Κάθε απόγευμα ποτίζω τα λουλούδια, και η μαμά μου λέει ότι το μπαλκόνι δείχνει πιο ζωντανό.

Yes. Κάθε απόγευμα means every afternoon.

A few useful points:

• κάθε = every / each
• απόγευμα = afternoon

Together, they form a time expression meaning something that happens regularly or habitually.

Greek often uses this kind of phrase at the beginning of the sentence to set the time frame first:

• Κάθε απόγευμα ποτίζω τα λουλούδια.
• Every afternoon I water the flowers.

That word order is very natural in Greek.

Because after κάθε, Greek normally uses the singular, even when the meaning is repetitive.

So:

• κάθε μέρα = every day
• κάθε βράδυ = every night
• κάθε απόγευμα = every afternoon

This is similar to English, where we also say every day, not every days.

In Greek, subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.

Here:

• ποτίζω = I water

The ending -ω tells you the subject is I.

So Greek does not need εγώ unless the speaker wants emphasis or contrast:

• Ποτίζω τα λουλούδια. = I water the flowers.
• Εγώ ποτίζω τα λουλούδια. = I water the flowers.
  (with emphasis, maybe contrasting with someone else)

This is one of the most common features of Greek grammar.

Ποτίζω is the present tense, first person singular: I water.

It is used because the sentence describes a habit or repeated action:

• Every afternoon, I water the flowers

In Greek, the present tense often covers:

• what you are doing now
• what you do regularly

So here it is a habitual present.

Τα λουλούδια means the flowers.

Breakdown:

• τα = the for neuter plural
• λουλούδια = flowers

The singular is:

• το λουλούδι = the flower

The plural is:

• τα λουλούδια = the flowers

So this is a neuter noun:

• singular: το λουλούδι
• plural: τα λουλούδια

Greek articles change depending on gender, number, and case, so τα is there because λουλούδια is neuter plural.

In Greek, a comma before και can appear when two full clauses are being linked, especially if the sentence is a bit longer or the writer wants a clearer pause.

Here the sentence has two complete parts:

• Κάθε απόγευμα ποτίζω τα λουλούδια
• η μαμά μου λέει ότι το μπαλκόνι δείχνει πιο ζωντανό

So the comma helps separate the two ideas.

In English, a comma before and is also common when it joins two independent clauses:

• Every afternoon I water the flowers, and my mom says...

So this punctuation is very natural.

Yes. μου means my, but literally it is also the form that can mean to me / of me, depending on context.

In this sentence:

• η μαμά μου = my mom

Greek often puts the possessive word after the noun:

• η μαμά μου = my mom
• ο φίλος μου = my friend
• το σπίτι μου = my house

This is one of the most basic possessive patterns in Greek.

Yes.

• η μαμά μου = my mom / my mum
  More informal, warm, everyday speech.
• η μητέρα μου = my mother
  More formal or neutral.

So the sentence uses μαμά because it sounds natural and conversational.

Λέει is the present tense of λέω and means she says here.

Because the subject is η μαμά μου, the meaning is:

• η μαμά μου λέει = my mom says

The form λέει can mean:

• he says
• she says
• it says

Greek verbs do not usually need a separate subject pronoun, so the noun η μαμά μου tells us it means she says here.

In this sentence, it probably has the sense of something she says repeatedly or as a general comment:

• My mom says that the balcony looks more lively.

Ότι means that and introduces a subordinate clause.

So:

• η μαμά μου λέει ότι...
• my mom says that...

Everything after ότι is the content of what she says:

• το μπαλκόνι δείχνει πιο ζωντανό

A useful note:

• ότι = that
• ό,τι = whatever / anything that

The accenting helps distinguish them in writing.

Sometimes, yes, especially in spoken or informal Greek, but ότι is very common and clear here.

So both of these may be heard:

• Η μαμά μου λέει ότι το μπαλκόνι δείχνει πιο ζωντανό.
• Η μαμά μου λέει το μπαλκόνι δείχνει πιο ζωντανό.
  (less standard-sounding in careful writing)

For learners, it is safest to use ότι when introducing this kind of clause.

Also, in modern Greek, πως can sometimes be used similarly:

• Η μαμά μου λέει πως...

