Τώρα βιδώνω το ράφι στον τοίχο με το κατσαβίδι.

Βιδώνω means to screw in / to fasten with screws. It comes from βίδα, which means screw.

In this sentence, βιδώνω is:

• 1st person singular
• present tense
• so literally: I screw / I am screwing

It is more specific than a general verb like βάζω (put) or στερεώνω (fasten/fix). It tells you that the action is being done with screws.

The Greek present tense can cover both:

• I screw
• I am screwing

Greek does not have a separate progressive form like English am screwing.

So the context decides the best English translation. Here, Τώρα means now, so the most natural English is I am screwing because it sounds like an action happening at this moment.

Greek often leaves out subject pronouns when they are not needed. The ending of the verb already shows who the subject is.

Here, βιδώνω ends in -ω, which tells you it means I.

So:

• βιδώνω = I screw / I am screwing

You could say Εγώ βιδώνω for emphasis, but normally εγώ is omitted.

Το ράφι means the shelf.

• ράφι is a neuter noun
• το is the neuter singular definite article

In this sentence, το ράφι is the direct object of the verb: it is the thing being screwed onto the wall.

A useful point for learners: with many neuter nouns, the nominative and accusative forms are the same, so το ράφι looks the same whether it is the subject or the object.

Because it comes after the preposition σε, which takes the accusative case.

The dictionary form is:

• ο τοίχος = the wall (nominative)

But after σε it becomes:

• τον τοίχο = the wall (accusative)

This is very common with masculine nouns:

• ο → τον
• -ος often becomes -ο in the accusative singular

So:

• ο τοίχος
• τον τοίχο

Στον is a contraction of:

• σε + τον = στον

So στον τοίχο literally means to/on/at the wall, depending on context.

In this sentence, English uses onto the wall or on the wall, but Greek uses σε + accusative.

This contraction is very common:

• σε + το = στο
• σε + τον = στον
• σε + την = στην

Because Greek σε is broader than English to. Depending on context, it can mean:

• to
• in
• at
• on

So στον τοίχο can naturally correspond to English on the wall here.

With the verb βιδώνω, the idea is that the shelf is being fixed onto the wall, so σε works perfectly in Greek even though English chooses on/onto.

Με το κατσαβίδι means with the screwdriver and shows the instrument used to do the action.

• με = with
• το κατσαβίδι = the screwdriver

So it answers the question: How am I screwing the shelf onto the wall?
Answer: with the screwdriver.

Greek normally uses με + accusative to express the tool or means used.

Both are possible, but they are slightly different.

• με το κατσαβίδι = with the screwdriver
  This sounds definite: a particular screwdriver is understood.

• με κατσαβίδι = with a screwdriver / using a screwdriver
  This is more general.

So the article το makes the tool more specific. In real Greek, both patterns occur depending on what the speaker wants to emphasize.

Yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

The sentence here is perfectly natural:

• Τώρα βιδώνω το ράφι στον τοίχο με το κατσαβίδι.

But Greek can move parts around for emphasis, for example:

• Βιδώνω τώρα το ράφι στον τοίχο με το κατσαβίδι.
• Με το κατσαβίδι βιδώνω το ράφι στον τοίχο.

The basic meaning stays the same, but the focus changes slightly.

This sentence begins with Τώρα because the speaker is highlighting now.

A rough pronunciation is:

TO-ra vi-THO-no to RA-fi ston TI-ho me to ka-tsa-VI-thi

More carefully:

• Τώρα = TO-ra
• βιδώνω = vi-THO-no
• το ράφι = to RA-fi
• στον τοίχο = ston TI-ho
• με το κατσαβίδι = me to ka-tsa-VI-thi

A few useful pronunciation notes:

• β sounds like v
• δ sounds like the th in this
• θ sounds like the th in think
• χ here sounds like a rough h/k sound, like German Bach or Spanish j

The stress marks show which syllable is stressed:

• Τώρα
• βιδώνω
• ράφι
• τοίχο
• κατσαβίδι

Τώρα means now, and it adds a clear sense that the action is happening at this moment.

Without it:

• Βιδώνω το ράφι στον τοίχο με το κατσαβίδι.

That could still mean I am screwing the shelf onto the wall, but it could also sound more neutral or descriptive depending on context.

With τώρα, the speaker makes the time reference explicit:

• right now
• at the moment

So it helps push the English translation toward I am screwing... now rather than a more general I screw...