + τη(ν)
• στους, στις, etc.

Αρκεί να means:

• as long as
• provided that
• on condition that

It introduces a condition.

So:

• αρκεί να μην ξεχάσεις το ξίδι = as long as you don’t forget the vinegar or = provided that you don’t forget the vinegar

It is a very common structure, and it is normally followed by a να-clause.

Because Greek uses μη(ν), not δεν, to negate subjunctive forms and related structures.

Compare:

• Δεν ξεχνάς = you do not forget → indicative
• να μην ξεχάσεις = not to forget / that you not forget → subjunctive structure

Since the sentence has αρκεί να, the verb after it is in a να-clause, so the negative is μην.

This is an important rule:

• δεν negates ordinary statements
• μην negates να clauses, commands, and similar structures

Greek uses the definite article more often than English does.

Here, το ξίδι sounds natural because it refers to the ingredient as a specific expected item in the situation: the vinegar for the salad.

So Greek often says:

• μην ξεχάσεις το ξίδι literally don’t forget the vinegar

Even when English might prefer no article or a different phrasing, Greek often keeps the article.

Yes. The sentence is singular informal, because it uses:

• μπορείς
• βάλεις
• ξεχάσεις

These are all for you singular, informal.

To say it to more than one person, or politely to one person, use the plural/formal forms:

• Μπορείτε να βάλετε αγγούρι και ελιές στη σαλάτα, αρκεί να μην ξεχάσετε το ξίδι.

That means:

• You can put cucumber and olives in the salad, as long as you don’t forget the vinegar.

Yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English word order, because verb endings and articles give a lot of grammatical information.

The sentence as given is very natural:

• Μπορείς να βάλεις αγγούρι και ελιές στη σαλάτα, αρκεί να μην ξεχάσεις το ξίδι.

But Greek can move parts around for emphasis. For example, you might emphasize the place or the ingredient. Still, the original version is the most neutral and straightforward.

A good rule for learners:

• understand the structure first
• use the neutral order until you become comfortable with emphasis patterns