Μην τρυπήσεις το κουτί με το ψαλίδι, γιατί μετά θα έχει άλλη μια τρύπα.

In Modern Greek, negative commands are normally formed with μη(ν) + subjunctive, not with δεν and not with a negative imperative form.

So:

• Μην τρυπήσεις = Don’t puncture / Don’t make a hole
• Δεν τρυπάς = You don’t puncture / You are not puncturing

Δεν is for negating statements, while μην is used for prohibitions and negative instructions.

Also, Greek usually does not use a separate negative imperative equivalent to English don’t + verb. Instead, it uses μην plus a verb form like τρυπήσεις.

Τρυπήσεις is the 2nd person singular aorist subjunctive of the verb τρυπάω / τρυπώ (to pierce, puncture, make a hole in).

You can think of it like this:

• να τρυπήσεις = to puncture / that you puncture
• μην τρυπήσεις = don’t puncture

This form is very common after να and μην.

This is the classic Greek contrast between aorist and present in commands.

• Μην τρυπήσεις = don’t do it even once; don’t perform the action as a whole
• Μην τρυπάς = don’t be puncturing; don’t keep doing it; don’t do that habitually or repeatedly

In this sentence, the speaker is warning about one specific action: making a hole in the box. That is why μην τρυπήσεις sounds natural.

Το κουτί is the direct object of the verb τρυπήσεις.

• κουτί = box
• το = the neuter singular definite article

So:

• το κουτί = the box

Because κουτί is a neuter noun, its nominative and accusative singular forms are the same, so the word does not visibly change here.

Here it means using the scissors — in other words, it shows the instrument.

• με = with
• το ψαλίδι = the scissors

So με το ψαλίδι means with the scissors / using the scissors.

In theory, Greek can sometimes have the same kind of ambiguity English has with with, but in this sentence the intended meaning is clearly instrumental because it naturally goes with the verb τρυπήσεις.

That is just a difference between the two languages.

In Greek, το ψαλίδι is a singular neuter noun meaning scissors. English treats scissors as a plural-looking word, but Greek treats it as a single object.

So:

• το ψαλίδι = the scissors
• ένα ψαλίδι = a pair of scissors

This is completely normal Greek usage.

Yes. Γιατί can mean both:

• because
• why

In this sentence, it means because:

• γιατί μετά θα έχει άλλη μια τρύπα = because afterwards it will have another hole

The context tells you which meaning is intended. Here it is clearly introducing a reason, not asking a question.

Literally, it means afterwards it will have.

• μετά = after, afterwards, later, then
• θα έχει = it will have

So the second part means:

• γιατί μετά θα έχει άλλη μια τρύπα
  = because afterwards it will have another hole

This sounds natural in Greek because the idea is that the box will end up having one more hole than before.

The subject is understood to be the box: το κουτί.

Greek often leaves subject pronouns unstated when they are clear from context. This is very normal.

So Greek says:

• μετά θα έχει άλλη μια τρύπα

and English has to say:

• afterwards it will have another hole

The it is implied in Greek.

It means another hole or one more hole.

Breakdown:

• άλλη = another / other
• μια = one / a
• τρύπα = hole

So άλλη μια τρύπα is a very natural Greek way to say one more hole.

Using both is very common and idiomatic.

• άλλη τρύπα can mean another hole
• άλλη μια τρύπα very naturally means one more hole / yet another hole

The combination adds the sense of an additional one.

You may also see:

• μια άλλη τρύπα

This can also mean another hole, but άλλη μια is especially common when the idea is one more added to what already exists.

Grammatically, άλλη μια τρύπα is the object of έχει, so it is in the accusative.

However, many feminine nouns ending in -α have the same form in nominative and accusative singular. So:

• nominative: η τρύπα
• accusative: την τρύπα

Without the article, the noun itself still looks the same: τρύπα.

So the case does change grammatically, but the noun’s visible form does not.

Greek word order is fairly flexible, and this sentence could be rearranged somewhat. But the given order is very natural and neutral:

• Μην τρυπήσεις το κουτί με το ψαλίδι, γιατί μετά θα έχει άλλη μια τρύπα.

This order presents the message clearly:

1. the prohibition
2. the object
3. the instrument
4. the reason

If you move parts around, the meaning usually stays the same, but the emphasis changes. For example, putting με το ψαλίδι earlier could emphasize the tool more strongly.