Τι θα έλεγες να φυτέψουμε λουλούδια στο μπαλκόνι αυτό το Σάββατο;

Literally, yes, it is close to What would you say if... or What would you say to....

But as a full expression, Τι θα έλεγες να + verb is a very common Greek way to make a suggestion. In natural English, it often corresponds to:

• How about we ...?
• What do you say we ...?
• Would you be up for ...?

So it is better learned as a set phrase, not translated word-for-word every time.

Because it gives the sentence a softer, more polite, more tentative feeling.

• έλεγες = you were saying / you said as a past-form base
• θα + past form often gives a would meaning in Modern Greek

So Τι θα έλεγες... is essentially What would you say..., which sounds less direct and more friendly than a blunt suggestion.

Compare the tone:

• Να φυτέψουμε λουλούδια; = Shall we plant flowers? / Let’s plant flowers?
• Τι θα έλεγες να φυτέψουμε λουλούδια; = How about we plant flowers?

The second one sounds more conversational and less abrupt.

Yes. έλεγες is the 2nd person singular form, so it is used when speaking to one person informally, as you = εσύ.

If you want to say the same thing more formally, or to more than one person, you would use:

Τι θα λέγατε να φυτέψουμε λουλούδια στο μπαλκόνι αυτό το Σάββατο;

So:

• θα έλεγες = informal singular
• θα λέγατε = formal singular or plural

Because Greek usually does not use the infinitive the way English does.

Where English might use:

• to plant
• that we plant
• planting

Greek very often uses να + finite verb instead.

So in this sentence:

• να φυτέψουμε = roughly that we plant / for us to plant / to plant, depending on how natural English expresses it

After expressions of suggestion, desire, intention, possibility, and so on, να is extremely common.

This is about aspect, which is very important in Greek.

• φυτέψουμε is the perfective form
• φυτεύουμε is the imperfective form

Here, the speaker is suggesting one complete action on a particular day: planting flowers this Saturday. That is why Greek uses φυτέψουμε.

Very roughly:

• να φυτέψουμε = to plant / to go plant as one complete event
• να φυτεύουμε = to be planting / to plant regularly or repeatedly

So for a one-time plan, φυτέψουμε is the natural choice.

It is built into the verb ending.

Greek verbs usually show the subject clearly, so subject pronouns are often left out unless there is emphasis or contrast.

Here:

• φυτέψουμε = we plant / we should plant / let’s plant depending on context

So Greek does not need an extra we here.

If you added εμείς, it would sound more emphatic, like we ourselves or we, not someone else.

Because λουλούδια here means flowers in a general, indefinite sense, not the flowers.

So:

• φυτέψουμε λουλούδια = plant flowers
• φυτέψουμε τα λουλούδια = plant the flowers (specific flowers already known from context)

This is similar to English, where we also often say plant flowers without the.

Also, λουλούδια is a neuter plural noun. In this sentence it is the direct object, but for many neuter nouns the nominative and accusative forms are the same, so the form does not visibly change.

στο is a contraction of σε + το.

So:

• σε = a very common preposition meaning in, on, at, to, depending on context
• το = the for a neuter singular noun
• στο = σε το

Since μπαλκόνι is neuter singular, Greek says:

• στο μπαλκόνι

In English we say on the balcony, but Greek uses σε here. Greek σε covers a wider range than any one single English preposition.

So do not try to match σε to only one English word.

Because Greek often uses the accusative of time without a preposition for expressions like:

• today
• tomorrow
• this week
• this Saturday

So:

• αυτό το Σάββατο = this Saturday

No extra word like on is needed.

This is very normal in Greek. English sometimes does something similar too: we can say this Saturday without on.

It makes the time expression more specific: this Saturday.

Compare:

• το Σάββατο = on Saturday / Saturday
• αυτό το Σάββατο = this Saturday

So αυτό points to the specific upcoming Saturday relevant to the conversation.

Yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

This version is very natural and neutral:

Τι θα έλεγες να φυτέψουμε λουλούδια στο μπαλκόνι αυτό το Σάββατο;

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

• Τι θα έλεγες να φυτέψουμε αυτό το Σάββατο λουλούδια στο μπαλκόνι;
• Τι θα έλεγες αυτό το Σάββατο να φυτέψουμε λουλούδια στο μπαλκόνι;

The basic meaning stays the same, but the emphasis shifts slightly.

Still, the original order is a very natural one for everyday speech.

Because in Greek, the question mark looks like a semicolon.

So:

• Greek ; = English ?

This is one of the first punctuation differences learners notice.

Also, the Greek semicolon as used in English does not look the same; Greek has a different punctuation mark for that.

A helpful transliteration is:

Ti tha éleges na fitépsoume louloúdia sto balkóni aftó to Sávvato?

A rough English-friendly pronunciation is:

tee tha EH-leh-yes na fee-TEP-soo-me loo-LOO-thya sto bal-KOH-nee af-TO to SAV-va-to

A few useful notes:

• θ sounds like th in think
• δ sounds like th in this
• γ before ε here sounds soft, a bit like y in yes
• μπ in μπαλκόνι is pronounced b

The main stresses are on:

• έλεγες
• φυτέψουμε
• λουλούδια
• μπαλκόνι
• αυτό
• Σάββατο