Η ξαπλώστρα ήταν τόσο κοντά στο κύμα που η πετσέτα μου ήταν βρεγμένη όλη την ώρα.

Because ξαπλώστρα is a feminine singular noun, so it takes the feminine singular definite article η in the nominative case.

• η ξαπλώστρα = the sunbed / deck chair / lounge chair

A learner often needs to notice all three things at once:

• η = feminine singular nominative article
• ξαπλώστρα = feminine noun
• the noun is the subject of the verb ήταν

So the sentence begins with Η ξαπλώστρα ήταν... = The sunbed was...

Ήταν is the imperfect form of είμαι (to be), for he/she/it was.

It appears twice because the sentence describes ongoing states in the past:

• Η ξαπλώστρα ήταν τόσο κοντά... = the sunbed was so close...
• η πετσέτα μου ήταν βρεγμένη... = my towel was wet...

The imperfect is natural here because this is not a single completed action. It describes a situation that continued for some time.

Τόσο ... που is a very common Greek structure meaning so ... that.

In this sentence:

• τόσο κοντά ... που ... = so close ... that ...

So:

• Η ξαπλώστρα ήταν τόσο κοντά στο κύμα που...
• The sunbed was so close to the wave/sea that...

This is one of the most useful patterns to learn:

• τόσο μεγάλος που... = so big that...
• τόσο κουρασμένος που... = so tired that...
• τόσο γρήγορα που... = so quickly that...

Because κοντά means close / near, and it is commonly followed by σε plus a noun.

Here:

• σε + το becomes στο
• so κοντά στο κύμα = close to the wave / sea

This contraction is extremely common in Greek:

• σε + το = στο
• σε + την = στην
• σε + τον = στον

So στο is not a separate word you just memorize on its own here; it is the contracted form of σε το.

Greek often uses the singular κύμα where English might naturally use the waves, the surf, or even just the water depending on context.

So στο κύμα literally looks like to the wave, but in natural context it usually means something like:

• near the breaking water
• right by the sea
• where the waves reach

So the singular is normal Greek usage here and should not be translated too mechanically word-for-word.

In normal Greek, the unstressed possessive form μου usually comes after the noun:

• η πετσέτα μου = my towel
• το σπίτι μου = my house
• οι φίλοι μου = my friends

So Greek usually says:

• noun + μου / σου / του / της / μας / σας / τους

This is one of the big differences from English word order.

Μου means my here, but grammatically it is actually the genitive clitic form of the pronoun I.

So Greek possession is often expressed with these little pronoun forms:

• μου = my
• σου = your
• του / της = his / her / its
• μας = our
• σας = your
• τους = their

So although we translate η πετσέτα μου as my towel, Greek is structurally doing something closer to the towel of mine.

Because βρεγμένη is an adjective and it must agree with πετσέτα, which is feminine singular.

• η πετσέτα = feminine singular
• therefore: βρεγμένη = feminine singular form of wet

Compare:

• η πετσέτα ήταν βρεγμένη = the towel was wet
• το πανί ήταν βρεγμένο = the cloth was wet
• ο άντρας ήταν βρεγμένος = the man was wet

Greek adjectives change form to match the noun’s:

• gender
• number
• case

Not exactly.

• βρεγμένη usually means wet in the sense of having gotten soaked or splashed
• υγρή often means damp or moist, though it can sometimes also mean wet depending on context

In this sentence, βρεγμένη is the natural choice because the towel is getting wet from the sea water.

So:

• βρεγμένη πετσέτα = a wet towel
• υγρός αέρας = humid/moist air

Όλη την ώρα is a fixed expression meaning:

• all the time
• the whole time

Word by word:

• όλη = whole / all
• την ώρα = the time / the hour

But together, the phrase means continuously or throughout that period.

It is very common in everyday Greek:

• Μιλάει όλη την ώρα. = He talks all the time.
• Έβρεχε όλη την ώρα. = It was raining the whole time.

Because it agrees with ώρα, which is a feminine noun.

In the phrase όλη την ώρα:

• όλη = feminine singular accusative
• την ώρα = feminine singular accusative

So the adjective matches the noun, just like Greek adjectives usually do.

Here που is a conjunction, not a relative pronoun. It means that after τόσο.

So:

• τόσο κοντά ... που ... = so close ... that ...

In other sentences, που can also introduce a relative clause, like that / who / which, but that is not what it is doing here.

So in this sentence, think of που as part of the pattern:

• τόσο ... που

Not in the same way.

• που here completes the structure τόσο ... που = so ... that
• επειδή means because

So the meanings are different:

• τόσο κοντά ... που η πετσέτα μου ήταν βρεγμένη = so close ... that my towel was wet
• επειδή η ξαπλώστρα ήταν κοντά στο κύμα... = because the sunbed was close to the wave/sea...

The first emphasizes the result of being so close. The second would emphasize the reason.

Yes, Greek word order is often more flexible than English, but this sentence is in a very natural, neutral order.

The structure is:

• main clause: Η ξαπλώστρα ήταν τόσο κοντά στο κύμα
• result clause: που η πετσέτα μου ήταν βρεγμένη όλη την ώρα

You could move things around for emphasis in some contexts, but the given version sounds normal and clear.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

• ksa-PLO-stra

Useful details:

• ξ sounds like ks
• the stress falls on πλώ
• στρ is a consonant cluster, like in street, but inside the word

So you can think of it approximately as:

• ksa-PLO-stra

Because Greek does not always express things the same way English does.

English might say something like:

• The sunbed was so close to the waves that my towel was getting wet all the time.

Greek instead uses a simpler state description:

• η πετσέτα μου ήταν βρεγμένη όλη την ώρα
• literally: my towel was wet the whole time

This is perfectly natural Greek. Greek often prefers describing the resulting state rather than using a progressive form like was getting wet.

A lot of useful Greek appears in just one sentence:

1. Imperfect of είμαι

   • ήταν = was

2. The result pattern

   • τόσο ... που = so ... that

3. Contraction with σε

   • στο = σε + το

4. Possession after the noun

   • η πετσέτα μου = my towel

5. Adjective agreement

   • βρεγμένη matches feminine singular πετσέτα

6. A common time expression

   • όλη την ώρα = all the time / the whole time

So this is a very good sentence for seeing how natural Greek combines grammar and everyday vocabulary.