Ο αδερφός μου βρήκε έναν αναπτήρα στο συρτάρι, αλλά το κερί δεν άναβε επειδή είχε πολύ αέρα.

In Greek, the definite article is very often used with specific people, including family members. So Ο αδερφός μου is the normal way to say my brother in a full sentence.

Also, the possessive μου comes after the noun:

• ο αδερφός μου = my brother
• not ο μου αδερφός

If you want extra emphasis, Greek can also say ο δικός μου αδερφός = my own brother / my brother.

Yes. Both mean brother.

• αδερφός is very common in everyday Modern Greek.
• αδελφός is also correct, but can sound a bit more formal or conservative in some contexts.

So a learner should recognize both.

βρήκε is the aorist form of βρίσκω (to find), third person singular: he found.

Greek uses the aorist here because finding the lighter is seen as a completed event:

• βρήκε έναν αναπτήρα = he found a lighter

It is a single event in the story, not an ongoing action.

Because αναπτήρας is a masculine noun, and here it is the direct object of the verb βρήκε.

Dictionary form:

• ο αναπτήρας = the lighter

As a direct object, it goes into the accusative:

• έναν αναπτήρα = a lighter

So:

• ένας αναπτήρας = a lighter (subject form)
• έναν αναπτήρα = a lighter (object form)

Also, έναν is the masculine accusative form of ένας.

στο is a contraction of:

• σε + το = στο

So στο συρτάρι literally means in the drawer / at the drawer, depending on context. Here it means in the drawer.

This contraction is extremely common in Greek:

• στο σπίτι = in the house / at home
• στο τραπέζι = on the table

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

Dictionary form:

• το συρτάρι = the drawer

After σε / στο, Greek uses the accusative, but for this noun the form stays συρτάρι.

So:

• nominative: το συρτάρι
• accusative: το συρτάρι

Because κερί (candle) is a neuter noun.

Its article is therefore το:

• το κερί = the candle

Here το κερί is the subject of δεν άναβε. Even though neuter nominative and accusative look the same in Greek, the meaning and verb structure show that the candle is the thing that was not lighting / would not light.

This is a very common aspect question.

• δεν άναψε would usually mean it didn’t light as a single completed event.
• δεν άναβε uses the imperfect, which suggests an ongoing situation, repeated attempts, or a background description.

So το κερί δεν άναβε can mean something like:

• the candle wouldn’t light
• the candle wasn’t lighting
• the candle would not stay lit, depending on context

The imperfect often gives a sense of continued failure, not just one single failed moment.

It comes from ανάβω, which can mean:

• to light something
• to switch on
• or, in some contexts, to catch fire / burn / light up

In this sentence, it is being used intransitively with το κερί:

• το κερί δεν άναβε

So the idea is not someone was not lighting the candle, but rather the candle was not lighting / would not light.

That is a normal use in Greek.

Because in Modern Greek, δεν normally goes directly before a finite verb in the indicative.

So:

• άναβε = it was lighting / it would light
• δεν άναβε = it was not lighting / it wouldn’t light

This is the standard way to negate ordinary statements.

No specific person is meant here. Greek often uses είχε in an impersonal way in weather or environmental descriptions.

So είχε πολύ αέρα means:

• it was very windy
• there was a lot of wind
• there was a lot of draft/air

It is not really about someone possessing air. It is just a natural Greek way to describe the conditions.

Also note:

• πολύ αέρα has no article because it means a lot of wind/air, an indefinite amount.

Literally, αέρας can mean air, but in many contexts it also means wind or draft.

In this sentence, because we are talking about a candle not lighting, the natural sense is:

• wind
• or too much air / a draft

So είχε πολύ αέρα is best understood as it was too windy or there was too much draft.

Yes, in many everyday situations it could.

• επειδή = because
• γιατί = because / why

So you could also hear:

• ... αλλά το κερί δεν άναβε γιατί είχε πολύ αέρα.

The difference is mainly one of style and clarity:

• επειδή is unambiguously because
• γιατί is very common in speech, but it can also mean why

In this sentence, both work, but επειδή is especially clear.