Ο φωτογράφος μάς είπε ότι η φωτογράφιση δίπλα στη θάλασσα θα είναι πολύ όμορφη το απόγευμα.

μάς means us or to us here: The photographer told us...

In Greek, short object pronouns like με, σε, μας, σας, τον, την usually come before a finite verb, so Greek says μάς είπε rather than something shaped like English told us.

A useful note: many people also write μας είπε without the accent. The accented spelling μάς can be used for clarity or emphasis, but the meaning is the same here.

είπε is the aorist form of λέω, meaning said or told.

So:

• λέει = he/she says
• έλεγε = he/she was saying / used to say
• είπε = he/she said

In this sentence, the speaker is referring to one completed past event: the photographer said something. That is why είπε is the natural choice.

Also, είπε is slightly irregular, because the past form of λέω does not look like the present stem.

ότι means that and introduces the clause that follows:

μάς είπε ότι... = told us that...

It connects the main clause to the reported statement.

A very common thing learners ask about is the difference between:

• ότι = that
• ό,τι = whatever / anything that

So here it is definitely ότι = that.

No, they are not the same.

• η φωτογράφιση = the photo shoot, the photographing session, or the act of photographing
• η φωτογραφία = the photograph / photo

So in this sentence, η φωτογράφιση refers to the event or session, not to a single picture.

δίπλα means next to / beside.

Very often, δίπλα is followed by σε + noun:

• δίπλα σε κάτι = next to something

So:

• σε τη θάλασσα becomes στη θάλασσα

That contraction is very common:

• σε + τη = στη
• σε + το = στο

Here τη θάλασσα is in the accusative, because σε normally takes the accusative in Modern Greek.

So:

• δίπλα στη θάλασσα = next to the sea

θα is the particle used to form the future.

So:

• είναι = is
• θα είναι = will be

The subject is η φωτογράφιση, which is third person singular, so the form is θα είναι = it will be.

With είμαι, the future is straightforward:

• θα είμαι = I will be
• θα είναι = he/she/it will be
• θα είμαστε = we will be

Because it agrees with η φωτογράφιση, which is a feminine singular noun.

In Greek, adjectives usually agree with the noun they describe in:

• gender
• number
• often case

Here:

• η φωτογράφιση = feminine singular
• so όμορφη must also be feminine singular

That is why Greek says:

• η φωτογράφιση θα είναι πολύ όμορφη

If the subject were neuter, for example το τοπίο, you would get:

• το τοπίο θα είναι πολύ όμορφο

πολύ means very here, because it is modifying the adjective όμορφη.

So:

• πολύ όμορφη = very beautiful

This is different from cases where πολύ can mean much / a lot, depending on how it is used.

In this sentence, it is simply an adverb modifying the adjective.

Greek often uses a bare time expression like το απόγευμα without a preposition.

So το απόγευμα can mean:

• in the afternoon
• this afternoon

The exact meaning depends on context.

In this sentence, because the photographer is talking about when the photo shoot will be beautiful, το απόγευμα is best understood as a time expression like in the afternoon or possibly this afternoon, depending on the situation.

Also, using the article here is normal:

• το πρωί = in the morning
• το μεσημέρι = at noon / midday
• το απόγευμα = in the afternoon
• το βράδυ = in the evening / at night

Greek uses the definite article very often, sometimes more often than English does.

In this sentence:

• Ο φωτογράφος = the photographer
• η φωτογράφιση = the photo shoot
• στη θάλασσα = at/by the sea
• το απόγευμα = in the afternoon

Some of these are clearly specific, and some are part of very natural Greek expressions. So even if English might sometimes omit an article in a similar phrase, Greek often keeps it.

This is something English speakers usually just have to get used to: articles are very central in Greek.

No, Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

The version you have is a natural, neutral way to say it:

• Ο φωτογράφος μάς είπε ότι...

But Greek could move things around for emphasis, for example:

• Μας είπε ο φωτογράφος ότι...
• Το απόγευμα η φωτογράφιση θα είναι πολύ όμορφη, είπε ο φωτογράφος.

The basic meaning can stay the same, but the focus or emphasis changes.

One thing that usually stays the same, though, is that short pronouns like μας normally come before the finite verb:

• μας είπε not normally
• είπε μας