Στο πάρτι θέλουμε να βάλουμε ένα κερί σε κάθε τραπέζι και να ανάψουμε τα κεριά με έναν αναπτήρα.

Στο is a contraction of σε + το.

• σε = in / at / to
• το = the (neuter singular)

So:

• στο πάρτι = at the party

Greek very often combines σε with the definite article:

• σε + το = στο
• σε + τη(ν) = στη(ν)
• σε + τα = στα

Here πάρτι is a neuter noun, so το πάρτι becomes στο πάρτι after σε.

Πάρτι is a borrowed word and is usually indeclinable, meaning it keeps the same form in different cases.

So you get:

• το πάρτι = the party
• στο πάρτι = at the party

Unlike many Greek nouns, it does not usually change its ending.

Θέλουμε is the 1st person plural form of θέλω.

• θέλω = I want
• θέλουμε = we want

So the subject is we, even though Greek does not need to state the pronoun εμείς explicitly. The verb ending -ουμε already tells you it means we.

After θέλω in Greek, you normally use να + a verb form to express want to do something.

So:

• θέλουμε να βάλουμε = we want to put
• θέλουμε να ανάψουμε = we want to light

The particle να introduces the subordinate verb, roughly like English to, but it does not work exactly the same way as the English infinitive.

Modern Greek does not really use an infinitive like English does. Instead, it usually uses να + a finite verb form.

This is a very common learner question. Greek often has two different stems for a verb:

• an imperfective stem, often used for ongoing/repeated actions
• a perfective stem, often used for a single complete action

For βάζω:

• βάζω = I put / I am putting
• να βάλω = to put, as a single complete action

Here the sentence is about completing the action of placing a candle on each table, so Greek uses the perfective form:

• να βάλουμε

Similarly:

• ανάβω = I light / I am lighting
• να ανάψω = to light, as a complete action

So να βάλουμε and να ανάψουμε are exactly what you would expect here.

Βάλουμε is the 1st person plural form used after να, from the perfective stem of βάζω.

So:

• να βάλω = for me to put / to put
• να βάλεις
• να βάλει
• να βάλουμε = for us to put / to put
• να βάλετε
• να βάλουν

In this sentence, it matches θέλουμε because the subject is still we.

Because the first phrase is singular, while the second is plural.

• ένα κερί = one candle / a candle
• τα κεριά = the candles

The sentence says:

• put a candle on each table
• light the candles with a lighter

So first Greek refers to the item in the singular as part of the distribution (one candle per table), and then later refers back to all of them together in the plural (the candles).

Because κερί is singular and κεριά is plural.

This noun is neuter:

• το κερί = the candle
• τα κεριά = the candles

So the ending changes in the plural, as many neuter nouns do.

Ένα is the neuter singular accusative/nominative form of the indefinite article, meaning a / one.

Because κερί is a neuter noun, you use:

• ένα κερί

Compare:

• ένας for many masculine nouns
• μια / μία for feminine nouns
• ένα for neuter nouns

Here it can mean either a candle or emphasize one candle, depending on context. In this sentence, both ideas fit well.

In Greek, κάθε means each / every, and it normally does not take an article.

So you say:

• κάθε τραπέζι = each table / every table

Not:

• κάθε ένα τραπέζι in this context

The phrase κάθε ένα exists, but it means something more like each one and is used differently.

So here the natural Greek structure is:

• σε κάθε τραπέζι = on each table / at each table

Τραπέζι is the correct noun here, and after σε it stays in the accusative form:

• το τραπέζι = the table
• σε κάθε τραπέζι = on each table

For this noun, the nominative and accusative singular look the same, so there is no visible change.

The sentence has two coordinated actions:

• να βάλουμε ένα κερί σε κάθε τραπέζι
• να ανάψουμε τα κεριά με έναν αναπτήρα

Greek repeats να because both verbs depend on θέλουμε:

• we want to put ...
• and to light ...

So και να ανάψουμε is completely natural Greek. It shows that light is the second action that we want to do.

This is the same pattern as βάλουμε.

The basic verb is ανάβω:

• ανάβω = I light / I turn on / I am lighting

But after να, when talking about a complete action, Greek often uses the perfective stem:

• να ανάψω = to light

So:

• να ανάψουμε τα κεριά = to light the candles

Ανάβουμε would mean we light / we are lighting, not the form needed after να here.

Greek often uses the definite article more than English does.

Here τα κεριά means the candles, referring to the candles just mentioned earlier. In English, after saying put a candle on each table, you would naturally say light the candles. Greek does the same.

So:

• ένα κερί introduces the item
• τα κεριά refers back to that set of items

Με means with, and after it Greek uses the accusative.

Αναπτήρας is a masculine noun, so in the accusative singular you get:

• ένας αναπτήρας = a lighter
• έναν αναπτήρα = a lighter (accusative)

So:

• με έναν αναπτήρα = with a lighter

That is why you see έναν, not ένας.

Because ένας is the nominative masculine singular form, while έναν is the accusative masculine singular form.

Compare:

• ένας αναπτήρας = a lighter
• βλέπω έναν αναπτήρα = I see a lighter
• με έναν αναπτήρα = with a lighter

So the article changes to match the case required by the grammar of the sentence.

Yes, it is related.

• ανάβω = I light / ignite / turn on
• αναπτήρας = lighter

So αναπτήρας is literally the object used for lighting something. This kind of word-building relationship is very common in Greek.

Greek word order is more flexible than English word order because the endings and articles show grammatical relationships more clearly.

This sentence is very natural as written:

• Στο πάρτι θέλουμε να βάλουμε ένα κερί σε κάθε τραπέζι και να ανάψουμε τα κεριά με έναν αναπτήρα.

But other word orders may also be possible for emphasis, for example putting με έναν αναπτήρα in a different place.

Still, the given order is a normal, neutral way to say it.

Literally, σε often means in / at / to, but in real usage the best English translation depends on context.

With τραπέζι, the natural meaning here is:

• on each table

Even though Greek uses σε, English prefers on because candles are placed on top of tables. So this is a good example where Greek and English prepositions do not match word-for-word.

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

English says:

• we want to put
• we want to light

Greek instead says:

• θέλουμε να βάλουμε
• θέλουμε να ανάψουμε

So learners should get used to the idea that να + verb often does the job that the English infinitive does.

Yes, depending on context and tone, θέλουμε can sometimes be translated more naturally as we want, we would like, or we intend.

In this sentence, the basic grammar is simply we want to..., but in natural English you might choose a slightly softer translation depending on the situation. The Greek form itself is straightforward present tense.

A learner should especially notice these:

• στο = contraction of σε + το
• θέλουμε = we want
• να + verb = the common Greek way to express to do
• βάλουμε / ανάψουμε = perfective forms after να
• ένα κερί = singular, a candle
• τα κεριά = plural, the candles
• κάθε = each / every, usually without an article
• με έναν αναπτήρα = with a lighter, with masculine accusative έναν

If you understand those pieces, the whole sentence becomes much easier to recognize and build yourself.