Χαϊδεύω τη γάτα απαλά όταν κοιμάται.

Χαϊδεύω is the 1st person singular present tense form of the verb χαϊδεύω, meaning I stroke, I pet, or I caress.

So in this sentence, it means I pet/stroke.

A few related forms:

• χαϊδεύω = I pet
• χαϊδεύεις = you pet
• χαϊδεύει = he/she/it pets

The ending -ω is a very common present-tense ending for I in Greek verbs.

Greek often drops subject pronouns when they are not needed, because the verb ending already shows the person.

Here:

• Χαϊδεύω already means I pet

So adding εγώ (I) would usually only be for emphasis:

• Εγώ χαϊδεύω τη γάτα απαλά όταν κοιμάται.
• I pet the cat gently when it sleeps.

In normal Greek, leaving out εγώ is completely natural.

Because γάτα is the object of the verb, not the subject.

• η γάτα = the cat as a subject (nominative)
• τη(ν) γάτα = the cat as an object (accusative)

Compare:

• Η γάτα κοιμάται. = The cat is sleeping.
• Χαϊδεύω τη γάτα. = I pet the cat.

Since the cat is receiving the action of petting, Greek uses the accusative form.

τη is a very common shortened form of την before certain consonants in everyday Greek.

So both of these can be heard:

• τη γάτα
• την γάτα

In modern spoken Greek, τη γάτα is very natural. The final -ν is often dropped depending on the sound that follows and also on speaking style.

So for a learner, the safest thing to know is:

• την is the full form
• τη is very commonly used before words like γάτα

Both are understood, but τη γάτα sounds very normal here.

Απαλά is an adverb, meaning gently or softly.

It describes how the action is done:

• Χαϊδεύω τη γάτα απαλά.
• I pet the cat gently.

It comes from the adjective family απαλός / απαλή / απαλό, which has meanings like soft, gentle, or tender.

So:

• απαλός = soft/gentle (masculine adjective)
• απαλά = gently/softly (adverb)

Yes, Greek word order is fairly flexible, and απαλά can move depending on emphasis or style.

The given sentence:

• Χαϊδεύω τη γάτα απαλά όταν κοιμάται.

is perfectly natural.

But you could also hear:

• Χαϊδεύω απαλά τη γάτα όταν κοιμάται.
• Όταν κοιμάται, χαϊδεύω τη γάτα απαλά.

The meaning stays basically the same, but the focus shifts slightly.

In the original sentence, the order is smooth and neutral:

1. action
2. object
3. manner
4. time clause

Όταν means when.

It introduces a time clause:

• όταν κοιμάται = when it/she is sleeping or when it/she sleeps

With the present tense, όταν can often mean either:

• when
• whenever

depending on context.

So this sentence can sound like a general/habitual statement:

• I pet the cat gently when(ever) it is sleeping.

Κοιμάται is the 3rd person singular present tense of κοιμάμαι, meaning to sleep.

So:

• κοιμάμαι = I sleep / I am sleeping
• κοιμάσαι = you sleep
• κοιμάται = he/she/it sleeps / is sleeping

Important: κοιμάμαι is one of those Greek verbs that has middle/passive-type endings in the present, even though its meaning is active in English.

So although it looks different from a verb like χαϊδεύω, it simply means:

• κοιμάται = he/she/it sleeps

Because κοιμάται is 3rd person singular, so it cannot mean I sleep.

The sentence starts with:

• Χαϊδεύω = I pet

Then later:

• όταν κοιμάται = when he/she/it sleeps

The most natural interpretation is that the sleeping one is the cat, because τη γάτα is the main noun already mentioned.

So the understood meaning is:

• I pet the cat gently when it is sleeping.

In Greek, verbs do not change for gender in forms like this.

They change for:

• person
• number
• tense
• aspect
• voice/form

But not for masculine vs feminine vs neuter in the present-tense verb itself.

So:

• η γάτα κοιμάται = the cat sleeps
• ο σκύλος κοιμάται = the dog sleeps
• το παιδί κοιμάται = the child sleeps

The verb κοιμάται stays the same in all three cases, even though the nouns have different genders.

Most naturally, it sounds like a habitual or general action:

• I pet the cat gently when it sleeps / whenever it is sleeping.

Greek present tense often covers both:

• a present ongoing action
• a general repeated action

Without more context, this sentence is usually understood as a general statement about what the speaker does.

If you wanted to make the right now meaning clearer, Greek would often use context or a different structure, for example with τώρα (now) or a more specific setup.

The word Χαϊδεύω is pronounced roughly:

• ha-ee-THE-vo
  more accurately: /xa.iˈðe.vo/

The important point is the diaeresis on ϊ:

• ϊ

This shows that the vowels are pronounced separately.

So χαϊ- is not one blended sound. It is:

• χα-ϊ = xa.i

That means the beginning is pronounced in two syllables, not one.

Also:

• χ sounds like a Greek h-like or German ch sound, not an English ch
• δ in modern Greek sounds like th in this

Grammatically, γάτα is a feminine noun.

It often means:

• cat
• and very often specifically female cat

The masculine form is:

• γάτος = male cat / tomcat

But in everyday use, γάτα can sometimes be used more generally depending on context. In a basic sentence like this, a learner should mainly focus on the grammar:

• τη γάτα = the cat as the object

Yes, absolutely.

That version is also natural:

• Όταν κοιμάται, χαϊδεύω τη γάτα απαλά.

It simply puts the when-clause first:

• When it is sleeping, I pet the cat gently.

Greek allows this kind of reordering quite easily. The choice often depends on what you want to emphasize first:

• Χαϊδεύω... = focus starts with the main action
• Όταν κοιμάται... = focus starts with the time/condition

Both are correct.