Πριν φύγω για τη δουλειά, πέρασα από το βενζινάδικο γιατί το αυτοκίνητο δεν είχε αρκετή βενζίνη.

After πριν when Greek means before I leave / before leaving, it commonly uses the subjunctive form with a verb like φύγω.

• φύγω = aorist subjunctive of φεύγω
• πριν φύγω = before I leave / before leaving

If you said πριν έφυγα, that would not be the normal structure here. Greek usually prefers:

• πριν + subjunctive for something still viewed as an event in relation to another action
• sometimes πριν + infinitive-like expression is translated in English as before leaving, but Modern Greek does not use an infinitive in the same way English does

So Πριν φύγω για τη δουλειά... is the natural way to say Before I left for work... or Before leaving for work...

Greek often uses the aorist subjunctive after words like πριν when referring to a single complete action.

Here, leaving for work is seen as one complete event:

• πριν φύγω = before I leave / before I left

If you used the present subjunctive πριν φεύγω, it would sound wrong in standard Greek in this sentence. The present subjunctive is more associated with ongoing, repeated, or continuous action in the right contexts, but leaving here is a one-time completed event.

So:

• φύγω = one whole act of leaving
• that is why it fits well after πριν

In this sentence, για τη δουλειά means something like for work or to go to work, depending on how naturally you translate it.

Literally:

• για = for
• τη δουλειά = the work / work

But in real English, the idea is:

• Before I left for work...

Greek often uses για in places where English might use for, to, or a more idiomatic phrase.

So here:

• φεύγω για τη δουλειά = leave for work / head to work

Both are possible in Greek spelling, but τη δουλειά is the usual shortened form before a consonant.

• την is the full form of the feminine accusative singular article
• before consonants, Greek often shortens it to τη
• before vowels or certain consonant combinations, την is more likely to stay

So:

• τη δουλειά = normal and very common
• την δουλειά = also understandable, but less usual in everyday writing here

This is similar to how spoken language often simplifies forms.

In this sentence, πέρασα από το βενζινάδικο means I stopped by the gas station or I went by the gas station.

Literally, περνάω/περνώ από can mean:

• pass by
• go via
• stop by

The exact meaning depends on context.

Here, because the next part says the car did not have enough gas, the natural meaning is:

• I stopped at the gas station

So although the verb literally can mean pass by, the context strongly suggests an actual stop.

Πέρασα is the aorist form of περνάω / περνώ.

In this sentence, it describes a single completed action in the past:

• πέρασα από το βενζινάδικο = I stopped by the gas station

Greek aorist is often the tense used for:

• one completed event
• a simple past action
• a main event in narration

That fits perfectly here, because the speaker is describing one thing they did before going to work.

Yes. Βενζινάδικο is a very common everyday Greek word for gas station / petrol station.

It is slightly informal or everyday in tone, but completely normal in speech.

Another more formal word is:

• πρατήριο καυσίμων = fuel station

But in ordinary conversation, people very often say:

• βενζινάδικο

So this sentence sounds natural and conversational.

Yes, γιατί can mean both:

• because
• why

In this sentence, it means because.

How do you know? From the structure:

• ...πέρασα από το βενζινάδικο γιατί το αυτοκίνητο δεν είχε αρκετή βενζίνη.
• ...I stopped by the gas station because the car didn’t have enough gas.

If it meant why, it would usually appear in a question, such as:

• Γιατί πήγες στο βενζινάδικο;
• Why did you go to the gas station?

So the surrounding grammar tells you which meaning is intended.

Είχε is the imperfect form of έχω in the third person singular:

• έχω = I have
• είχε = he/she/it had

Here the subject is το αυτοκίνητο:

• το αυτοκίνητο δεν είχε αρκετή βενζίνη
• the car did not have enough gas

The imperfect is used because this is describing a state/background situation in the past, not a single sudden action.

So Greek is making a useful distinction:

• πέρασα = completed event
• είχε = background condition

That is very typical in narration.

Because having enough gas is treated as a state, not a one-time completed action.

Greek often uses:

• aorist for the main event: πέρασα
• imperfect for the background reason or situation: δεν είχε αρκετή βενζίνη

So the sentence works like this:

• Main event: I stopped at the gas station
• Background circumstance: the car didn’t have enough gas

In English, we also often do something similar:

• I stopped at the gas station because the car didn’t have enough gas

Greek makes this contrast especially clear through tense choice.

Αρκετή means enough here, and it agrees with βενζίνη, which is a feminine singular noun.

• βενζίνη = feminine singular
• so the adjective/quantifier takes the feminine singular form: αρκετή

Compare:

• αρκετός χρόνος = enough time, enough time amounting to masculine singular
• αρκετή βενζίνη = enough gas, feminine singular
• αρκετό νερό = enough water, neuter singular
• αρκετά χρήματα = enough money, plural

So the ending changes because Greek adjectives must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

Greek often omits subjects when they are already clear from the verb, but it can also include them for clarity or emphasis.

Here, saying το αυτοκίνητο helps make the sentence very clear:

• γιατί το αυτοκίνητο δεν είχε αρκετή βενζίνη

If you removed it, you would get:

• γιατί δεν είχε αρκετή βενζίνη

That could still be understood from context, but it might feel slightly less explicit. Since the speaker wants to say specifically that the car lacked gas, mentioning the noun is natural.

So Greek gives you both possibilities, and this version is clearer.

Not completely. Greek word order is more flexible than English word order, though not random.

The given sentence is very natural:

• Πριν φύγω για τη δουλειά, πέρασα από το βενζινάδικο γιατί το αυτοκίνητο δεν είχε αρκετή βενζίνη.

But other versions are also possible, for example:

• Πέρασα από το βενζινάδικο πριν φύγω για τη δουλειά, γιατί το αυτοκίνητο δεν είχε αρκετή βενζίνη.

The meaning stays basically the same, but the emphasis shifts a little depending on what comes first.

Greek often moves elements around for:

• emphasis
• flow
• style
• topic-focus structure

So the sentence you have is natural, but not the only possible word order.

Yes. Βενζίνη corresponds to what British English calls petrol and American English calls gas / gasoline.

So depending on the learner’s variety of English, this could be translated as:

• The car didn’t have enough gas
• The car didn’t have enough petrol
• The car didn’t have enough gasoline

All are fine; the Greek word is the normal everyday one for vehicle fuel.

Yes, that is a very good translation.

A few natural English versions are:

• Before leaving for work, I stopped by the gas station because the car didn’t have enough gas.
• Before I left for work, I went to the gas station because the car didn’t have enough petrol.
• Before heading to work, I stopped at the gas station because the car was low on gas.

The Greek does not force only one English wording. What matters is the grammar and the idea:

• first: before leaving for work
• action: stopping at the gas station
• reason: the car lacked enough fuel

So your translation is absolutely natural.