Η μαμά μου έβαλε το θερμόμετρο στο τραπέζι, για να δω αν έχω πυρετό.

In Greek, unstressed possessive pronouns like μου (my) usually come after the noun:

• η μαμά μου = my mom
• το βιβλίο μου = my book

This is the normal Greek pattern. English says my mom, but Greek usually says literally the mom my.

Also note that Greek normally uses the definite article here:

• η μαμά μου not usually just μαμά μου in a neutral full sentence.

Greek uses the definite article much more often than English does. With family members plus a possessive, the article is very common and natural:

• η μαμά μου = my mom
• ο μπαμπάς μου = my dad
• η αδερφή μου = my sister

So even though English does not say the my mom, Greek does say the equivalent structure.

Έβαλε is the aorist form of βάζω (to put). Here it means:

• she put
• she placed

The aorist is the normal tense for a single completed action in the past. So:

• Η μαμά μου έβαλε... = My mom put/placed...

If you used the present βάζει, it would mean she puts / is putting, which would not fit this past event.

Το θερμόμετρο is the direct object of έβαλε:

• έβαλε τι; = put what?
• το θερμόμετρο = the thermometer

Θερμόμετρο is a neuter noun, so it takes the neuter article το.

Also, for many neuter nouns, the nominative and accusative forms look the same, so you just see:

• το θερμόμετρο

Στο is a contraction of:

• σε + το = στο

Here:

• σε = in / on / at / to (depending on context)
• το = the

So:

• στο τραπέζι = on the table / onto the table

Greek very commonly contracts these:

• σε το → στο
• σε τη / την → στη / στην

Because τραπέζι is another neuter noun, and for this noun the form stays the same in nominative and accusative:

• το τραπέζι
• στο τραπέζι

After σε (or στο), Greek often uses the accusative form, but with many neuter nouns you do not see any change in the noun itself.

Για να means so that, in order to, or sometimes simply to.

In this sentence:

• για να δω = so that I can see / in order to see

It introduces a purpose clause: the mom put the thermometer on the table for the purpose of the speaker checking whether they have a fever.

A very important point: να is followed by a verb in the subjunctive.

Δω is the aorist subjunctive form of βλέπω (to see).

After να, Greek often uses either:

• present subjunctive for an ongoing/repeated action
• aorist subjunctive for a single complete action

Here, the idea is a single act: check / see / find out whether there is a fever. So Greek naturally uses the aorist subjunctive:

• για να δω = so that I can see / check / find out

This does not mean past tense here. After να, the aorist usually expresses aspect (completed single action), not past time.

Here αν means whether:

• να δω αν έχω πυρετό = to see whether I have a fever

In English, if and whether can overlap, and Greek αν often covers that area.

So this part literally works like:

• see if / whether I have a fever

That is simply the normal Greek expression.

• έχω πυρετό = I have a fever / I have fever
• έχει πυρετό = he/she has a fever

Languages often use different structures for physical states. English says have a fever, and Greek does too.

Notice that Greek usually does not need an indefinite article here:

• έχω πυρετό not necessarily έχω έναν πυρετό

Because the two verbs refer to different things:

• έβαλε = the mom’s action, completed in the past
• έχω = the condition being checked, understood as current at that moment

Greek does not always shift tenses the way English sometimes does. After verbs like δω (see/check), the clause with αν keeps the tense that best matches the meaning.

So:

• να δω αν έχω πυρετό = to see whether I have a fever

The fever is the state being checked, so present tense is natural.

Because Greek is a pro-drop language: the verb ending usually already shows the subject.

• δω = I see / I check in this context
• έχω = I have

So Greek does not need to say εγώ unless there is emphasis or contrast.

For example:

• για να δω αν έχω πυρετό = normal
• για να δω αν εγώ έχω πυρετό = more emphatic, like whether I have a fever

Yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English word order, because case endings and verb forms carry a lot of grammatical information.

This sentence is in a very natural, neutral order:

• Η μαμά μου έβαλε το θερμόμετρο στο τραπέζι, για να δω αν έχω πυρετό.

But Greek could move things around for emphasis. For example, if you wanted to emphasize the thermometer, you might place it earlier in the sentence.

That said, the original version is a very normal way to say it.

The comma separates the main clause from the purpose clause:

• main clause: Η μαμά μου έβαλε το θερμόμετρο στο τραπέζι
• purpose clause: για να δω αν έχω πυρετό

In Greek punctuation, this comma is quite natural, especially when the second part is a fuller dependent clause. You may sometimes see similar sentences without a comma, depending on style, but here the comma helps readability.

In this sentence, it is closer to check or find out than simple visual seeing.

• να δω αν έχω πυρετό = to see/check whether I have a fever

Greek βλέπω / δω can work like English see in expressions such as:

• Let me see
• I’ll see if...
• Check whether...

So the meaning is broader than just physical sight.