Πάτησα φρένο γιατί ένας πεζός ήταν στη διάβαση.

to be

Breakdown of Πάτησα φρένο γιατί ένας πεζός ήταν στη διάβαση.

• σε: at
• γιατί: because
• ένας: one

Questions & Answers about Πάτησα φρένο γιατί ένας πεζός ήταν στη διάβαση.

What does Πάτησα mean here?

Πάτησα is the aorist form of πατάω / πατώ, which basically means I stepped on or I pressed.

In this sentence, Πάτησα φρένο means I braked or more literally I pressed the brake.

So:

• πατάω = to step on, to press
• πάτησα = I stepped on / I pressed

Greek often uses this verb with φρένο to express braking.

Why does Greek say Πάτησα φρένο instead of something like I stopped?

Because Greek commonly expresses this idea with the image of pressing the brake.

So:

• πατάω φρένο = to brake
• literally: to press the brake

This is very natural Greek. It focuses on the physical action of braking, not just the result.

Why is there no article before φρένο?

In Greek, some verb + noun combinations work almost like fixed expressions, and the noun may appear without an article.

So Πάτησα φρένο is a very natural idiomatic way to say I braked.

You can also hear:

• πάτησα το φρένο

That sounds a bit more literal: I pressed the brake.

Both are possible, but πάτησα φρένο is a very common everyday expression.

What tense is πάτησα, and why is that tense used?