Μου αρέσει να περπατάω στην άμμο και να ακούω το κύμα, ενώ ψάχνω μικρά κοχύλια.

Greek expresses this idea differently from English.

• αρέσει literally means something like is pleasing
• μου means to me

So Μου αρέσει να περπατάω... is literally closer to It is pleasing to me to walk...

This is a very common Greek structure. You do not say Εγώ αρέσω for I like. In fact, αρέσω means I am pleasing / I appeal.

So:

• Μου αρέσει ο καφές. = I like coffee.
  Literally: Coffee is pleasing to me.
• Μου αρέσει να διαβάζω. = I like reading / I like to read.

μου is the weak form of εγώ in the sense of to me or my, depending on context. Here it means to me.

In Μου αρέσει, the structure is:

• μου = to me
• αρέσει = is pleasing

So Μου αρέσει = I like

Other examples:

• Σου αρέσει; = Do you like it?
• Του αρέσει η μουσική. = He likes music.
• Μας αρέσει η θάλασσα. = We like the sea.

In Modern Greek, να is used before a verb where English often uses the infinitive, such as to walk, to hear, to go, and so on.

Greek does not use an infinitive the way English does. Instead, it uses:

• να + verb form

So:

• να περπατάω = to walk / walking
• να ακούω = to hear / hearing

The sentence has two coordinated actions after Μου αρέσει:

• να περπατάω στην άμμο
• και να ακούω το κύμα

The second να is normally repeated, because each verb has its own να phrase. That is the most natural Greek here.

Because Modern Greek does not normally use a separate infinitive form like English does.

English:

• to walk

Modern Greek:

• να περπατάω

So περπατάω here is a normal finite verb form, and να is what gives the whole phrase the meaning that English expresses with to walk.

Also, περπατάω is the present tense, first person singular form: I walk / I am walking. After να, it can express a more general or ongoing action, which fits well with I like walking.

Both are correct.

Many Greek verbs have two common present-tense forms of this type:

• περπατάω
• περπατώ

Both mean I walk / I am walking.

In everyday speech, περπατάω is very common and often sounds a bit more conversational. περπατώ is also standard and very common. The same kind of variation exists with other verbs too.

So these would both be natural:

• Μου αρέσει να περπατάω στην άμμο.
• Μου αρέσει να περπατώ στην άμμο.

στην is a contraction of:

• σε = in / on / at / to
• την = the for a feminine noun in the accusative singular

So:

• σε την άμμο becomes στην άμμο

This is extremely common in Greek:

• στο = σε + το
• στη / στην = σε + τη(ν)
• στον = σε + τον

Here άμμος is a feminine noun, and after σε Greek usually uses the accusative case:

• nominative: η άμμος
• accusative: την άμμο

So στην άμμο means in the sand or on the sand, depending on context. In English we would usually say on the sand or in the sand, but Greek uses σε more broadly.

Because it is in the accusative case.

The basic form of the noun is:

• η άμμος = the sand

But after prepositions like σε, Greek normally uses the accusative:

• στην άμμο = in/on the sand

So the ending changes:

• nominative singular: άμμος
• accusative singular: άμμο

This kind of case change is very normal in Greek and affects articles, adjectives, and nouns.

Grammatically, το κύμα means the wave.

In this kind of seaside context, singular κύμα can sound natural even if English might sometimes prefer the waves or the sound of the surf. Greek can use the singular to refer to the wave-action or the sea’s movement/sound in a general way.

So να ακούω το κύμα is a very natural phrase meaning something like:

• to listen to the wave
• to hear the waves
• to listen to the surf

depending on how the meaning has been translated.

The singular here is not strange in Greek.

να ακούω uses the imperfective stem, which suggests an ongoing, repeated, or general action.

That fits the meaning here very well:

• I like walking in the sand and listening to the waves...

This is not about one single completed act of hearing. It is about an activity or experience in progress.

Very roughly:

• να ακούω = to be hearing / to listen / to hear repeatedly
• να ακούσω = to hear once / to hear at a specific moment / to manage to hear

So in a sentence about enjoying an ongoing activity, να ακούω is the natural choice.

Here ενώ means while.

It introduces another action happening at the same time:

• ενώ ψάχνω μικρά κοχύλια
• while I look for small shells

So the sentence describes simultaneous actions:

• walking in the sand
• listening to the wave
• while looking for small shells

Be aware that ενώ can also mean whereas in other contexts, when contrasting two ideas. But here it clearly means while.

Examples:

• Διαβάζω ενώ ακούω μουσική. = I read while listening to music.
• Εγώ μένω εδώ, ενώ εκείνος μένει αλλού. = I live here, whereas he lives somewhere else.

Because it describes something happening at the same time as the other actions, and also something habitual or ongoing in this kind of situation.

ψάχνω means:

• I look for
• I search for
• I am looking for

In this sentence, the present tense works well because the whole idea is general and experiential:

• I like to walk in the sand and hear the wave, while I look for small shells.

Greek present tense often covers both simple present and present continuous, depending on context.

So ψάχνω can mean either:

• I look for
• I am looking for

Here the sense is clearly ongoing.

The adjective μικρά means small, and κοχύλια means shells.

They match because in Greek adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in:

• gender
• number
• case

Here κοχύλια is:

• neuter
• plural
• accusative

So the adjective must also be:

• neuter
• plural
• accusative

That gives:

• μικρά κοχύλια = small shells

Compare:

• μικρό κοχύλι = a small shell
• μικρά κοχύλια = small shells

Yes, Greek adjectives can often appear either before or after the noun.

So both are possible:

• μικρά κοχύλια
• κοχύλια μικρά

But the most neutral and common order here is adjective + noun, especially in everyday speech:

• μικρά κοχύλια

Putting the adjective after the noun can sound more descriptive, literary, or emphatic depending on context.

So in this sentence, μικρά κοχύλια is the most natural default choice.

In this sentence, keeping the second να is the normal and best choice:

• Μου αρέσει να περπατάω στην άμμο και να ακούω το κύμα...

This clearly links both verbs to Μου αρέσει.

Sometimes in Greek, repeated elements can be omitted if the meaning is obvious, but with this structure, repeating να sounds more complete and natural.

So for a learner, the safest pattern is:

• μου αρέσει να... και να...

Greek word order is more flexible than English, but not random.

The given sentence is very natural:

• Μου αρέσει να περπατάω στην άμμο και να ακούω το κύμα, ενώ ψάχνω μικρά κοχύλια.

You could move some parts for emphasis, but the original order is smooth and standard.

For example, Greek could emphasize the location or the simultaneous action by moving things around, but that would change the focus slightly. For a learner, it is best to treat the original version as the normal, neutral order.

So yes, Greek is flexible, but this sentence is already in a very natural everyday arrangement.