Στο σαλόνι έβαλα λίγα λουλούδια σε ένα μεγάλο βάζο πάνω στο τραπεζάκι.

Στο is simply the contracted form of σε το.

• σε = in / at / to / on depending on context
• το = the for a neuter singular noun

So:

• σε το σαλόνι → στο σαλόνι
• σε το τραπεζάκι → στο τραπεζάκι

This contraction is standard and used all the time in normal Greek.

Έβαλα is the 1st person singular aorist of βάζω.

So it means:

• I put
• I placed

The aorist is used because the action is seen as a single completed event: I put the flowers...

If you used the imperfect, it would suggest something habitual or ongoing, which would not fit as well here.

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

Starting with Στο σαλόνι puts the location first, as the setting or topic:

• Στο σαλόνι έβαλα... = In the living room, I put...

This does not sound strange in Greek at all. It often helps highlight the place where something happened.

A more neutral order is also possible:

• Έβαλα λίγα λουλούδια σε ένα μεγάλο βάζο πάνω στο τραπεζάκι στο σαλόνι.

But the original version gives a little more emphasis to the living room.

Because λουλούδια is a neuter plural noun, and the adjective/quantifier has to agree with it.

• λίγος = masculine singular
• λίγη = feminine singular
• λίγο = neuter singular
• λίγοι / λίγες / λίγα = plural forms

Here:

• λουλούδια = neuter plural
• so we use λίγα

So λίγα λουλούδια means a few flowers.

The singular is:

• το λουλούδι = the flower

The plural is:

• τα λουλούδια = the flowers

This is a common neuter noun pattern in Greek:

• singular: -ι
• plural: -ια

So:

• λουλούδι → λουλούδια
• τραγούδι → τραγούδια
• παιδί → παιδιά

Because many neuter nouns in Greek have the same form in the nominative and accusative singular.

Here:

• ένα μεγάλο βάζο
• στο τραπεζάκι

Both nouns are in the accusative, because they follow σε, but the form does not change visibly.

That is very normal for neuter nouns.

Also, the adjectives agree with the nouns:

• ένα μεγάλο βάζο = neuter singular accusative
• το μικρό τραπεζάκι would also stay the same in accusative

After σε, Greek normally uses the accusative case.

So:

• σε ένα μεγάλο βάζο
• στο τραπεζάκι
• στο σαλόνι

All of these are built with σε + accusative.

English often uses different prepositions such as in, on, at, or to, but Greek frequently uses σε for all of these meanings, with the exact sense understood from context.

They describe two different spatial relationships.

• σε ένα μεγάλο βάζο = in a big vase
• πάνω στο τραπεζάκι = on the small table / coffee table

So the flowers are in the vase, and the vase is on the table.

That is why both phrases can appear in the same sentence without being redundant.

In normal interpretation, it describes the vase's location.

So the sentence is understood as:

• I put a few flowers
• in a big vase
• and that vase was on the little table

In other words: the flowers were put into a vase that was on the table.

Technically, Greek can sometimes allow slight ambiguity in long noun phrases, just as English can. But in this sentence, the most natural reading is that the vase is on the table.

Τραπεζάκι is a diminutive form of τραπέζι.

• τραπέζι = table
• τραπεζάκι = little table, small table

Depending on context, τραπεζάκι can often mean something like:

• a small table
• a side table
• a coffee table

Diminutives are very common in Greek and can indicate:

• small size
• familiarity
• affection
• informality

Here it most likely suggests a small table, probably the kind you would find in a living room.

Because λίγα already makes the noun phrase indefinite in meaning: a few flowers.

Greek does not need an article here.

Compare:

• λίγα λουλούδια = a few flowers
• τα λίγα λουλούδια = the few flowers

Adding the article would make the phrase more specific, as if you were talking about a particular small set of flowers already known in the conversation.

Here ένα means a / an.

• σε ένα μεγάλο βάζο = in a big vase

Greek uses the same word, ένας / μία / ένα, both as:

• the numeral one
• the indefinite article a / an

Usually context tells you which meaning is intended. In this sentence, it is just the ordinary indefinite article.

Yes. Greek allows several word orders, depending on what you want to emphasize.

For example:

• Έβαλα λίγα λουλούδια σε ένα μεγάλο βάζο πάνω στο τραπεζάκι στο σαλόνι.
• Λίγα λουλούδια έβαλα σε ένα μεγάλο βάζο πάνω στο τραπεζάκι στο σαλόνι.
• Σε ένα μεγάλο βάζο πάνω στο τραπεζάκι έβαλα λίγα λουλούδια στο σαλόνι.

Not all versions sound equally natural in every context, but Greek is much freer than English.

The original sentence is perfectly natural and gives prominence first to the living room.

Because they mean different things:

• στο σαλόνι = in the living room → a specific room
• σε ένα μεγάλο βάζο = in a big vase → an indefinite vase, not one already identified

Greek uses the definite article very often when referring to specific places or known things. So the living room gets the article, while a big vase uses the indefinite article ένα.

Usually yes in everyday modern Greek.

Το σαλόνι most commonly means:

• the living room
• the sitting room

In some contexts it can also refer more generally to a salon or a formal sitting area, but in ordinary home-related sentences, living room is the natural meaning.

Yes, you could.

• σε ένα μεγάλο βάζο = in a big vase
• μέσα σε ένα μεγάλο βάζο = inside a big vase

Adding μέσα makes the idea of inside more explicit. But in this sentence it is not necessary, because put flowers in a vase is already clear with just σε.

Greek often leaves that extra emphasis out unless needed.