Κανονικά πίνω καφέ το πρωί, αλλά σήμερα πίνω τσάι.

Because the verb form already tells you the subject.

πίνω means I drink / I am drinking. The ending -ω shows first person singular, so Greek usually does not need the pronoun εγώ.

• πίνω = I drink
• πίνεις = you drink
• πίνει = he/she/it drinks

You can say Εγώ πίνω..., but that usually adds emphasis, like I drink coffee, not someone else.

Greek uses the present tense here for both:

• Κανονικά πίνω καφέ το πρωί = I normally drink coffee in the morning
• σήμερα πίνω τσάι = today I’m drinking tea

Just like in English, the present tense can describe:

1. habitual actions

   • Κανονικά πίνω... = I usually drink...

2. what is happening now / around now

   • σήμερα πίνω... = today I’m drinking...

The time words tell you which meaning is intended.

Here κανονικά means something like:

• normally
• usually
• as a rule

So in this sentence, it introduces a normal habit:

• Κανονικά πίνω καφέ το πρωί = Normally / Usually I drink coffee in the morning

Depending on context, κανονικά can also mean properly or regularly, but here normally/usually is the natural meaning.

Because καφέ is the form used as the direct object here.

The basic dictionary form is:

• ο καφές = coffee / the coffee

But after πίνω (I drink), the noun is in the accusative:

• πίνω καφέ = I drink coffee

So:

• nominative: ο καφές
• accusative: τον καφέ / καφέ

This is very common with masculine nouns ending in -ές.

Because τσάι is a neuter noun, and in the singular its nominative and accusative forms are the same.

So:

• το τσάι = the tea
• πίνω τσάι = I drink tea

Unlike καφές, which changes to καφέ in the accusative, τσάι stays τσάι.

In Greek, when you talk about a substance or something in a general sense, the article is often omitted.

So:

• πίνω καφέ = I drink coffee
• πίνω τσάι = I drink tea

This is very natural.

If you add the article, it can sound more specific:

• πίνω τον καφέ μου = I’m drinking my coffee
• πίνω το τσάι μου = I’m drinking my tea

So in your sentence, no article is used because it is about the type of drink, not a specific cup.

Because το πρωί is a fixed time expression meaning in the morning.

Even though English says in the morning, Greek often uses the article directly:

• το πρωί = in the morning
• το βράδυ = in the evening / at night
• το μεσημέρι = at noon / around midday

So the article here is completely normal and part of the expression.

It is in the accusative, which Greek often uses for expressions of time.

So το πρωί literally looks like:

• the morning

but functionally it means:

• in the morning

This is a common Greek pattern:

• σήμερα = today
• αύριο = tomorrow
• το πρωί = in the morning
• το απόγευμα = in the afternoon

You do not need a separate word for in here.

Because Greek word order is flexible, and putting σήμερα before the verb sounds natural and helps highlight the contrast with κανονικά.

The sentence structure is:

• Normally I drink coffee in the morning, but today I’m drinking tea.

So:

• Κανονικά ... αλλά σήμερα ...

This makes the contrast very clear.

You could also hear:

• Κανονικά πίνω καφέ το πρωί, αλλά πίνω τσάι σήμερα.

But αλλά σήμερα πίνω τσάι is more natural in this context.

Yes. αλλά is the standard everyday word for but.

Here it connects two contrasting ideas:

• normal habit: I usually drink coffee
• exception today: but today I’m drinking tea

Greek also has όμως, which can also mean but / however, but αλλά is the simplest and most direct choice here.

It can change, because Greek word order is more flexible than English. The most neutral version here is:

• Κανονικά πίνω καφέ το πρωί, αλλά σήμερα πίνω τσάι.

But other orders are possible, depending on emphasis:

• Το πρωί κανονικά πίνω καφέ, αλλά σήμερα πίνω τσάι.
• Κανονικά το πρωί πίνω καφέ, αλλά σήμερα πίνω τσάι.

The meaning stays similar, but the focus shifts slightly.

A good rule for learners: Greek word order often changes to emphasize time, contrast, or topic.

τσάι is pronounced roughly like chai in English.

The two dots over ϊ are called a diaeresis. They show that the vowels are pronounced separately, not as one combined sound.

So:

• τσάι = tsa-i → sounds like chai

Without the diaeresis, the vowel combination might be read differently.

This is also why πρωί has an accent on the second vowel and is pronounced in two parts:

• πρω-ί

In practice, it means the habitual idea: I usually drink coffee in the morning.

Greek present tense can sometimes overlap with English simple present and present progressive, but with κανονικά the habitual reading is clearly intended.

So:

• Κανονικά πίνω καφέ το πρωί = a usual routine
• σήμερα πίνω τσάι = today’s exception

That contrast is the whole point of the sentence.