Η φίλη μου προτιμά να ράβει μόνη της, αλλά απόψε θέλει να ράψει μόνο ένα κουμπί στο παλτό της.

Greek often uses the definite article where English would not. So Η φίλη μου literally looks like the friend of me, but it simply means my friend.

Using the article with possessives is very normal in Greek:

• η φίλη μου = my friend
• το σπίτι μου = my house
• ο αδερφός μου = my brother

You can sometimes hear forms without the article in certain contexts, but η φίλη μου is the standard, natural phrasing here.

In Modern Greek, weak possessive pronouns like μου, σου, του, της, μας usually come after the noun.

So:

• η φίλη μου = my friend
• το παλτό της = her coat

This is different from English, where the possessive usually comes before the noun.

Yes, they are related in form, but they mean different things here.

• μόνη της = by herself / alone
• μόνο = only

So:

• να ράβει μόνη της means she prefers to sew by herself
• να ράψει μόνο ένα κουμπί means she wants to sew only one button

The difference is important:

1. μόνη is the feminine form of the adjective μόνος = alone
2. μόνο here is being used as an adverb meaning only

μόνη της is the usual way to say alone / by herself about a woman.

The της adds the idea of herself:

• μόνη = alone
• μόνη της = by herself / on her own

This pattern is very common:

• μόνος μου = by myself
• μόνος σου = by yourself
• μόνος του = by himself
• μόνη της = by herself

So in this sentence, να ράβει μόνη της means she prefers to do the sewing herself, without help.

This is one of the most important points in Greek grammar: aspect.

Greek often distinguishes between:

• imperfective: ongoing, repeated, habitual, general
• perfective: one whole action, seen as a complete event

Here:

• προτιμά να ράβει = she prefers sewing / to sew in general, as a repeated or habitual activity
• θέλει να ράψει = tonight she wants to sew one specific, complete thing

So:

• ράβει = imperfective stem, used for habitual/general action
• ράψει = perfective subjunctive form, used for a single completed action

That is why both are translated as to sew, but Greek chooses different forms depending on how the action is viewed.

Modern Greek does not use an infinitive the way English does.

Instead of saying:

• she prefers to sew
• she wants to sew

Greek says:

• προτιμά να ράβει
• θέλει να ράψει

The word να introduces the verb form that replaces the old infinitive. So after verbs like want, prefer, can, must, Greek usually uses να + verb.

Examples:

• θέλω να φύγω = I want to leave
• μπορεί να έρθει = he/she may come
• προτιμώ να μείνω = I prefer to stay

απόψε means tonight.

It refers specifically to this evening / tonight, not just any night.

Examples:

• Τι κάνεις απόψε; = What are you doing tonight?
• Απόψε θέλω να ξεκουραστώ. = Tonight I want to rest.

In your sentence, it contrasts with her general preference:

• in general, she prefers sewing by herself
• but tonight she wants to sew only one button

στο is the contracted form of σε + το.

So:

• σε το becomes στο

This is very common in Greek:

• στο σπίτι = in/to the house
• στο τραπέζι = on the table
• στο παλτό της = on her coat

So ένα κουμπί στο παλτό της means a button on her coat.

κουμπί is a neuter noun, and in the singular its nominative and accusative forms are often the same.

So:

• το κουμπί = the button
• βλέπω το κουμπί = I see the button
• να ράψει ένα κουμπί = to sew a button

The noun is the direct object here, so it is in the accusative, but for this neuter noun the form does not change.

They are pronounced differently, and the spelling reflects that difference:

• ράβει ≈ RA-vi
• ράψει ≈ RA-psi

The second one has ψ (ps) in it, so it sounds sharper.

Also notice the stress:

• ράβει
• ράψει

The stress stays on the first syllable in both forms.

Yes, αλλά means but and works very much like English but in this sentence.

It introduces a contrast:

• in general, she prefers to sew by herself
• but tonight she wants to sew only one button

So αλλά is the natural conjunction here.

The two instances of της do different jobs:

1. μόνη της
   Here της means herself as part of the expression by herself.

2. το παλτό της
   Here της means her, showing possession: her coat.

So even though the word is the same, the function is different:

• μόνη της = alone / by herself
• το παλτό της = her coat

Yes, Greek word order is fairly flexible, but the position can slightly affect emphasis.

The sentence has:

• θέλει να ράψει μόνο ένα κουμπί = she wants to sew only one button

This naturally emphasizes that the amount is limited to one button.

You might also hear variations in speech, but this version is very normal and clear. The placement of μόνο directly before ένα κουμπί makes it obvious that only modifies one button, not the verb.

Yes. θέλει is present tense, but that is completely natural.

Greek, like English, often uses the present tense of verbs like want for current intention:

• θέλει να ράψει = she wants to sew

The actual time reference comes from απόψε:

• απόψε tells you when the sewing is supposed to happen

So the whole idea is:

• Tonight, she wants to sew only one button on her coat.