Η τυρόπιτα ήταν τόσο ζεστή που περίμενα λίγο πριν τη φάω.

Τυρόπιτα is a feminine singular noun, so its article is η.

Greek uses the definite article more often than English does. In this sentence, η τυρόπιτα means the cheese pie / the cheese pie I had / the one we’re talking about. Even if English might sometimes just say the pie or even leave things more implicit, Greek normally keeps the article with a specific noun like this.

So:

• η = the for feminine singular nouns
• τυρόπιτα = feminine noun, so η τυρόπιτα

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

Here:

• τυρόπιτα is feminine
• singular
• nominative (it is the subject)

So the adjective ζεστός becomes:

• ζεστός for masculine
• ζεστή for feminine
• ζεστό for neuter

That is why we get η τυρόπιτα ήταν ζεστή.

This is a very common Greek structure meaning so ... that.

In this sentence:

• τόσο ζεστή = so hot
• που περίμενα λίγο = that I waited a little

So the pattern is:

• τόσο + adjective/adverb + που + clause

Examples:

• Ήταν τόσο κουρασμένος που κοιμήθηκε αμέσως.
  He was so tired that he fell asleep immediately.
• Μιλάει τόσο γρήγορα που δεν τον καταλαβαίνω.
  He speaks so fast that I don’t understand him.

Here, τόσο is modifying the adjective ζεστή.

Ήταν is the past form of είμαι (to be), and here it is used to describe a state in the past: the cheese pie was hot.

Greek often uses the imperfect for background description or ongoing states in the past. The sentence is setting the situation first:

• Η τυρόπιτα ήταν τόσο ζεστή...
• The cheese pie was so hot...

So ήταν is natural because it describes what the pie was like at that moment.

This is a good question because περίμενα can look the same for both imperfect and aorist in Modern Greek.

In this sentence, the meaning is basically:

• I waited a little

Because of λίγο and the whole context, the action is understood as a single completed action in the past: I waited for a short time, then ate it.

So even though the form is περίμενα, in this sentence the practical meaning is:

• I waited for a bit

Learners often just need to remember that with some verbs, context helps you understand the aspect.

Here λίγο means a little / for a bit / a short while.

It is being used as an adverb, not an adjective. It tells us how long the speaker waited.

So:

• περίμενα λίγο = I waited a little / I waited for a bit

This is very common Greek.

After πριν (before), Greek often uses the subjunctive, and να may be omitted, especially in everyday language.

So both of these are possible:

• πριν τη φάω
• πριν να τη φάω

Both mean:

• before I eat it

The version without να is very common and natural.

So in this sentence:

• πριν τη φάω = before eating it / before I ate it

Because after πριν, Greek uses a subjunctive form, and for the verb τρώω (to eat), the subjunctive usually uses the perfective stem:

• να φάω = that I eat / for me to eat / to eat depending on context

So:

• πριν τη φάω = before I eat it

Why not τρώω?

• τρώω is the present/imperfective form
• after πριν, Greek normally wants the subjunctive form here

Why not έφαγα?

• έφαγα is the indicative aorist (I ate)
• that is not the structure needed after πριν in this sentence

So φάω is exactly the form Greek expects here.

Τη is a weak object pronoun meaning it.

It refers back to την τυρόπιτα:

• τη = it
• specifically, her/it in grammatical terms because τυρόπιτα is feminine

So:

• πριν τη φάω = before I eat it

This does not mean the pie is female in a real-world sense. It just means the noun τυρόπιτα is grammatically feminine, so the pronoun must match it.

The full form of the feminine singular object pronoun is την, but in Modern Greek the final -ν is often dropped before certain consonants.

So:

• την can become τη

Since φάω begins with φ, it is very normal to say:

• τη φάω

You may also see την in writing or careful speech, but τη φάω is completely natural.

In Greek, weak object pronouns usually come before the verb in normal finite clauses, including subjunctive-type structures like this one.

So Greek says:

• τη φάω = literally it I-eat

This is just normal Greek word order for clitic pronouns.

Compare:

• Τη βλέπω. = I see her/it.
• Θα τη φάω. = I will eat it.
• Πριν τη φάω... = Before I eat it...

The main exception learners often notice is the affirmative imperative, where the pronoun usually goes after the verb:

• Φάτη! = Eat it!

But here, τη φάω is exactly what we expect.

That is a smart question, because λίγο πριν can indeed mean shortly before in other contexts.

For example:

• Λίγο πριν έρθει, με πήρε τηλέφωνο.
  Shortly before he came, he called me.

But in your sentence:

• περίμενα λίγο πριν τη φάω

the structure is understood as:

• I waited a little before eating it

So here λίγο belongs with περίμενα, not with πριν.

In other words:

• περίμενα λίγο = I waited a bit
• πριν τη φάω = before I ate/ate it

Yes. Both are possible.

• πριν τη φάω
• πριν να τη φάω

Both are grammatical and natural. The version without να is very common in everyday Greek, so the sentence you were given sounds normal.

As a learner, it is useful to recognize both patterns.