But ότι is an excellent standard choice.

Το μπαλκόνι means the balcony.

Breakdown:

• το = the for neuter singular
• μπαλκόνι = balcony

This noun is neuter, so it takes:

• το μπαλκόνι = the balcony

That matters later, because the adjective ζωντανό also appears in the neuter singular to agree with it.

Yes. At the beginning of a word, μπ is usually pronounced like b.

So:

• μπαλκόνι sounds roughly like bal-KO-ni

This is useful because Greek does not have a separate single letter for the b sound in the traditional spelling system, so μπ often does that job.

Literally, δείχνει often means shows, but in this sentence it is better understood as looks or appears.

So:

• το μπαλκόνι δείχνει πιο ζωντανό
• the balcony looks more lively

Greek δείχνω / δείχνει can sometimes work like English look in descriptions:

• Δείχνει κουρασμένος. = He looks tired.
• Το δωμάτιο δείχνει μεγαλύτερο. = The room looks bigger.

So this is a very natural use.

Πιο means more, so it forms the comparative.

• ζωντανό = lively / vivid / alive-looking
• πιο ζωντανό = more lively

So:

• το μπαλκόνι δείχνει πιο ζωντανό
• the balcony looks more lively

Greek often forms comparisons with:

• πιο + adjective

Examples:

• πιο μεγάλο = bigger / more big
• πιο όμορφο = more beautiful
• πιο ζωντανό = more lively

Because it agrees with το μπαλκόνι, which is neuter singular.

Greek adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case.

Here:

• το μπαλκόνι = neuter singular
• so the adjective must also be neuter singular:
  • ζωντανό

Compare:

• ο κήπος είναι ζωντανός = the garden is lively/alive-looking
  (masculine)
• η αυλή είναι ζωντανή = the yard is lively
  (feminine)
• το μπαλκόνι είναι ζωντανό = the balcony is lively
  (neuter)

Even though ζωντανό is not directly before the noun, it still agrees with it because it is a predicate adjective after δείχνει.

Yes. The comparison is understood from context.

Πιο ζωντανό simply means more lively. English also sometimes does this without saying what it is being compared to:

• The room looks brighter.
• brighter than what? Usually than before or than it used to

Greek works the same way here. The unstated comparison is probably:

• than before
• than without the flowers
• than it used to

If Greek wants to say than explicitly, it can:

• πιο ζωντανό από πριν = more lively than before

But it is not necessary in this sentence.

Greek word order is fairly flexible, although some orders sound more natural than others.

The given sentence is very natural:

• Κάθε απόγευμα ποτίζω τα λουλούδια, και η μαμά μου λέει ότι το μπαλκόνι δείχνει πιο ζωντανό.

But Greek could shift elements for emphasis. For example:

• Ποτίζω τα λουλούδια κάθε απόγευμα...
• Η μαμά μου λέει ότι πιο ζωντανό δείχνει το μπαλκόνι...
  This is much more marked and not the neutral choice.

So the original word order is the best one for straightforward, natural narration.

There are three important verbs:

• ποτίζω = I water
• λέει = she says
• δείχνει = it looks / appears

This is a nice example of how Greek can chain ideas together:

1. a habitual action
   
   • Κάθε απόγευμα ποτίζω τα λουλούδια
2. someone’s comment about the result
   
   • η μαμά μου λέει ότι...
3. the description itself
   
   • το μπαλκόνι δείχνει πιο ζωντανό

So it is a useful sentence for seeing how everyday Greek connects actions, opinions, and descriptions.

A rough pronunciation guide might be:

KA-the A-po-yev-ma po-TI-zo ta lou-LOU-thya, ke i ma-MA mou LE-i O-ti to bal-KO-ni DHI-hni pio zo-da-NO

A few key sound notes:

• θ in κάθε sounds like th in think
• γευ in απόγευμα is pronounced with a y/gh-type sound, not a hard English g
• λουλούδια has the thy-like sound in the middle
• δείχνει has the χν cluster, where χ is not like English ch, but a harsher sound
• μπ in μπαλκόνι is pronounced like b

This kind of sentence is worth repeating aloud because it contains several very common Greek sound patterns.