Ο γιατρός ρώτησε αν το παιδί έχει αλλεργία σε κάποιο φάρμακο ή σε κάποια τροφή.

ρώτησε is the aorist form, which is commonly used in Greek for a completed past action. In natural English, it often corresponds to the simple past: asked.

The dictionary form is usually given as ρωτάω or ρωτώ (both are used), meaning to ask.

So:

• ρωτάω / ρωτώ = to ask
• ρώτησε = he/she asked

In this sentence, Ο γιατρός ρώτησε means The doctor asked.

Yes, αν can mean if, but in this sentence it is better understood as whether.

So:

• ρώτησε αν... = asked whether... / asked if...

Here it does not introduce a condition. It introduces an indirect yes/no question.

Compare:

• Ρώτησε αν το παιδί έχει αλλεργία. = He asked whether the child has an allergy.

So this αν is not a conditional if like If it rains, we’ll stay home. It is the if/whether used after verbs like ask, know, see, etc.

Because Greek often keeps the verb in the subordinate clause in the tense that matches the situation being talked about, not automatically the tense of the main verb.

So:

• ρώτησε = asked
• έχει = has

The idea is: the doctor asked, at that time, whether the child has an allergy.

This is very natural in Greek. English can also do something similar:

• The doctor asked if the child has an allergy.
• The doctor asked if the child had an allergy.

English often shifts to had, but Greek very naturally uses έχει if the allergy is understood as a current condition.

In Greek, grammatical gender and real-life gender are not always the same thing.

παιδί (child) is a neuter noun, so it takes neuter forms:

• το παιδί = the child

That does not mean the child is neither male nor female in real life. It only means that the noun παιδί is grammatically neuter.

This is very common in Greek. Many nouns for young humans are neuter, for example:

• το μωρό = the baby
• το παιδί = the child

Greek does have an indefinite article (ένας, μία/μια, ένα), but it is not used in exactly the same way as English a/an.

Here, έχει αλλεργία is a very natural Greek expression meaning:

• has an allergy
• or more generally is allergic

Greek often leaves out the indefinite article in expressions like this, especially with conditions, qualities, or general categories.

So:

• έχει αλλεργία = literally has allergy, but naturally has an allergy

You could sometimes hear έχει μια αλλεργία, but that would often sound more specific or emphatic. In this sentence, plain έχει αλλεργία is the most natural choice.

Because in Greek, the usual pattern is:

• αλλεργία σε κάτι = allergy to something

So:

• αλλεργία σε κάποιο φάρμακο = allergy to some medicine
• αλλεργία σε κάποια τροφή = allergy to some food

This is simply the normal Greek construction. English uses to, while Greek uses σε.

Here κάποιο and κάποια mean some or any particular unspecified.

So:

• σε κάποιο φάρμακο = to some medicine / to any medicine
• σε κάποια τροφή = to some food / to any food

The exact English translation depends on context. In a medical question like this, English often prefers any:

• ...if the child has an allergy to any medicine or any food.

But Greek uses κάποιο / κάποια to express an unspecified item.

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

Here:

• φάρμακο is neuter singular, so you get κάποιο φάρμακο
• τροφή is feminine singular, so you get κάποια τροφή

So the different endings are just normal agreement.

A quick breakdown:

• κάποιο φάρμακο = some medicine
• κάποια τροφή = some food

If the noun changed gender, the form would change too.

In Modern Greek, σε takes the accusative.

So in this sentence:

• σε κάποιο φάρμακο
• σε κάποια τροφή

both noun phrases are in the accusative.

For many neuter and feminine nouns, the accusative singular looks the same as the nominative singular, so the form may not look different. But grammatically, it is accusative because it follows σε.

Because Greek very often repeats the preposition with each item in a pair.

So:

• σε κάποιο φάρμακο ή σε κάποια τροφή

is the most natural full form.

You may sometimes see or hear prepositions omitted before the second item in some contexts, but repeating σε is clear and standard Greek. It helps show that both nouns depend on αλλεργία in the same way:

• allergy to some medicine
• or to some food

No, Greek word order is more flexible than English, but the version you have is a very natural, neutral order.

The sentence begins with:

• Ο γιατρός = the doctor

Then the main verb:

• ρώτησε = asked

Then the indirect question:

• αν το παιδί έχει αλλεργία...

That is a clear and standard structure.

Greek can move things around for emphasis, but this sentence is the most straightforward way to say it. For a learner, this is the pattern to remember:

• [main subject] + [main verb] + αν + [subordinate clause]

Yes. Greek can also express this idea in other ways, for example with an adjective such as αλλεργικός / αλλεργική / αλλεργικό depending on the noun.

For example:

• Το παιδί είναι αλλεργικό σε... = The child is allergic to...

But in your sentence, έχει αλλεργία σε... is perfectly natural and common, especially in medical-style language.

So both patterns are possible:

• έχει αλλεργία σε... = has an allergy to...
• είναι αλλεργικό σε... = is allergic to...

They are very close in meaning here.