Ο κουμπάρος με βάζει να περάσω πρώτα από το ανθοπωλείο και μετά από τον φωτογράφο, γιατί αυτός δεν προλαβαίνει σήμερα.

Κουμπάρος is a culturally specific word. In modern Greek it often means the best man at a wedding, but it can also refer to the wedding sponsor or, in some contexts, a godfather-like ceremonial sponsor.

So in this sentence, it is not just any male friend. It refers to a person with a special role in a wedding or religious/social ceremony.

Με means me.

It is the weak object pronoun form of εγώ. In this sentence, ο κουμπάρος με βάζει... means the koumbaros makes me / has me...

So:

• με = me
• βάζει = puts / makes / has

Together, με βάζει να... means he makes me... or he has me...

Yes, literally βάζω means put, but in this structure it often means make, have someone do something, or get someone to do something.

So:

• με βάζει να περάσω... = he makes me go by...
• more natural English: he has me stop by... / he asks me to go by...

This is a very common Greek pattern:

• βάζω κάποιον να + verb

Examples:

• Με βάζει να δουλεύω όλη μέρα. = He makes me work all day.
• Τον έβαλα να τηλεφωνήσει. = I made him call.

After να, Greek often uses a subjunctive form. Here περάσω is the aorist subjunctive of περνάω / περνώ.

Why the aorist here? Because the sentence refers to a single completed action: stopping by the flower shop and then the photographer, not an ongoing or repeated action.

So:

• να περάσω = to stop by / to go by once
• να περνάω would suggest something more ongoing, repeated, or habitual

In this sentence, the speaker is being asked to make specific stops, so να περάσω is the natural choice.

Here περνάω/περνώ από means go by, stop by, or drop by a place or person.

So:

• να περάσω από το ανθοπωλείο = to stop by the flower shop
• μετά από τον φωτογράφο = then by the photographer

It does not necessarily mean just physically pass in front of them. In context, it usually means visit briefly or go there as an errand.

Because the nouns are different in gender and form.

• το ανθοπωλείο is neuter
• ο φωτογράφος is masculine

After από, these nouns appear with their normal article forms used here:

• από το ανθοπωλείο = from/by the flower shop
• από τον φωτογράφο = from/by the photographer

So the difference is not because από changes meaning, but because the nouns have different genders:

• το ανθοπωλείο
• τον φωτογράφο

Also notice that one is a place (flower shop) and the other is a person (photographer), though Greek naturally uses περνάω από with both.

Because after από here, the noun appears in the accusative form.

The dictionary form is:

• ο φωτογράφος = the photographer

But in this sentence:

• από τον φωτογράφο

So the noun changes from φωτογράφος to φωτογράφο.

This is a very common masculine noun pattern:

• ο φίλος → τον φίλο
• ο δάσκαλος → τον δάσκαλο
• ο φωτογράφος → τον φωτογράφο

They show the order of actions:

• πρώτα = first
• μετά = then / after that

So:

• πρώτα από το ανθοπωλείο
• και μετά από τον φωτογράφο

This tells you the speaker must first stop by the flower shop, and only afterward go by the photographer.

Greek often repeats the preposition for clarity and naturalness.

So instead of saying only one από, Greek commonly says:

• πρώτα από το ανθοπωλείο και μετά από τον φωτογράφο

This is normal and idiomatic. English sometimes does the same:

• first by the flower shop and then by the photographer

You may sometimes see ellipsis in other contexts, but here repeating από sounds very natural.

Προλαβαίνω often means have enough time to do something, manage to get something done in time, or make it in time.

So δεν προλαβαίνει σήμερα means:

• he doesn’t have time today
• he can’t make time for it today
• he won’t manage today

It does not literally just mean he is not fast enough. It is usually about time pressure and not being able to fit something into one’s schedule.

Yes, Greek could say γιατί δεν προλαβαίνει σήμερα, because the verb ending already shows he/she.

The word αυτός is included for emphasis or contrast. It can suggest something like:

• because he is the one who doesn’t have time today
• because he himself can’t make it today

So αυτός is not required grammatically, but it adds stress.

No. Here αυτός means he.

Greek αυτός can mean different things depending on context:

• he
• this one
• himself (for emphasis)

In this sentence, because it refers back to ο κουμπάρος, it means he, with a slightly emphatic sense.

Greek word order is flexible. Σήμερα means today, and placing it at the end is completely natural.

• δεν προλαβαίνει σήμερα
• σήμερα δεν προλαβαίνει

Both are possible, but they may place slightly different emphasis on the time element.

In this sentence, ending with σήμερα sounds very natural and highlights today as the reason for the problem.

Not necessarily. Βάζω κάποιον να... can range from:

• make someone do something
• have someone do something
• get someone to do something
• sometimes even ask someone to do something, depending on tone and context

So here it does not always sound harsh like force. It could simply mean the koumbaros is assigning the speaker these errands.

Yes.

Ανθοπωλείο means flower shop, and it comes from:

• άνθος / λουλούδι related to flower
• -πωλείο = shop / store that sells something

So ανθοπωλείο is literally a flower-selling shop, that is, a florist’s shop or flower shop.

This ending appears in other words too:

• βιβλιοπωλείο = bookstore
• κρεοπωλείο = butcher shop
• ζαχαροπλαστείο is different in formation, but also a type of shop

Yes. A natural translation would be something like:

• The best man has me stop by the flower shop first and then the photographer, because he doesn’t have time today.
• The koumbaros is having me go first to the flower shop and then to the photographer, because he can’t make it today.
• The best man is asking me to stop by the florist first and then the photographer, because he doesn’t have time today.

A very literal version would be closer to:

• The koumbaros puts me to pass first by the flower shop and then by the photographer, because he doesn’t manage today.

But that is not natural English, so a more idiomatic translation is better.