Στο ζαχαροπλαστείο πήρα λίγο κέικ, ενώ από το παντοπωλείο αγόρασα καφέ και ζάχαρη.

Στο is a contraction of σε + το.

• σε = to / in / at
• το = the for a neuter noun

So:

• στο ζαχαροπλαστείο = at / in the pastry shop

In modern Greek, σε very often combines with the definite article:

• σε + το = στο
• σε + τη(ν) = στη(ν)
• σε + τον = στον

This is completely normal and very common.

The two prepositions express different relationships:

• στο ζαχαροπλαστείο = at / in the pastry shop
• από το παντοπωλείο = from the grocery store

So the sentence is distinguishing:

• the place where something was obtained: στο ζαχαροπλαστείο
• the source it came from: από το παντοπωλείο

Greek often uses this kind of contrast very naturally. In English, we might simply say At the pastry shop I got... while at the grocery store I bought..., but Greek can use από to emphasize the source of the items.

Both nouns are neuter singular, so they take the article το.

• το ζαχαροπλαστείο = the pastry shop
• το παντοπωλείο = the grocery store

A lot of Greek place nouns ending in -είο are neuter:

• το φαρμακείο = pharmacy
• το νοσοκομείο = hospital
• το ταχυδρομείο = post office

So once you learn that pattern, these forms become easier to recognize.

Yes, in this sentence both can be translated naturally as bought, but they are not exactly the same word.

• πήρα comes from παίρνω and literally means I took / I got
• αγόρασα comes from αγοράζω and means I bought

So:

• πήρα λίγο κέικ = literally I got some cake
• αγόρασα καφέ και ζάχαρη = I bought coffee and sugar

Greek often uses παίρνω in everyday shopping language where English would say get or buy. So πήρα λίγο κέικ sounds very natural.

Using two different verbs here also avoids repetition.

Yes. Both are aorist forms, which are commonly used for completed actions in the past.

• παίρνω → πήρα = I got / took
• αγοράζω → αγόρασα = I bought

In this sentence, the speaker is describing completed actions:

• first they got some cake
• then they bought coffee and sugar

So the aorist is exactly what you would expect here.

Λίγο κέικ means a little cake / some cake.

Here λίγο functions as a quantity word, like:

• λίγο νερό = a little water
• λίγη ζάχαρη = a little sugar
• λίγο ψωμί = a little bread

There is no article before κέικ because the speaker is talking about an indefinite amount, not a specific cake.

So:

• πήρα λίγο κέικ = I got some cake

If you added an article, the meaning would change and become more specific, for example referring to a particular cake.

Λίγο is the neuter singular form.

The form of λίγος / λίγη / λίγο depends on the noun it goes with:

• λίγος καφές = a little coffee / some coffee
• λίγη ζάχαρη = a little sugar
• λίγο κέικ = a little cake

Here κέικ is treated as neuter, so λίγο is the correct form.

Because the sentence is talking about these as indefinite products or quantities, not as specific, previously identified items.

• αγόρασα καφέ και ζάχαρη = I bought coffee and sugar

This is very natural in Greek, just as in English we usually say:

• I bought coffee and sugar not
• I bought the coffee and the sugar

If the speaker meant specific items already known in the conversation, the articles could appear:

• αγόρασα τον καφέ και τη ζάχαρη

That would mean something more like I bought the coffee and the sugar.

This is about case.

The basic dictionary form is:

• ο καφές = coffee

But after the verb αγόρασα, the noun is the direct object, so it appears in the accusative:

• αγόρασα καφέ

For this noun:

• nominative: ο καφές
• accusative: τον καφέ

When there is no article, you still see the accusative noun form:

• καφέ

So αγόρασα καφέ is grammatically correct because καφέ is the object form.

In modern Greek, both σε and από normally take the accusative.

So in this sentence:

• στο ζαχαροπλαστείο
• από το παντοπωλείο

both nouns are in the accusative.

However, because these are neuter nouns, the nominative and accusative forms are the same:

• το ζαχαροπλαστείο
• το παντοπωλείο

So even though the case is accusative, the form does not visibly change.

Ενώ here means while, whereas, or while on the other hand.

It connects the two parts of the sentence and creates a mild contrast:

• at the pastry shop, the speaker got some cake
• from the grocery store, they bought coffee and sugar

So ενώ is not just linking two actions in time; it is also helping compare the two shopping actions.

Depending on context, ενώ can mean:

• while
• whereas
• although in some situations

In this sentence, while / whereas is the best fit.

Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

Here, the places come first:

• Στο ζαχαροπλαστείο...
• από το παντοπωλείο...

This gives emphasis to where each item came from. It feels a bit like:

• At the pastry shop, I got some cake, while from the grocery store I bought coffee and sugar.

In natural English, we might rearrange that, but in Greek this fronting is very common and natural.

The sentence is organized around the locations, which helps highlight the contrast between the two shops.

Κέικ is a loanword, originally from English cake.

In modern Greek, it is commonly used and usually treated as indeclinable or only minimally inflected in everyday usage. That means its form often stays the same:

• το κέικ
• λίγο κέικ
• αγόρασα κέικ

So unlike many native Greek nouns, it often does not show obvious case endings.

That is one reason learners may find it easier to recognize.

Yes, it could, depending on what nuance you want.

• στο παντοπωλείο αγόρασα καφέ και ζάχαρη = at the grocery store I bought coffee and sugar
• από το παντοπωλείο αγόρασα καφέ και ζάχαρη = from the grocery store I bought coffee and sugar

Both are natural, but they highlight slightly different things:

• στο focuses more on the location of the action
• από focuses more on the source of the goods

In this sentence, από το παντοπωλείο nicely matches the idea of where the coffee and sugar came from.

Greek could repeat the same verb, but using a different one often sounds more natural and stylistically better.

If the sentence used the same verb twice, it might feel repetitive:

• Στο ζαχαροπλαστείο πήρα λίγο κέικ, ενώ από το παντοπωλείο πήρα καφέ και ζάχαρη.

This is not wrong. It is perfectly understandable.

But:

• πήρα for the cake
• αγόρασα for the coffee and sugar

gives the sentence more variety and can sound a little more precise, since αγόρασα explicitly means bought.

A very literal translation would be something like:

At the pastry shop I got a little cake, while from the grocery store I bought coffee and sugar.

That sounds a bit unnatural in English, but it helps show the Greek structure.

A more natural English version would be:

At the pastry shop I got some cake, while at the grocery store I bought coffee and sugar.

or simply:

I got some cake at the pastry shop, while I bought coffee and sugar at the grocery store.

The Greek sentence is natural; the literal English version just reflects Greek phrasing more closely.