Πρώτα ξεσκονίζω τα ράφια και μετά περνάω το πάτωμα με την ηλεκτρική σκούπα.

In Greek, the subject pronoun is often omitted because the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.

Here, ξεσκονίζω and περνάω both end in -ω, which tells you the subject is I.

So Greek normally says: Πρώτα ξεσκονίζω... not Πρώτα εγώ ξεσκονίζω...

You would add εγώ only for emphasis or contrast, like: Εγώ ξεσκονίζω, εσύ σφουγγαρίζεις. = I dust, you mop.

They are adverbs of sequence.

• πρώτα = first
• μετά = then / afterwards

They tell you the order of the actions: first one action, then the next one.

A useful detail: μετά can also be a preposition meaning after, but not here.

For example:

• μετά το φαγητό = after the meal
• μετά, φεύγω = afterwards, I leave

In your sentence, μετά is the adverb then / afterwards.

Because και μετά is a very natural way to connect two steps, like and then in English.

So:

• πρώτα ... και μετά ... = first ... and then ...

You could sometimes omit και, especially in casual speech, but και μετά sounds smooth and very common.

It helps clearly join the two actions into one sequence.

ξεσκονίζω means to dust or to dust off.

It is used with the thing being dusted as a direct object:

• ξεσκονίζω τα έπιπλα = I dust the furniture
• ξεσκονίζω τα ράφια = I dust the shelves

The verb is more specific than a general verb like clean. It refers to removing dust.

Because ράφια is the plural of ράφι.

• το ράφι = the shelf
• τα ράφια = the shelves

ράφι is a neuter noun, so in the plural it takes the neuter plural article τα.

Also, this phrase is the direct object of ξεσκονίζω, but with neuter nouns like this, the nominative and accusative forms are the same:

• τα ράφια

So even though it is the object, the form does not change.

Literally, περνάω often means pass, go through, or go over.

But in cleaning contexts, περνάω can mean go over a surface with something. So:

περνάω το πάτωμα με την ηλεκτρική σκούπα literally means something like I go over the floor with the vacuum cleaner

That is why the natural English meaning is I vacuum the floor.

This is a very normal Greek way to describe cleaning actions.

Because the sentence is talking about the floor as one surface.

In both Greek and English, that is normally singular:

• το πάτωμα = the floor

You would only use a plural if you were talking about several separate floors or surfaces in a larger context.

Also, πάτωμα is a neuter noun:

• το πάτωμα

με means with here, and it introduces the tool used to do the action.

So:

• με την ηλεκτρική σκούπα = with the vacuum cleaner

This is called an instrumental idea in English grammar: it shows the instrument or means by which the action is done.

Greek commonly uses με for this:

• γράφω με μολύβι = I write with a pencil
• κόβω με μαχαίρι = I cut with a knife

It is in the accusative because με takes the accusative in Modern Greek.

So after με, you get:

• την = feminine accusative singular article
• ηλεκτρική = feminine accusative singular adjective
• σκούπα = feminine accusative singular noun

All three words match because Greek articles, adjectives, and nouns agree with one another.

Because they must agree with σκούπα, which is a feminine noun.

Greek agreement is very important. The article and adjective must match the noun in:

• gender
• number
• case

Here:

• σκούπα is feminine
• singular
• accusative

So the whole phrase becomes:

• την ηλεκτρική σκούπα

This is the same pattern you see in many Greek noun phrases.

Yes, literally it is made up of:

• ηλεκτρική = electric
• σκούπα = broom

But as a full expression, ηλεκτρική σκούπα means vacuum cleaner.

This is one of those cases where the literal parts are helpful to know, but you should learn the whole phrase as a set expression.

Yes. Both forms are used in Modern Greek.

• περνάω
• περνώ

They mean the same thing, and both are correct. περνάω is very common in everyday speech.

You will see this kind of variation with some other verbs too.

Both verbs are in the present tense:

• ξεσκονίζω
• περνάω

In a sentence like this, the present can describe:

• a routine
• the order of actions
• what someone is doing as they explain their process

So it can sound like:

• This is what I usually do or
• This is what I’m doing / how I do it

The time interpretation comes from context.

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

The version you have is very natural and neutral: Πρώτα ξεσκονίζω τα ράφια και μετά περνάω το πάτωμα με την ηλεκτρική σκούπα.

But Greek can move things around for emphasis, contrast, or style.

For example, πρώτα and μετά are especially movable, as long as the sentence remains clear.

Still, for a learner, the given order is a very good standard pattern to follow.