Η μαθήτρια δανείστηκε το ψαλίδι μου, γιατί ήθελε να κόψει μια φωτογραφία για το μάθημα.

Because μαθήτρια is the feminine form, meaning female student / schoolgirl. The article η is also feminine singular.

• η μαθήτρια = the female student
• ο μαθητής = the male student

So the sentence is specifically talking about a female student.

Great question. δανείστηκε comes from δανείζομαι, which means to borrow. Even though it looks like a passive/middle form, here it does not mean was borrowed. It is a very common Greek pattern:

• δανείζω = I lend
• δανείζομαι = I borrow

So:

• Η μαθήτρια δανείστηκε το ψαλίδι μου. = The student borrowed my scissors.

This is one of those verbs where the middle/passive form has an active meaning in English.

In Greek, ψαλίδι is normally a singular neuter noun, even though in English scissors is treated as plural.

• το ψαλίδι = the scissors
• ένα ψαλίδι = a pair of scissors / scissors
• τα ψαλίδια = scissors (plural), but this is less basic in everyday use for one object

So Greek and English simply organize this noun differently.

Because in Greek, possessive words like μου often come after the noun.

• το ψαλίδι μου = my scissors
• literally: the scissors of me

This is the most natural everyday way to say it.

You can also say:

• το δικό μου ψαλίδι

but that is more emphatic, like my own scissors or my scissors, not someone else’s.

Because γιατί here introduces a reason clause: because she wanted...

Greek usually separates this kind of explanatory clause with a comma:

• Η μαθήτρια δανείστηκε το ψαλίδι μου, γιατί ήθελε...

This is very normal punctuation in Greek.

Here it means because.

Greek γιατί can mean both:

• Why? = Γιατί;
• because = γιατί

In this sentence, it clearly means because, since it introduces the reason:

• ...γιατί ήθελε να κόψει...
• ...because she wanted to cut...

ήθελε is the imperfect of θέλω. It is used here because it gives background information: it describes her intention or state of mind.

• ήθελε = she wanted / she was wanting

In this sentence, the idea is not really a single sudden moment of wanting, but the reason behind the borrowing. So the imperfect sounds natural:

• She borrowed my scissors, because she wanted to cut a photo.

If you used an aorist-type idea, it would sound more like a single completed moment of deciding, which is not the main point here.

Because κόψει is the aorist subjunctive, and after ήθελε να it expresses a single complete action:

• ήθελε να κόψει = she wanted to cut

The sentence is talking about cutting one photo as one whole action, not an ongoing repeated process.

Compare:

• ήθελε να κόψει μια φωτογραφία = she wanted to cut a photo
• ήθελε να κόβει φωτογραφίες = she wanted to be cutting photos / to cut photos repeatedly

So κόψει is the natural choice here.

Because Greek uses να to introduce the verb after expressions like want to, can, must, and many others.

So:

• ήθελε να κόψει = she wanted to cut

You cannot normally say ήθελε κόψει.

A useful pattern is:

• θέλω να + verb
• ήθελε να + verb
• μπορώ να + verb

So να is a key particle that introduces the dependent verb form.

Yes. μια and μία are both forms of one / a in the feminine.

Here:

• μια φωτογραφία = a photo

In everyday writing, μια is extremely common.
μία may be used when you want clearer stress or stronger emphasis on the number one.

For most learners, you can treat them as equivalent in many contexts.

Because το μάθημα here refers to a specific lesson/class/school assignment context that speaker and listener can identify.

• για το μάθημα = for class / for the lesson / for the schoolwork

Greek often uses the definite article where English may or may not use one. So even if English says for class, Greek very naturally says για το μάθημα.

It can mean several related things depending on context:

• lesson
• class
• school subject
• sometimes even schoolwork / assignment context

In this sentence, για το μάθημα most naturally means something like:

• for class
• for the lesson
• for schoolwork

So the exact English wording can vary, but the Greek is perfectly natural.

Yes, Greek word order is more flexible than English.
The neutral order here is:

• να κόψει μια φωτογραφία = to cut a photo

But Greek could move things for emphasis, for example:

• να κόψει για το μάθημα μια φωτογραφία
• μια φωτογραφία να κόψει
• να κόψει φωτογραφία για το μάθημα

The original sentence sounds neutral and natural. Greek word order often changes to highlight new information, contrast, or rhythm.

It often suggests a school student, especially in basic contexts. But depending on the situation, it can also mean female pupil/learner more generally.

Still, for a university student, Greek more commonly uses:

• φοιτήτρια = female university student

So in this sentence, most learners would naturally understand μαθήτρια as a schoolgirl or female school student.

Yes, but the meaning changes a bit.

• δανείστηκε το ψαλίδι μου = she borrowed my scissors
• πήρε το ψαλίδι μου = she took my scissors

δανείστηκε clearly shows that she took it as a loan, with the idea of giving it back.
πήρε only says she took it; it does not by itself include the idea of borrowing.

So δανείστηκε is more precise here.