Πάτα το φρένο, γιατί ο δρόμος είναι βρεγμένος.

Πάτα is the imperative form of the verb πατάω / πατώ, which means to press or to step on.

Here it means press! or step on!

This is the singular informal command, used when speaking to one person you know well, such as a friend or family member.

• Πάτα το φρένο. = Press the brake.
• Formal or plural: Πατήστε το φρένο.

Greek often uses the definite article where English might not stress it as much.

So το φρένο literally means the brake, but in natural English we often translate it simply as the brake or the brakes, depending on context.

In this sentence, το φρένο refers to the brake pedal / braking action in a general, understood way. Using the article is completely normal in Greek.

• το = the for a neuter singular noun
• φρένο = brake

Yes, φρένο is singular.

Greek commonly uses the singular here, even though English often says hit the brakes in the plural. Greek is focusing on the brake pedal / braking action as one thing.

So:

• Πάτα το φρένο = literally Press the brake
• natural English: Hit the brakes or Press the brake

Both ideas match the same Greek sentence.

Here γιατί means because.

So:

• Πάτα το φρένο, γιατί ο δρόμος είναι βρεγμένος.
• Press the brake, because the road is wet.

A learner should know that γιατί can also mean why in questions:

• Γιατί; = Why?

So the meaning depends on context:

• in a statement: because
• in a question: why

In Greek, it is very common to put a comma before γιατί when it introduces a reason clause, like because.

So the sentence is naturally divided into:

• Πάτα το φρένο = main clause
• γιατί ο δρόμος είναι βρεγμένος = reason/explanation

The comma helps show that second part is explaining the first.

δρόμος is a masculine singular noun meaning road or street, so it takes the masculine singular article ο.

• ο = the for masculine singular nouns
• δρόμος = road

Together:

• ο δρόμος = the road

This is also the subject of the second clause, which is why it appears in the nominative form.

Because it describes ο δρόμος, which is a masculine singular noun.

Greek adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in:

• gender
• number
• case

So:

• ο δρόμος = masculine singular
• βρεγμένος must also be masculine singular

Compare:

• ο δρόμος είναι βρεγμένος = the road is wet
• η πόρτα είναι βρεγμένη = the door is wet
• το πάτωμα είναι βρεγμένο = the floor is wet

It is originally a participle, but in sentences like this it functions as an adjective.

It comes from the verb βρέχω (to wet / to make wet) and means wet.

So although its form is historically participial, a learner can safely understand it here as a normal descriptive adjective:

• είναι βρεγμένος = is wet

This is very common in Greek.

Greek often expresses states like this with:

• είμαι = to be
• plus an adjective or adjective-like participle

So:

• είναι = is
• βρεγμένος = wet

Together:

• είναι βρεγμένος = is wet

This is similar to English structure.

είναι is the 3rd person singular present tense of είμαι (to be).

Here it matches the subject ο δρόμος (the road), which is singular:

• ο δρόμος είναι βρεγμένος = the road is wet

A few related forms:

• είμαι = I am
• είσαι = you are
• είναι = he/she/it is

Yes, Greek word order is more flexible than English, although this sentence is already very natural.

Standard order here is:

• Πάτα το φρένο, γιατί ο δρόμος είναι βρεγμένος.

You could also hear emphasis-based variations, but not all would sound equally neutral. Greek often changes word order for focus, contrast, or style.

For a learner, this version is the safest and most natural one to use.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

PA-ta to FRE-no, ya-TI o DHO-mos I-ne vre-GME-nos

A few notes:

• Πάτα → stress on the first syllable: PA-ta
• φρένο → stress on FRE
• γιατί → stress on the second syllable: ya-TI
• δρόμος → stress on DRO
• είναι is often pronounced roughly like EE-ne
• βρεγμένος → stress on GME

Also:

• δ in δρόμος is like the th in this
• γ before ι in γιατί sounds like a soft sound, often approximated for learners as y

Yes, absolutely. It sounds natural, especially in an urgent, informal situation, such as when speaking to the driver.

Depending on tone and context, a Greek speaker might also say:

• Φρένο! = Brake!
• Πάτα φρένο! = Hit the brake!
• Πατήστε το φρένο! = formal/plural Press the brake!

So the given sentence is perfectly normal and useful.

Change the informal singular command Πάτα to the formal/plural imperative Πατήστε:

• Πατήστε το φρένο, γιατί ο δρόμος είναι βρεγμένος.

This can mean:

• speaking politely to one person
• speaking to more than one person

Everything else in the sentence stays the same.

In Modern Greek, negative commands are usually made with μη(ν) plus the appropriate verb form.

A common version would be:

• Μην πατήσεις το φρένο. = Don’t press the brake.

That is different from the positive imperative Πάτα.

So:

• positive: Πάτα το φρένο.
• negative: Μην πατήσεις το φρένο.

This is a pattern learners should pay attention to, because Greek negative commands are not formed by simply putting δεν before the imperative.