Έβαλα έναν σελιδοδείκτη στο μυθιστόρημα, γιατί θέλω να συνεχίσω από εκεί το βράδυ.

Έβαλα is the aorist form of βάζω. It describes a single completed action in the past: I put in a bookmark.

A learner can compare:

• βάζω = I put / I am putting
• έβαζα = I was putting / I used to put
• έβαλα = I put

So Έβαλα έναν σελιδοδείκτη... means the action is finished: the bookmark has already been placed.

Because σελιδοδείκτης is a masculine singular noun, and here it is the direct object of the verb έβαλα.

That means it appears in the accusative singular:

• nominative: ένας σελιδοδείκτης
• accusative: έναν σελιδοδείκτη

The article and the noun both change to match the role they play in the sentence.

Στο is simply the normal contraction of σε + το.

So:

• σε το μυθιστόρημα → στο μυθιστόρημα

This is exactly like:

• σε + την → στη(ν)
• σε + τον → στον

After σε, Greek uses the accusative, which is why we get το μυθιστόρημα in that form.

Greek σε can cover several meanings that English separates into in, into, on, at, depending on context.

In this sentence, στο μυθιστόρημα means something like in the novel / in the book. Since the object is a bookmark, English would often phrase it more naturally as in the novel or in the book rather than trying to translate the preposition too literally.

So the exact English preposition depends on context, but the Greek is completely natural.

Here γιατί means because and introduces the reason for the first action.

So the structure is:

• Έβαλα έναν σελιδοδείκτη... = I put in a bookmark...
• γιατί θέλω... = because I want...

A useful thing to remember is that γιατί can also mean why? in a question. Greek uses the same word for both, and the meaning is clear from the sentence structure and punctuation.

Modern Greek does not normally use an infinitive the way English does.

English says:

• I want to continue

Greek says:

• θέλω να συνεχίσω

After verbs like θέλω, Greek usually uses να + a finite verb form. This is one of the most important patterns in Greek grammar.

So να συνεχίσω is the normal Greek way to express to continue after θέλω.

This is about aspect.

Συνεχίσω is the aorist subjunctive form after να, while να συνεχίζω would be the present subjunctive.

In this sentence, να συνεχίσω is natural because the speaker means to resume/continue the book later as one whole action. It is a single intended action in the future.

Compare:

• θέλω να συνεχίσω = I want to continue / resume
• θέλω να συνεχίζω = I want to keep continuing / continue habitually

So συνεχίσω fits better here.

Literally, από εκεί means from there.

In this context, it means from that point in the book — the place marked by the bookmark.

So even though εκεί literally means there, here it refers to a location inside the story/book, not a physical place in the room.

You could think of it as:

• continue from there
• continue from that point

Greek very often uses the definite article in expressions of time.

So you commonly get:

• το πρωί = in the morning
• το μεσημέρι = at noon / in the afternoon
• το βράδυ = in the evening / tonight

The article is normal here and does not always need to be translated directly into English. In this sentence, το βράδυ means in the evening or tonight, depending on context.

Not completely. Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

This sentence is natural as written:

• Έβαλα έναν σελιδοδείκτη στο μυθιστόρημα, γιατί θέλω να συνεχίσω από εκεί το βράδυ.

But Greek could move some parts around for emphasis, for example:

• Το βράδυ θέλω να συνεχίσω από εκεί.
• Θέλω να συνεχίσω από εκεί το βράδυ.

The current order sounds neutral and natural: first the action, then the reason, then the time.

Yes. Greek often allows a shorter expression when the meaning is obvious from context.

Here από εκεί is perfectly natural because the bookmark makes it clear that there means the place where I stopped reading.

A more explicit version could be:

• από το σημείο εκείνο = from that point
• από το σημείο που σταμάτησα = from the point where I stopped

But in everyday speech, από εκεί is simple and idiomatic.