Μόλις τελειώσω τη δουλειά, θα μαγειρέψω φακές με λίγο σκόρδο.

Here μόλις means as soon as.

So Μόλις τελειώσω τη δουλειά... means As soon as I finish the work...

A common point of confusion is that μόλις can also mean just / just now, depending on context:

• Μόλις ήρθα. = I just arrived.
• Μόλις τελειώσω... = As soon as I finish...

So the same word has more than one use.

Because Greek is focusing on completing the action.

• τελειώνω = I finish / I am finishing (imperfective stem)
• τελειώσω = I finish, in the sense of complete it (perfective/aorist subjunctive form here)

After μόλις meaning as soon as, Greek normally uses the subjunctive, and very often the aorist subjunctive when the action is seen as a single completed event.

So:

• Μόλις τελειώσω... = as soon as I finish / once I’ve finished

This is the natural choice here.

Because after words like μόλις in this kind of time clause, Greek usually uses the subjunctive, not the future with θα.

So Greek structures it like this:

• Μόλις τελειώσω τη δουλειά... = As soon as I finish the work...
• θα μαγειρέψω... = I will cook...

The first part is a subordinate time clause, and the second part is the main clause.

So even though both actions are in the future, Greek marks them differently:

• τελειώσω = subjunctive after μόλις
• θα μαγειρέψω = future in the main clause

τελειώσω is the 1st person singular aorist subjunctive of τελειώνω.

That sounds technical, but the important idea is:

• 1st person singular = I
• aorist = the action is viewed as a whole, as completed
• subjunctive = used after certain words/structures, such as μόλις, να, όταν in some future-oriented contexts, etc.

So μόλις τελειώσω literally works like as soon as I complete/finish.

Both are possible, but τη δουλειά is very common in modern Greek.

The full form of the feminine accusative article is την, but the final -ν is often dropped before many consonants in everyday language:

• την πόρτα → often την πόρτα is kept
• τη δουλειά is very normal
• τη γυναίκα, τη μέρα, etc.

So τη δουλειά is just the usual modern form here.

It can mean any of those, depending on context.

δουλειά can mean:

• work
• job
• task/work to do

And Greek often uses the definite article where English might prefer a possessive or no article at all.

So τελειώσω τη δουλειά could naturally mean:

• finish the work
• finish my work
• finish work

The exact English wording depends on the situation, but the Greek is completely natural.

θα μαγειρέψω is the future tense: I will cook.

It is formed with:

• θα
  • verb form

Here the verb is μαγειρεύω (to cook), and μαγειρέψω is the perfective form used for a single future action.

So:

• θα μαγειρέψω = I will cook

Because this is one complete event in the future, the perfective form is the natural one.

Because φακές is the normal Greek word for lentils, and it is used in the plural.

This is similar to how some foods are naturally plural in one language but not in another.

So:

• φακή = a lentil / lentil plant in some contexts
• φακές = lentils, and also often the lentil dish

In everyday speech, μαγειρεύω φακές means I cook lentils or I make a lentil dish.

Because Greek often omits the article with food or other nouns when speaking in a general or indefinite way.

So:

• θα μαγειρέψω φακές = I’ll cook lentils
• θα μαγειρέψω τις φακές would sound more like I’ll cook the lentils, referring to specific lentils already known in the context

Without the article, it sounds more like naming the dish or food generally.

It means with a little garlic.

Breakdown:

• με = with
• λίγο = a little
• σκόρδο = garlic

So the phrase describes how the lentils will be cooked: they will include a small amount of garlic.

Because σκόρδο is neuter singular, and λίγο agrees with it.

The adjective/quantifier λίγος, λίγη, λίγο changes form depending on gender:

• masculine: λίγος
• feminine: λίγη
• neuter: λίγο

Since σκόρδο is neuter, Greek uses λίγο:

• λίγο σκόρδο = a little garlic

Also, because garlic is a mass noun here, λίγο means a little, not few.

Not completely. Greek word order is fairly flexible.

This sentence begins with the time clause:

• Μόλις τελειώσω τη δουλειά, θα μαγειρέψω φακές με λίγο σκόρδο.

That order is very natural because it sets the time frame first: As soon as I finish work...

But Greek could also say:

• Θα μαγειρέψω φακές με λίγο σκόρδο μόλις τελειώσω τη δουλειά.

That is also grammatical. The difference is mainly one of emphasis and flow, not basic meaning.

Because the sentence starts with a subordinate clause:

• Μόλις τελειώσω τη δουλειά, = As soon as I finish work,

Then comes the main clause:

• θα μαγειρέψω φακές με λίγο σκόρδο.

When the time clause comes first, a comma is very natural and standard in writing.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

MO-lis te-li-O-so ti thu-li-A, tha ma-yi-REP-so fa-KES me LI-go SKOR-tho

A few useful pronunciation notes:

• θ sounds like th in think
• δ sounds like th in this
• γ before front vowels often sounds like a soft y-like sound, so μαγειρέψω is roughly ma-yi-REP-so
• Stress matters a lot in Greek:
  • Μόλις
  • τελειώσω
  • δουλειά
  • μαγειρέψω
  • φακές
  • λίγο
  • σκόρδο

Yes, but there is a slight difference.

• όταν τελειώσω τη δουλειά = when I finish the work
• μόλις τελειώσω τη δουλειά = as soon as I finish the work

So μόλις is a bit more immediate. It suggests that the cooking will happen right after finishing the work.

If that immediate connection is what you want, μόλις is the better choice.